Latest edition to the garage

[DDSLT5]

Originally Posted by ptindall

I got a reasonably modern Coats balancer, but its an economy model without runout or road force measurement. Its designed for speed and its easy to use.
Paid $1300.

First I installed new tires on my utility trailer. Then I fixed a couple bent wheels on my Accord. They are 17" cast aluminum factory wheels. I took one from .200" runout to .050" and the other from .075" to .030". I did this by dismounting the tire, using the balancer and a travel indicator to find the low spot on the wheel, stick a bottle jack inside the wheel, heat the bent spot with a torch, then pump up the bottle jack. This actually worked great. The car had a very slight shake at around 70mph. Now its gone. Next up is fixing a couple TPMS sensors on the truck.

That's an excellent balancer! Where did you find it? I'd love to have one of those! If you upgrade, let me know - I'll buy that one off of ya!

[Bruze]

Anybody ever change tractor tires with just wedges, a sledge, and a couple 6’ pry bars? I've done it a couple of times when I was young. Never do it now; if it needs to be done before I croak I'll call "The Guy." I have enough trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

I used to change and balance all my motorcycle tires by hand too. Breaking the bead on those big Harley tires wasn't always a breeze. I never trusted anybody else to not pinch the new tube.

[Big bob]

Very nice setup. Now watch your fingers.

[The_Dude]

I've got one of these to make dirt bike tires easier to change.

[Budman]

I worked at a shop that was a U-Haul dealer while I was in college.

I changed many truck tires using a bead breaking hammer and levers. I’ve also changed truck tires with lock-ring rims and survived.

I’ll pay someone to do it now.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by DDSLT5

That's an excellent balancer! Where did you find it? I'd love to have one of those! If you upgrade, let me know - I'll buy that one off of ya!

Facebook marketplace in Phoenix. The story was the place changed from selling tires to being strictly a repair shop. They had four balancers for sale.

[zsr22]

That's bad ass. You're going to have that shop filled up in no time.

[Yesfam]

Originally Posted by Bruze

Anybody ever change tractor tires with just wedges, a sledge, and a couple 6’ pry bars? I've done it a couple of times when I was young. Never do it now; if it needs to be done before I croak I'll call "The Guy." I have enough trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

I used to change and balance all my motorcycle tires by hand too. Breaking the bead on those big Harley tires wasn't always a breeze. I never trusted anybody else to not pinch the new tube.

Thousands of them, tubeless and with lock rings. In the shop and on the road when my dad had his tire shop. We did farm tires, construction equipment. Anything round and black.

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by Bruze

Anybody ever change tractor tires with just wedges, a sledge, and a couple 6’ pry bars? I've done it a couple of times when I was young. Never do it now; if it needs to be done before I croak I'll call "The Guy." I have enough trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

I used to change and balance all my motorcycle tires by hand too. Breaking the bead on those big Harley tires wasn't always a breeze. I never trusted anybody else to not pinch the new tube.

Changed out a thousand or so, spent 3 years working part time in high school at a truck terminal. I was the tire guy. Would change out trailer and tractor tires every day, along with other work. Used bars, hammers and slimy soap. They were tubeless though.

[Yesfam]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

Changed out a thousand or so, spent 3 years working part time in high school at a truck terminal. I was the tire guy. Would change out trailer and tractor tires every day, along with other work. Used bars, hammers and slimy soap. They were tubeless though.

We carried big tubs of Murphy’s soap.

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Yesfam

Thousands of them, tubeless and with lock rings. In the shop and on the road when my dad had his tire shop. We did farm tires, construction equipment. Anything round and black.

[Bruze]

Originally Posted by Yesfam

We carried big tubs of Murphy’s soap.

I had some kind of tire lube, don't remember what it was called. Last time I used it would've been with my Harley over 10 years ago.

The first time I did tractor tires (around 1976) we did it in my yard, it was summer, hot and muggy.

Sweat? Holy crap, like a Christmas goose.

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by Yesfam

We carried big tubs of Murphy’s soap.

I can't remember the vendor for our terminal, but that stuff was snotty, kinda brownish yellow. We also used a green slippery stuff later, that might have been Hotsy pressure washer concentrated soap.

There were two of us tire changers at the terminal. We often competed against each other on how long it would take to remove the 10 wheels off a tractor, take off the old tires, mount and install new ones. Can't recall our times, but were fast. We had it down, and we were pretty buff back in the day.

[Yesfam]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

I can't remember the vendor for our terminal, but that stuff was snotty, kinda brownish yellow. We also used a green slippery stuff later, that might have been Hotsy pressure washer concentrated soap.

There were two of us tire changers at the terminal. We often competed against each other on how long it would take to remove the 10 wheels off a tractor, take off the old tires, mount and install new ones. Can't recall our times, but were fast. We had it down, and we were pretty buff back in the day.

Certainly not a job for the lightweights. Did you ever use gasoline to loosen the beads on stubborn lock ring wheels? OSHA would have had a cow.

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by Yesfam

Certainly not a job for the lightweights. Did you ever use gasoline to loosen the beads on stubborn lock ring wheels? OSHA would have had a cow.

Nope, I only changed out a couple dozen split rings in my day. Hated those things, thankfully we had the "rack" to place them in.

We did try the ether spray, torch light to try and set the bead on a few tubeless tires. Never got it to work.

One of our mechanics decided to change out a split ring while we were out. Put a nice, round new dent in the roof of our metal building.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Yesfam

Thousands of them, tubeless and with lock rings. In the shop and on the road when my dad had his tire shop. We did farm tires, construction equipment. Anything round and black.

You rang?

[Yesfam]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

Nope, I only changed out a couple dozen split rings in my day. Hated those things, thankfully we had the "rack" to place them in.

We did try the ether spray, torch light to try and set the bead on a few tubeless tires. Never got it to work.

One of our mechanics decided to change out a split ring while we were out. Put a nice, round new dent in the roof of our metal building.

We did lots of them. They were far more prevalent than tubeless with our customers.

[ratflinger]

Originally Posted by ptindall

Yes, I ratchet strapped it to the car lift arms, lifted it, drove the trailer out from under, then lowered it to the ground with the lift. Worked great. It weighs 650 lbs.

I have a little over 3000 square feet of garage space and another ~500 square feet of storage. I can afford the space. Although I certainly agree its limited, I still have a decent amount unoccupied. Its not like I'm kicking anything more useful out of the garage to fit this.

I have 51 tires in service right now and at least that many amoung my family that this will benefit. And its not just about mounting new tires. I have a couple alloy wheels with bends I want to try to straighten, but that can only be done with no tires mounted. I also have a couple TPMS issues I think will be much easier to resolve when I can service them myself.

If I need the floor space for something more important, or just hate it, I should be able to sell it for what I paid at any time. Experience gained.

Wish you lived near me, I could use a fried with a tire changer.

[ptindall]

Added an awning with materials left over from the garage build and stuff I had laying around. Since the building has no gutters, even morning dew would result in a wet doorway. Rain would make a curtain of water and make its way inside.

[Big bob]

Hope that is on the down wind side.