I had a truck with 19.5's, now I have one with 11r22.5's. I only need to change a few tires. What would you recommend for tire irons? Or would you get the bar that is specific to 22.5s?
I bring them to the shop. Not worth my time fussing with. Last ones I had done was remove, mount and balance 12 19.5s, was around $200
I have a couple of Ken Tools T45AS tire irons that I use. You will also need a bead breaking hammer. In a way I agree with IceHole that it's a lot easier to bring them to the tire store, but I also find it very frustrating. I'm 65 years old and the last time I had the local tire store mount 4 22.5s on my service truck they ended up kicking me out of the mounting area and they charged me extra. The guy mounting the tires was probably in his early 30s and I know I could have done it in half the amount of time, he didn't really know how to use the tire irons and wouldn't allow me to show him a few tricks.
Owning and working on trucks and working in a tire shop i have worked on a few tires. They bought a tool like the VEVOR were i worked. It works good but i think it is a lot harder on a guys back than tire irons. Two big things use alot of tire lube and you cant use to much tire lube.
19.5's are no fun, the short sidewalls make them a bi*** to mount. If you just have to do a few, 11r22.5's aren't bad with just a couple bars. I got a big blue ken tool dismount bar a couple years ago, and its okay, it makes it go a little faster taking the old ones off.
Schwab average $26.00 a tire--take a good look--you don't see a bunch of old *** bites changing truck tires or car tires. It's a young guy's job, I know of one, one guy that stayed at it till retirement 62 years-both shoulders gone, both hips gone and back neck pain. Pay the shops to get it done and if your in a hurry go get a cup of coffee and relax let the young buck do it, how is he going to learn if no one lets him.
But even at 67, with steel holding my back together, screwed up hips and wearing a diaper after prostate surgery---------------I can still slip a tire off and on a 22.5 faster than anyone on here or in most tire shops, ----------------------but I don't want to.
I will give you a run for your money on that one. I have also like a few on here a few T45AS's https://www.northerntool.com/products/esco-e-z-way-truck-tire-changer-model-70100-145556
I've seen those, you might now at my age-but when I was 35 not a chance. lol
Pound of semtex, yeah I win. I'm 43 no fair you being almost 10 years younger than me competing.
Heck I got you by 24 now, lol
On my M923A2 I just take nuts off, no playing with tire irons.
We do all our own tire work. Probably 40-60 tires per year. As a whole, we are probably only saving $1500-2000 per year. But the real savings is not running to town, or running back to shop to pull wheel and throw in a pickup to haul to town. That time and those miles are the expensive ones.
I did the last set myself but usually call a younger guy that charges me $20.00 per tire to mount and dismount with no trip charge. I can write that off as sublet labor and no taxes for anyone but I show the expense.
We brought them to the tire shop at work, but it was just down the street. Same with at my shop. It's maybe 3 miles. Gives me an excuse to walk home with the dog.
Have mounted dismounted tires all My life. Working in fas station or in truck shops and currently here at home. Still use basic Ken-tool irons even on 16s to my farm tractor 28s. Bought a Oddball tool set at a Sale but yet to use it, been here in my shop five years. Will get the name on it as used similar at the dump truck yard and does work ok. If determined to do your own get a Tire bead hammer and a slide hammer bead breaker besides.
It's called a duck bill. When I bought tires--prices was mounted also. Causes the tire dealer to sharpen their pencil. But I forget I wasn't messing around with a few at a time, average buy was 300 at a time, plus if I called they sent someone out asap.
Was that way at the Utility Company, we not ever changed a tire, installed spares and tire company fixed/changed the old ones. Gaither is the tire bead tool I still have In a Box with other pieces, paid $150 for at a Farm Sale, no one but myself knew what it was. Will get photos later.
I have a tendency to forget the amount of equipment I was in charge of X the amount of axles X the amount of tires, 2,400 total.
Bead Bazooka ?
Bead Seater is recommended, had to take one that would not even get close to the tire shop for that.
This is what my bid won Do not believe ever out of that box but to look at.
At 72, that point of view hold true for many things. A hundred bucks for anything is worth more than being stove up for a week after doing something I shouldn't have done but could have done, "faster and better" than the other guy....
Better hang on to that, might need it.
Installed all the tires on the KW and a few smaller ones on mower and a wagon with just standard old Ken-Tool irons. Old habits.
There is several things in that box i am not familiar with.
I'd need to watch a video pretty close to see how its supposed to work.
I looked and didnt see one . I have a buddy that works with Gaither i am going to ask him about it.
Until last month, all my tire stuff was Ken-Tool. I purchased one of these as it was cheap and to my surprise it worked pretty well. Fit and finish is pretty poor and to be expected, but it does work as they advertise with a little additional effort. Using plenty of slick soap/water solution and a tire swab will ease the task. I see they've gone up in price too: VEVOR Tire Mount Demount Tool, 22.5"-24.5" Manual Steel Tire Changer Mount Demou | eBay VEVOR Tire Mount Demount Tool, 22.5"-24.5" Manual Steel Tire Changer Mount Demount Removal Tool, with Extra Bead Keeper, Tubeless Truck Bead Breaker, 3 PCS Tire Changing Tools, Orange. ManufacturerVEVOR. www.ebay.com
Top Right is a Bead Wedge, Essentially a Hammer target instead of using a typical Duck Billed tire hammer, May be a good consideration dismounting my tractor rear tires. Then are two, Bead 'Holders' not ever tried anything as those. Large piece of multiple pieces at center is the bead puller to dismount, and still uncertain of the flat piece at bottom of photo as to bead install.
This is my favorite video, perfect music choice also! skip to 2:30 end at 4:40 for this tool, earlier mentions using vacuum to pop the bead, I'll have to try that sometime for fun. Interesting Dmiller, yours looks like an earlier better quality version of the bottom bead tool than the others in videos.
Tire worker is a helluva lot cuter than I have ever seen!!!
Around here no one uses {that-what's called a golden bar} everyone just uses irons. and depending on which tire will change while bolted to axle. A person does enough of it a set of irons are easy enough. And all this depends on what brand the casing is, if it's DC-Double Coins/RLB 400's those are stiff side wall and bead. Those will cause some extra sweat no matter what your using.
Bridgestones, Firestones and Goodrich used to be hard side walled, Generals the worst, Michelins were like butter.
I am kind of surprised there are not more of the big machines that will do truck tires around in use. I have never been around one maybe their not good ?
Because they are north of $30k. A place close to me has one, apparently there was a grant available, and the only shop help they have is someone that claims to have chronic back issues. The machine does work, but, to me, doing it by hand for the most part is really pretty easy.
All too easy to change tires with irons and a duckbill as I was corrected on. Cheap, effective and relatively fast as opposed to manipulating the machinery.
I was really looking into one several years ago and they were not that bad in price but i wondered about if they were that much easyer or faster ?
Used a machine when I worked in the bus shop for Opryland in Nashville worked good but was a lot slower than doing them by hand but was also a lot easier on the back did all the lifting for you
Do you have to roll the wheel and tires to and away from the machine? I assume it lifts the wheels, otherwise there wouldn't be any point. That's why some will change the tire with the rim still bolted on the truck, less handling.
In the shop--I would call the tire shop and start removing all 8, Gayle or Jeff would roll in eight drives from the container by the time the force showed up. While tires were being dismounted stems changed and new mounted I would replace all four corners of shoes and drums, if disc and rotors were good replace pads, if not tear down wheel end and slid on ones I have built up ready to go-new rotor, seal and bearings matching hub. With help. * I could normally change out all 4 corners of shoes and drums in less than a hour, pads 35 minutes, a rebuilt wheel end with rotor and pads 1.4 hrs. * So while I was having Les Schwab mount up 8 drives, full brake maintenance was done at the same time. * Cheap way, smart way to run a fleet shop getting allot accomplished in short amount of time for not too many dollars & truck back on the road making revenue. Plus a happy driver because he saw what was done and has confidence in what he is driving. If it doesn't need brakes then tires are scheduled to be done at a short or full service. Kept trucks from being detained and run out of route unnecessarily.
We have a few spare tires on rims for emergencies, but everything else goes to the tire shop, half tons, trucks, trailers, like 16 loaders that get winter tires on and back off in the spring. I went to air up a tire on a tandem truck yesterday, and when I asked where the air chuck was, they said to run it to the tire shop.
I hope tire shop is close by.
2 or 3 miles. They come to us for the loader tires. They park them in a line, and set the tires for them beside each loader
On my trip to doctor visit yesterday, Dump and pup along side highway with two blown super singles. ran over something.
And not a clue of what to do except call someone else with their problem.
It wasn't moveable, both on same side of pup-on shoulder of freeway. On my return Commercial Tire was there taking care of the problem.
Super singles do make it tough and most trucks I see don't carry a spare no matter the size. I've not seen a guy change a flat on a Class 8 myself in a lot of years beside the roadway. Usually on the cell phone and I assume reporting the problem.
1976, fitting out a New COE Frt Lnr for sale to a Company driver, received a Budd hand Socket and a Hex Cross bar to hand drive it, plus a spare rack behind the cab. Knew even then was a waste of time watching tire gorillas hammer them on with a 1” gun.
They worked alight in the Dayton wheel days but not so much with Budd, and Unimount following the tire gorillas. Seldom used anybody for tire work and did it ourselves so knew what we had. Many times tires and rims were dropped at the tire shop for mounting but actual removal and install onto the trucks was done by us. All the rollbacks had a basic tool set and impact wrench with them along with a mechanical scissor, and hydraulic jacks. Really didn't have too many emergency tire needs overall, but never needed to call for additional help as everything had a spare with it. Didn't always match but was the same size.
I bought a bead breaker like the one in the video for about $60.00 on eBay. Quite a game changer in the bead breaking ordeal.
I borrowed one to break several tires down and they work slick. Silly something so simple didn't come along sooner. I need to purchase one myself but have not yet. Tire hammer is still used most times but this eases the process considerably for those of us with oncoming back issues.
Need one for my farm tractor rears. Bead regions are Knurled new so a Bear to get off the tire off the beads
Can't carry a spare anymore, someone might steal it. I think it's a time is money thing. I used to be able to go to the tire shop, and as I was backing the trailer in, Paul was standing in the door, jack in hand. with a helper, he could pop 12 tires off the trailer, spoke wheels not buds, pick the best 4 for the air lift, and break down and change 8 new tires, put them back on straight, and you're gone in an hour, or shortly over. Our own shop would take half the day to do that. Same with guys messing around with machines or trucks trying to diagnose a problem. We are really lucky to have good dealer techs. Something's wrong, call Cat, or Strongo, or Boyd, or Ajax. They might charge a lot, but you are down for a shorter time.
Hydraulic outriggers on service truck work nice for breaking down tires, though most don’t have that option. I use the 60” tire irons, I’m light and need all the leverage I can get. Still a damn work out to change a 425 steer on the side of the road when it’s 20 degrees out. I avoid tire work if at all possible but occasionally I’m forced to participate. I’m probably a candidate for slowest tire changer on HEF.
I dont use them much but 2 of my trucks have Daytons and if i had to do over agin i would get trucks with Daytons. I have spares and if i get to using one of the trucks alot i will figure out a good way to carry one.
My first rollback truck was a 1754 IH on Dayton hubs. 9.00X20 rubber. I changed it over to 10X22.5 to not fuss with tire availability but carried a spare strapped to the headboard on that truck as did most others. Tire sat in a cradle retained by a winch strap and covered. You would roll it down the deck if needed.
I bought the bead breaking tool after I bent my lawnmower rim with a backhoe outrigger. I quit breaking beads with a hammer after I put a nasty dent in couple of rims.
I would imagine it is a bit more difficult to do with a backhoe than a service truck, never tried it though so I can’t say for sure.