Not really a tire changer post, but something to think about when you do change your tires. The photo below has a new wheel because I found a crack about 1/2 to 3/4" long on the inside of the butt weld on the original Harley rim. It was covered by a light layer of rust, and when I brushed that off, oh crap, this rim is no good. When/if you do spoke wheels, clean any rust off and check them good. I doubt a shop would do that, they usually just yank a tire off, slap another one on.
That new wheel came with bearings and he's putting a new one in. That's because the ones it came with had plastic ball spacers (I've seen several of those coming apart or grinding up in the grease) and only about a 1/16" string of that grease that looks like vaseline on one side of the *****, not near enough for a wheel bearing; I could have, and have done, cleaned that off and packed with good grease, but these were just cheap looking bearings. Pulled those and put in bearings with heavy metal ball cages and packed with quality synthetic grease. Doing your own tires isn't just saving money, its making sure you have safe wheels, too. I'm not going to trust a shop mechanic I don't know and can't watch for that. If they checked wheels and bearings the way we can at home, I think a lot of the wheel bearing failure threads would never have happened.
My rig is the cheapest of the No-Mar line, and it was well worn when I got it used, but its still a Cadillac of a machine compared to a Harbor Freight. I can believe you got a workout, some tires require a bit more effort on the No-Mar, too, but I doubt I could even do those with a spoon, by 70 my wrists just couldn't handle it any more. If I was filthy rich I'd get a Coats - no home models from them, all professional, and start around $7000. But I'm a long way from rich, like most of us.
If you missed it, I put short 2x4 wood pieces, or oil bottles in smaller tires, before warming the tires, and that helps, too. I got 3 tires for my Harley sidecar rig a couple months ago, and they came with cardboard spreaders in the tires, wish they all did. Put them in the sun that way, and it really makes them easier to handle. "Easier" is relative with 16" tires for a Harley, even softer Avons.
I'd get a hitch mount if they had one that fit a cycle hill model, would beat bolting it to the floor every time I want to use it - not enough room in the garage to just leave it there all the time. But with the inserts in the concrete already, probably doesn't take over 5 minutes if that, I'm just lazy. Something about No-Mar you may not know - they have good customer support. I ordered a part for mine that broke, and the one received didn't fit, they'd changed the threads from coarse to fine since mine was made. Just a phone call and the guy dug up an old style they still had and sent it right away, no extra cost. And a person answers the phone right away, no "press 1 for English". This was just last month.
10-03-2018, 11:12 AM
