Changing a tire...what am I doing wrong??

[Marsack66]

I've seen it done a few ways.
If you have an 18 inch wheel or less it will be a pain in the rear.
Don't feel bad, we have all been where you are.
The best way I've found is to put the sprocket side down on a solid bench. Use C-clamps or the dewalt quick clamps from home depot.
Try to heat the tire by leaving it on warm concrete providing you live somewhere warm enough to ride today (I don't) put one half I the rim. Take the inner tube out of the package and put the valve stem through the hole in the rim and only put the nut on it about 2 or 3 complete threads. Next reach in between the wheel and tire and tuck the tube as deep as you can. It will hurt the top of your hand. I never use powder or soapy water while putting the tube in during this step. You can if you want but I have success without.
Make sure you put the tube over the rim lock, between the rim lock and the tire.
Next take the soapy water and spray the tire bead on both sides of the tire. Take your tire irons and begin to work the tire onto the rim using small bites each time. I use a bead buddy to hold the tire in my start position and I used 3 tire irons before someone showed me a bead buddy.
I work my way around to the valve stem and make sure I push the valve stem as deep into the tire as the nut will allow while I work the irons around the stem area. Once you get the tire on the wheel spray both sides with soapy water again, thread the valve stem nut on just enough to get your compressed fitting on and fill it to about 35 to 45 pounds. At that point you can wait to see if it drops pressure. If you didn't pinch the tube tighten the rim lock and either thread the nut on the valve stem the rwst of the way.
If you tighten the valve stem but nut all the way before putting the tire on you will pinch more tubes.

Sorry that was so long but I found that method to work best for me. After pinching no less than 20 tubes in my life. I've seen others do it many other ways with great success. This is just what works best for me

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[Chris Guthrie]

Anyone ever tried the zip ties trick? Food for thought.

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[AMP67]

A lot of dirtbike shops will change it if for free if at most a few $, so much easier, just bring the tire to them. Life made easy

[nateb1583]

My first experience was exactly the same as yours. 45 minutes and a pinched tube. I pinched 2 more before I finally got it. I use windex for lube. It dries with no residue and works great. Get the tube in and partially inflate to avoid pinching and use the very tips of the spoons. Takes me 10 minutes or less now, easy every time. Don't forget a warm tire will go on 100% easier than a cold tire.

[hack_rider]

Popping the bead is the hardest part for me. I put the bike tire(obviously not the rim) just under a tire on my truck and slowly inch my truck forward. Jumping on the tire or beating on it has never worked for me.

[Chris Guthrie]

A lot of dirtbike shops will change it if for free if at most a few $, so much easier, just bring the tire to them. Life made easy

My local shop charges $55/tire + anything else that's needed like rim strips, wheel locks etc

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[M.O.]

Mine charges $40.

[87' CR 5003]

Windex, stays wet long enough then evaporates(cleans the surfaces too) 3 tire irons 18 -20" (short tools don't work for anything).? Soap & water is too sloppy, Pop 1 side on the rim drop in the rim locks, pre-inflate the tube then let most of the air out so it doesn't fold over, start at a bead lock pop the 2nd bead in ,tighten the lock to hold the tire then work your way around spraying windex as needed, MOST COMMON MISTAKE - DON'T GET GREEDY, work your way around in 3 -4" increments, Everybody gets in a hurry, the last 6" will be a Bishe go to 2" sections by then. Note;The last drop will be glorious These things are handy too.https://www.denniskirk.com/motion-pro/bead-buddy-tire-tool-08-0471.p283116.prd/283116.sku

[nateb1583]

Windex, stays wet long enough then evaporates(cleans the surfaces too) 3 tire irons 18 -20" (short tools don't work for anything).? Soap & water is too sloppy, Pop 1 side on the rim drop in the rim locks, pre-inflate the tube then let most of the air out so it doesn't fold over, start at a bead lock pop the 2nd bead in ,tighten the lock to hold the tire then work your way around spraying windex as needed, MOST COMMON MISTAKE - DON'T GET GREEDY, work your way around in 3 -4" increments, Everybody gets in a hurry, the last 6" will be a Bishe go to 2" sections by then. Note;The last drop will be glorious:goofy: These things are handy too.https://www.denniskirk.com/motion-pro/bead-buddy-tire-tool-08-0471.p283116.prd/283116.sku

This pretty much sums it up. It has been a couple months since last time for me but if I remember correctly I had a much easier time starting between the two bead locks and working my way in both directions until they were both in.

[Westcoasting]

11 hours ago, AMP67 said:

A lot of dirtbike shops will change it if for free if at most a few $, so much easier, just bring the tire to them. Life made easy

A lot? I have a hard time believing a lot will give free labor.

[ossagp]

19 hours ago, Cdizzle666 said:

I guess so, or your bead locks arent tight enough.

yeah,  lol,  I must not know how to do that.  just for grins,  what do you torque yours to?  If you like running high pressure or ride easy I suppose,  but after more than 50 years of mounting motorcycle tires and everything other kind of tire you will see running down the road, you are the only guy I have seen that claims success at your suggested method. Since I see absolutely NO advantage for me to use "oil" for mounting tires I won't do it,   and it is advice I would never pass on.  No reason to. NONE.  But I am glad you have found something that works for you.  

[ossagp]

7 hours ago, hack_rider said:

Popping the bead is the hardest part for me. I put the bike tire(obviously not the rim) just under a tire on my truck and slowly inch my truck forward. Jumping on the tire or beating on it has never worked for me.

Most of the time I use a vice or c clamp,  but your way works on lots of things.  Did you ever jack a car or truck up and lower the tire down onto a bent fork tube to get it straight enought to put in a lathe to true it? 

Edited April 15, 2017 by ossagp

[ossagp]

12 hours ago, AMP67 said:

A lot of dirtbike shops will change it if for free if at most a few $, so much easier, just bring the tire to them. Life made easy

You are a nice looking woman I presume? 

[hack_rider]

3 minutes ago, ossagp said:

Most of the time I use a vice or c clamp,  but your way works on lots of things.  Did you ever jack a car or truck up and lower the tire down onto a bent for tube to get it straight enought to put in a lathe to true it? 

Never tried that.  Luckily I haven't bent up many rims.  I'll try my vice next time, as well as putting the tire under the hood of a warm engine, bcs the sun doesn't seem to loosen mine up worth a darn.  Seems my methods are gonna leave me being one pissed rider when I have to change a tube in the field though!

[ossagp]

4 hours ago, M.O. said:

Mine charges $40.

I don't  think I have that much wrapped up in the tools that I currently am using.   Unless the shop is right next door,  or I had a day when I couldn't bill my time out,  it just wouldn't work out moneywise.  

[ossagp]

3 minutes ago, hack_rider said:

Never tried that.  Luckily I haven't bent up many rims.  I'll try my vice next time, as well as putting the tire under the hood of a warm engine, bcs the sun doesn't seem to loosen mine up worth a darn.  Seems my methods are gonna leave me being one pissed rider when I have to change a tube in the field though!

the trick in calif used to be to just lay them out on a hot dark patch of pavement.   I have changed enough tires in the field that I started putting slime in them years back.  I dont know why I haven't tried something more 21st century.  I am thinking of doing that when I mount new ones on the crf crossbreed this summer.  

[hack_rider]

Just now, ossagp said:

the trick in calif used to be to just lay them out on a hot dark patch of pavement.   I have changed enough tires in the field that I started putting slime in them years back.  I dont know why I haven't tried something more 21st century.  I am thinking of doing that when I mount new ones on the crf crossbreed this summer.  

Yeah, I know guys say Slime corrodes your rims or something like that, but I got some just for a multi-day ride coming up.  I'd rather clean that stuff up at the house after a good ride than deal with changing a tube out in the middle of nowhere.

[ossagp]

me too on the cleanup.  So far I have never had a rim corroded by one.  If you do things like check  your tires, you find out quick enough.  But I know some people that consider it a permanent fix.  If someone does that I think they kind of get what their maintenance practices earn them.  

[hack_rider]

1 minute ago, ossagp said:

me too on the cleanup.  So far I have never had a rim corroded by one.  If you do things like check  your tires, you find out quick enough.  But I know some people that consider it a permanent fix.  If someone does that I think they kind of get what their maintenance practices earn them.  

I wear the tires down too fast to worry about that!

[Cdizzle666]

55 minutes ago, ossagp said:

yeah,  lol,  I must not know how to do that.  just for grins,  what do you torque yours to?  If you like running high pressure or ride easy I suppose,  but after more than 50 years of mounting motorcycle tires and everything other kind of tire you will see running down the road, you are the only guy I have seen that claims success at your suggested method. Since I see absolutely NO advantage for me to use "oil" for mounting tires I won't do it,   and it is advice I would never pass on.  No reason to. NONE.  But I am glad you have found something that works for you.  

I just make sure its tight, i dont use a torque wrench. ive been running them at 10 psi, its been super muddy and loose latley.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Cdizzle666