Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!news2.arglkargh.de!news.karotte.org!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: rbowman Newsgroups: alt.home.repair,rec.autos.tech Subject: Re: I want to change my own tires Date: 11 Mar 2025 20:51:13 GMT Lines: 29 Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net qczi9FQOl9zZADVXJmiHLwA2KABFtUmvkWC71p2n/Um+ASdYd6 Cancel-Lock: sha1:FgiJMALfzV1BKin2awyMo0apjgs= sha256:W6eaDfMwExPq9WlFHP3WIwBreGAsGCtUuLaHoH9U8Rg= User-Agent: Pan/0.160 (Toresk; ) Bytes: 2015 On Tue, 11 Mar 2025 05:17:07 -0400, Wolf Greenblatt wrote: > I want to see if I can change my own tires at home. > Just for the fun of it. > > What tools do I need that everyone doesn't already have. > I have the jacking & compressor related tools. > > But what specific tire-removal & replacement & balancing tools do I > need? Tire irons (spoons) https://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-general-purpose-tire-iron-93230.html Sometimes a singlejack (5 lb. short handled sledge hammer) helps. I change the tube-type tires on one of the bikes. Tubeless tires can be problematic to get the bead to seat. You can find youtube videos of people using 5 gallon air tanks with high flow capability. There's also the not recommended explosive method involving starting fluid. Another way is sort of a inflatable band around the circumference of the tire that will tend to spread the sidewalls out. It depends a lot of the tire characteristics. Even with tube-type Kendas getting the bead to seat can be a PITA while other brands are no problem. If you can back the brakes off so there's very little drag you can sort of balance a tire on one of the non-driven hubs. I don't bother with the bike since I run DOT knobbies and balance is a moot point.