Tips & Tricks to chaning tire

[yellowfinch11]

Can you guys offer some tips and tricks to changing tires on the DR? I tried it once. It took a while and after scratching the rim up ? , I said I would never do it again...but...I'm cheap and don't want to take it in.

Tool recommendations would be great too!

[R_Little]

Don't give up. It's all technique and no muscle, though a 17" tire is harder than the usual 18 or 19"er

You MUST get the all of the tire you are not currently levering on in the drop center of the rim. Keep pushing the tire bead down in the rim all the way around and it will all but fall on with aluminum short tire irons. Don't do it and you need 2 ft long steel irons that will tear the tire and rim to shreads.

That's it.

[stinkyhelmet]

How true. The effective diameter of the rim in the center of the rim is easily an inch less

than where the bead finally rests when aired up.

R_Little, do you lube up the rims or tires beforehand? I used soapy water myself.

[Shookster]

yeah, make sure you are pushing the opposite side down so the diameter is smaller. And use lotsa soapy water.

Tire changes suck for sure but it seems like the more I do it the easier it gets. Good luck.

[tntmo]

I had a lot of trouble getting the tire in the center of the bead due to running two rim locks. Any helpful hints?

[razcob]

To mount a new tire, I would soften it up by laying it in the sun for a few hours and apply lots of lube, (soapy water, or straight dishwashing soap).

[yater]

Read this...pics included:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50717&highlight=neduro%27s+tire+change

I only use the spoons I carry on my bike. I've used soap before but I really don't need any lube

[R_Little]

R_Little, do you lube up the rims or tires beforehand? I used soapy water myself.

No I usually just lever it on, don't like to get water and soap in the rim...but I guess that is why I gotta go to 70lbs to seat the bead!

Soapy water works, some ISDE guys use wd-40..they say it evaporates away once the tire is on.

[Mountain Road Madness]

Can you guys offer some tips and tricks to changing tires on the DR? I tried it once. It took a while and after scratching the rim up , I said I would never do it again...but...I'm cheap and don't want to take it in.

Tool recommendations would be great too!

?

Items Needed:

2 Good Tire bars

Soapy Water in a spray bottle

Baby Powder

You can get a set of good tire bars at Northern Tools or Harbor freight. They are a good investment. Use the soapy water on the tire to rim contact. Put baby powder on the tube before you install it into the tire, this helps from pinching the tube. Hope this helps. ?

P.S. Keep the tire and wheel on a good flat surface. Use you knees to hold the tire down while prying.

[spochynok]

get moose ty-er irons ($30/pr) or similiar, the hand knobs really help. use wd-40 on the bead when removing and installing. talc powder for tube. worked great in moab. get a piece of 3/4" pvc pipe and cut to fit your bike when pushed up on it's side stand. use pvc tees to support the pipe (cut one bottom in half). depending on terrain works great to get the rear wheel off the ground. the front usually requires laying the bike down.

when breaking the bead, use the wd-40 in the area to break, then either step on the tire or pry down an area with the tire irons. after you break the bead on both sides, put a few pounds of air back in the tube if your changing the tire and not just a tube. the few pounds of air prevents pinching the tube.

do as the others said and work the bottom side bead into the center of the rim them pry the top side off then the bottom side if replacing the tire or just the top for a tube change. unless, you use rim savers, it's near impossible not to scratch the rims with irons. wd-40 the bottom bead on a new tire and work it on the rim and line up balance dot with the stem if there is one. talc powder the tube before installing. feed valve stem in and loosely install locking nut. add a few pounds of air to prevent pinching.

wd-40 the top bead and work on the top bead remembering to keep the bottom bead toward the center of the rim.

after getting the top bead on. add air to seat the beads. use wd-40 as needed. usually pops right on.

best of luck.

steve

[razcob]

Items Needed:

2 Good Tire bars

Soapy Water in a spray bottle

Baby Powder

You can get a set of good tire bars at Northern Tools or Harbor freight. They are a good investment. Use the soapy water on the tire to rim contact. Put baby powder on the tube before you install it into the tire, this helps from pinching the tube. Hope this helps. ?

P.S. Keep the tire and wheel on a good flat surface. Use you knees to hold the tire down while prying.

I have never heard of baby powder for tube installation. It sounds like an excellent idea.

[Mountain Road Madness]

I have never heard of baby powder for tube installation. It sounds like an excellent idea. ?

I got that tip off of a episode of 2 Wheel Tuesday. Works Good. ?

[moto_mambo]

Theres a strong feeling over here in the UK that certain household washing up liquids can corrode the alloy when left between the rim & the tyre. Ive been warned about this enough times to make me wonder if theres any truth in it ......

Perhaps liquid baby soap ?

Iv'e never seen any rusty babies !

[Wybs]

I worry about any liquid in there also. I use LOTS of baby powder when I do tire work on farm tractors, it really reduces the pressure needed to seat the bead. On the bike I worry about it helping the tire spin on the rim (I don't have rimlocks) so I do it dry. I suppose it could still be used on the tube, I do that on bicycle stuff. If all goes well and I am only taking an old tire off and installing a nice new tire with lots of releasing agent it goes on real easy, older drier tires usually start a long flow of ?. My local shops charge $10 for the tire change, $10 b/c I did not buy the tire from them (at their insanely high prices) and $10 more to balance. One shop charged me $10 more b/c it was a spoked wheel. Lately I mount it, do a rough balance check (basically spinning it on the axle) if it looks OK I run it w/o balancing. I am on my second rear tire and I haven't had any vibrations

[yater]

I like to cuss a lot too. Nothing like dropping the f-bomb and throwing your tools after you scrape your knuckles on the concrete