Tire Changer

[Bob Stack]

I've decided to invest in a tire changer and would be interested in recommendations for a manual changer. Are there any specifically made to accommodate the VW rims? If not, is there an adapter that can be purchased or what have people done?

Thanks - and Happy New Year all!

Bob

[BLS]

Bob, IIRC, there is an adapter available on the Samba website.

EDIT: There is: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1196090

Regards,
Barry

[Bob Stack]

Barry that's perfect! Thanks. I assume we use the the 12mm lugs right?

[BLS]

Bob, 12mm is correct.

[bobc]

If you have or know someone with a lathe take an old brake drum, machine the brake surface off and open the hole to fit a balancer. Mine cost me a 6 pack.

[Dave]

That plate will probably work for balancing, but will not be strong enough for tire changing. Check the balance on the plate alone, adjust as necessary.

Dave

[BLS]

Dave makes a good point. I remembered seeing that adapter but had forgotten it was sold for a wheel balancer.

Regards,
Barry

[hardingfv32-1]

Do you have any experience with tire changers of any type?

Brian

[Bob Stack]

Do you have any experience with tire changers of any type?

Brian

Well really no. My buddy has a manual one and I helped him once but . . .

[Bob Stack]

I found this on FleaBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-duty-Mult ... 48436e7814

Looking at it, it would apprear to grip the wheel from the outside rather than the center? Is that right? would that be a good solution for the FV rims or am I seeing it wrong?

Thanks again

[smsazzy]

Do you have any experience with tire changers of any type?

Brian

Does that matter? The first time I picked up a hammer I had never used one before. Now I'm pretty proficient.

[kidkoh]

look for a rim clamp tire changer. the center post ones will work but it is way more work. the manual ones are good in a pinch but you will have to have 2 people and a lot of tire lube. I bought a rim clamp changer for $500 and it has payed for itself 10 times over. i bought it from a tire shop who was looking to move to a bigger one

[Speedsport]

For what it's worth, I use an old center post manual bead breaker / changer. The newer construction tires (2010+) take some serious effort to mount. I have done 100's of tires over the past years so I have a good technique, but expect to be sweating. I suppose it depends how often you'll be doing it. I flip a tire after almost every on track session, so I usually mount / dismount 3-4 sets per race weekend. About 1 set into it I start questioning if it's worth it. It takes about 40 mintues to flip a set of 4, since I have to break the bead on one side, then flip the wheel over and break the bead on the other side. Whatever you end up with for a machine, make sure you have ample working room around it and it's bolted down to something solid.

Napa auto sells a gallon jug of rubber lube, which works great.

[Bob Stack]

For what it's worth, I use an old center post manual bead breaker / changer. The newer construction tires (2010+) take some serious effort to mount. I have done 100's of tires over the past years so I have a good technique, but expect to be sweating. I suppose it depends how often you'll be doing it. I flip a tire after almost every on track session, so I usually mount / dismount 3-4 sets per race weekend. About 1 set into it I start questioning if it's worth it. It takes about 40 mintues to flip a set of 4, since I have to break the bead on one side, then flip the wheel over and break the bead on the other side. Whatever you end up with for a machine, make sure you have ample working room around it and it's bolted down to something solid.

Napa auto sells a gallon jug of rubber lube, which works great.

I don't expect to mount more than about 5-6 sets a season (at this point at least) - suppose the exercise will be good for me!

Thanks everyone

Bob

[Hal]

I'm with Bobc, I had a guy lathe down a junk drum so it is was just a flat plate, quite strong and works great, usually only need to tighten down the wheel with two lub bolts to change a tire. Yeah that balancer plate is flimsy looking for tire changine. Mikes right, I mounted up a new set of Hoser tires last spring, ended up heating them with my blower kerosene heater and pretty much had both knees on one side of the tire whilst pulling the bar. Also gave some thought to giving up racing. After the first mount it is not so bad to flip , still a lot of work but used to have a local tire place (they were the ONLY ones around with an adapter) to do the work for me, around $55 a set and they did a shit job. I ask one of my sponsors if they could help me out with tire changing expsense, he gave me money for a genuine made in China Harbor Freight thing. Smart ass.

I made a great balancer out of a cracked spindle by having a piece of pipe weled on it so I could slip it into my bench mounted motor stand, use very lightly lubed bearings and just work with it with taped on test weights until a little test spin/push does not stop in the same place. Does a much better job than the bubble balancer I bought that never seems to give the same reading twice in a row and a crap load better than the tire shop morons spin balancing BS. Kind of time consuming but that is why God gave us cigars and beer.

[Matt King]

Hey Hal, could you post a photo of that balancer you made? Sounds look a good winter project, and a good use for one of the several jacked up spindles I have laying around.

Here's a tire changer that looks like it would work for Vee tires. Anybody used one like this?

http://www.nomartirechanger.com/products/1

[Hal]

Hi Matt, I can try but seems like I have a hard time putting pics on this site. If I can't get me your email and I will get them to you.

[CenDiv20]

Matt, I have the NoMar Tire changer in the basement. It works great to break the bead although still having trouble getting it to "clamp" the wheels to dismount the tires. We are actually working on it now and can provide first hand feedback eventually.

After I saw Mikes post of how many tires he has changed I was going to call UPS and have them drop all my wheels off up there....

[Hal]

Matt, tried sending you an email, returned, says your mailbox is full.


Hal

[tiagosantos]

For $600, you might be able to find an older pneumatic/electric machine.. If I was flipping 5 sets of tires before every race, no way I'd be using a manual machine! I'm just the perfect example of the youth of today, not willing to put any work into anything

[FV80]

For $600, you might be able to find an older pneumatic/electric machine.. If I was flipping 5 sets of tires before every race, no way I'd be using a manual machine! I'm just the perfect example of the youth of today, not willing to put any work into anything

YEAH, but you young PROFESSIONALS are all *RICH* and can afford to not have to do heavy lifting

Just FYI - Personally, I have not flipped (nor paid or asked anyone else to flip) a tire on a rim in over 20 years. I swap sides without regard to ANYTHING other than the amount of rubber left. I've never noticed any difference on track (from NOT flipping on rim) .. guess I'm not a good enough driver to be able to tell the diff.

Steve, FV80

[tiagosantos]

Pssshhh, that's cause you old RETIRED people use your pension to pay for fancy motors!

[Matt King]

In case anyone else is interested, here are the photos Hal sent of his balancer setup.

[ external image ]
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[jwolf]

I use a cheap Harbor Freight and an adapter, I use the same adapter for balancing.

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[CenDiv20]

Matt I have the No Mar Tire Changer working now. If you decide to purchase it give me a call first you have to get some adaptors.

Jim