Changing tyres. Pre problem, problem.

Time for a new set of tyres, mainly on the rear, but will do both to avoid bad karma.

Interested to get them done myself to save a few pennies, so am about to order a set of new 'uns from M&P. Avon storms, now you ask.

Before I do that, and get myself into a problem whereby the front wheel is off and in the car boot, and the back wheel won't come off and I'm scratching my head.....

How the hell do you loosen the rear axle after some garage has put it on with some sort of giant employee mechanic with giant-tools and the power of 10 men.

I tried myself and managed to lift the back wheel off the floor by several inches last weekend.

Thank the lord for ABBA (and abba stands).

[Viney]

How much are your tyres from M&P? Im truly intreguied as to why epople spend half thier life changing tyres!

Are you using a breaker bar, or just a std socket wrench?

[Scoobs]

Push down instead of pulling up on the nut and use a breaker bar, not a ratchet.

[ophic]

Originally Posted by ooger

How the hell do you loosen the rear axle after some garage has put it on with some sort of giant employee mechanic with giant-tools and the power of 10 men.

Use a longer wrench and put it in a position where you aren't lifting the bike - ie past vertical.

Also, once you loosen it, watch out for the chain adjuster thingy moving around and scoring your swingarm

[Mr Speirs]

I got a wrench thingy and put it with the handle going towards the front of the bike. I then stood on the wrench handle (this held my weight and didn't move) I then gently moved up and down to put more downwards pressure on the wrench each time using more force until the nut moved slightly and then it was easy.

I'm not using a breaker bar, which likely explains the problem I'm having.

Not having a breaker bar explains why I'm not using one.

Pushing down rather than pulling up makes sense.

The new tyres are going to be £160 delivered, if I factor in a breaker bar, I may as well go and order from, and have them fitted locally for £15 more.

Dammit. Why is stuff never easy.

I liked this quote:

"Some organizations forbid the use of [cheater bars].

For example, NASA proscribes: "Use the approved tool for the job. Makeshift arrangements such as the use of a screwdriver as a chisel, a pair of pliers as a wrench, a wrench as a hammer, or overloading a wrench by using a pipe extension (cheater bar) on the handle are not to be employed."

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

I got a wrench thingy and put it with the handle going towards the front of the bike. I then stood on the wrench handle (this held my weight and didn't move) I then gently moved up and down to put more downwards pressure on the wrench each time using more force until the nut moved slightly and then it was easy.

The wrench handle took your weight Chris? Was it a girder?

The odd thing is that the curvy rear axle has a much lower torque setting than the pointy so that baby could be really solid. Good idea though about pushing down. I always pull upwards

I'd be more worried about the actual tyre changing. I spent hours tring to break the bead on mine and bent a roof rack bar with the weight of a van on it in doing so. Bead remained unbroken.

Good luck!

If you cant get the axle nut undone, do a little test, go to a garage and ask the man politely to undo it, with a breaker bar , see how he struggles without an air gun........