Manual Tire Changer, Harbor Freight - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Diesel911 · #1 02-01-2018, 03:27 PM

While in my youth I had changed lots of tubeless tires with just some pry bars it is physical time consuming struggle to do that.

Sometime in the mid 1980s I bought a Harbor Freight Manual Tire Changer which I am still using that made the task much easier.

Note that the tire changer is entirely manual when it comes time to inflate the Tier and seat the tire bead on the rim you pretty much need an Air Compressor.

The Harbor Freight site has a .pdf of instructions you can look at.

The minimal instructions represent the way I use it.
Remove the valve stem core and deflate the tire. Put the Core someplace where you can find it again.

Put the Tire and Wheel under the mounter so that you can break the bead. I start with the outer part of the wheel up.

Break the bead all the way around the tire. They you lift it up and slide it over the center post and clamp it down with the clamps as shown in the picture.
I use the blade end of the pry bar to get under the tire lip and pry that up and pull the Bar around till the whole lip if free and out of the rim.

Then you need to remover the tire and wheel so you can put it under the bead breaker to break the bead on the opposite side of the tire.

When the bead all the way around is broken you need to put it back on the mounter with the same side up as you started with. You need to pull the tire up to the top of the Rim and get the Bar under the Rim and then push the bar around till the whole tire is free from the rim.

Diesel911 · #2 02-01-2018, 03:34 PM

To install the New Tire you place it on the Rim and get as much of the tire as you can under the top lip of the rim then get the bar and pry the rest of the tire over and under the rim.
Do the same with the next lip of the tire.

If you are lucky once you get this far the tire will still be spread enough that it touches both upper and lower parts of the rim and all you need to do is woosh in enough air volume to inflate the tire and pop it over the bead.

If you are unlucky as in the pic the tire hangs too low for it to easily popped onto the rim with compressed air.

Not sold by Harbor freight there is additional types of tools to either take up that space and the tool itself pops off or squeezes the center of the tire tread all the way around and that causes the tire to take up the space.

I had trouble inflating the one pictured.

Note that having the Mounting Tool has saved time and money. Also I only balance Tires/Wheels when I have a vibration issue.

tjts1 · #3 02-01-2018, 04:12 PM

Welcome to the club. I used rubber fuel line on the wheel hold down and masking tape on the bar to from scratching the wheel. A weighted outdoor umbrella base makes an scellent mounting point for the tire changer. The base that comes in the box is crap.

ah-kay · #4 02-01-2018, 05:30 PM

I have done tires manually and it is not worth it. It is a back breaking endeavor unless you have NO other alternatives. To mount tires rim is the easy bit, all the rest is hard work. Spray little WD40 round the rim, wear protective glasses and gloves, light up the WD40 and it will pop in place. Then inflate to correct pressure.

It is an interesting exercise if you are bore but I would not recommended.

Mxfrank · #5 02-01-2018, 07:47 PM

All that work for unbalanced tires? Or am I anticipating part 2?

panZZer · #6 02-01-2018, 08:05 PM

Are mecedes peeps really that cheap...................???????

tire shops no longer deserve to make any money at what they do ?????????

vonsmog · #7 02-01-2018, 09:16 PM

I picked up this machine about 12 years ago for $400. One of the better tool investments I have made. Once I mount up any tires I take them to a auto shop about 3 miles away and they let me use their tire balancer.

tjts1 · #8 02-01-2018, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ah-kay

. Spray little WD40 round the rim, wear protective glasses and gloves, light up the WD40 and it will pop in place. Then inflate to correct pressure.

Have your heard of an air compressor?

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

Are mecedes peeps really that cheap...................???????

Yes.

vstech · #9 02-01-2018, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

Are mecedes peeps really that cheap...................???????

tire shops no longer deserve to make any money at what they do ?????????

Did you REALLY need to ask that question?

Of course we are that cheap...

Rogviler · #10 02-01-2018, 09:33 PM

Even Walmart charges $20 a tire now, so it adds up quick. If you could at least do the mounting yourself then that'll cut the cost in half to have them balanced if you don't care to do that part yourself.

-Rog

dieselmania · #11 02-01-2018, 09:41 PM

A ratchet strap works pretty good to squish the tire enough to seat on the beads. I carry one in my 4x4 in case I break a bead while aired down. I have on board air with a small tank mounted under the rig.

Diesel911 · #12 02-01-2018, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panZZer

Are mecedes peeps really that cheap...................???????

tire shops no longer deserve to make any money at what they do ?????????

It is actually just a review of the Mounter itself not why I mount the tires myself.

The tire changing issue reflects my DIY life style. I had been changing tires since the 1960s. My Father did not care how much labor was involved and I have only been a Mercedes owner for 10 years so the habit was set long before I owned a Mercedes.

Also to me while the Mercedes has some unique issues on it the reality is it is just another old used (badly dented) Car which someone hit an run for the 2nd time in 2 years.

It was nice way back when the Tire Shops used to do the free mounting and balancing when you bought a New Tire.

Diesel911 · #13 02-01-2018, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjts1

Welcome to the club. I used rubber fuel line on the wheel hold down and masking tape on the bar to from scratching the wheel. A weighted outdoor umbrella base makes an scellent mounting point for the tire changer. The base that comes in the box is crap.

I have been changing tires since the 1960s. My Father did not care how much labor was involved and I have only been a Mercedes owner for 10 years so the habit was set long before I owned a Mercedes.

dieselbenz1 · #14 02-01-2018, 09:52 PM

Thaat brings back memories do you use a static balancer also?

Diesel911 · #15 02-01-2018, 09:56 PM

I fogot to mention that I put in 2 concrete ancors into the concret to bolt the down changer.

There is holes in the changer for 4 bolts.