My DIY tyre changer
 

Over the past year I've been messing around with the idea of changing my own tyre's, as well as other things. Today I decided to pull my finger out and finally get it sorted.

I got a tyre bar similar to this one for Christmas, although it was cheaper than this one its a carbon copy and work's well.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...psd5cf1c12.jpg

Back in early winter I made something to hold the wheel down, after researching various methods on the interwebs i decided to go for the steel rim method. I made it from a 16" transit rim, welded a 18mm threaded bar from the hub centre up (18mm might not sound strong enough to withstand to force of the leverage, but don't forget it will be more ridged under tension when the wheel is bolted down), made up a little clamp pad out of 12mm ply and put rubber on the underside. I cut some garden hose down the centre a pushed it over the edge of the rim for protection. It worked, but i needed to fix it down somehow. Originally my idea was to sink some bolts into the garage floor you bolt the rim down but i couldn't be bothered and opted to bolt the rim to a spare piece of inch birch ply i had laying about and then drive my van over it to hold it down. It worked well.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps0a577e8a.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps4f1e1b49.jpg

now for the pikey bead breaker i made well over a year ago in about 10 mins. It looks rough but it does the job.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...psd0138529.jpg

now i believe I'm all set, so i get busy. Started with the rear as i thought it would be the easiest. popped the bead, clamped it down, put on a plastic rim guard so i could pry the tyre out slightly with a spare spoon to get the alloy bar in, Off the tyre came simple as that. Getting the new one back on however required alot of effort but it went on in the end. I put the struggle down to not using enough tyre soap so when it came to the front i spread liberally and sure enough the front popped on with very little effort in comparison. I also made up ages ago a little adjustable jig out of plywood to balance the wheel but it was berried under a mountain of stuff so haven't got a pic of that
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps6f46c812.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps5de3a473.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps254cad90.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps5d2d8de3.jpg

now some people may say "it's all a massive effort to go through just to change tyre's", but in the past year I've needed 4 changes for the track, which your average tyre shop will charge 20-30 quid for. So for me it will end up saving me alot of doshola

Re: My DIY tyre changer
 

You are one clever Barron :smt038:smt038

Re: My DIY tyre changer
 

Good stuff. May need one me self soon. Can you show the thread weld area a bit more, do you think welding is necessary or could some kind of plate be used?

Re: My DIY tyre changer
 

essentially that's what it is, i just chose to weld it rather than rely on the bolts.

Re: My DIY tyre changer
 

Good job. But please don't let Stretchie see this.

Re: My DIY tyre changer
 

he's the one that planted the seed (literally, giggedy)

Re: My DIY tyre changer
 

Nothing fancy needed to change bike tyres, been doing my own for years. Hardest bit is breaking the bead & I like your tool. Up till now I used a scissor jack under the rear step of the tranny van but thats gone now so need to find another way.

Take a look at this vid, it isn't the black art most folk think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anyY0UO5gqk

Balancing also is a doddle.