After lots of reading up reports on the web about tyre changing systems & methods... I went ahead and built my own bits and pieces to do the job.
A home-made bead breaker, tyre mounting setup and static balancing stand... made from metal tubes, timber and bits and pieces lying around the garage.
I had to buy an old steel rim (17" off a holden commodore) that makes a near perfect fit mounting station at least for the front wheel (with some 1/2" hose pieces on the top edge) - $20, and some 5/8" threaded rod for the centre post - $13.
So they were the cheap bits.
The expensive bits... a Mojolever - about $150 shipped from the US, Marc Parnes balancer - about $135 shipped from the US.
So I've learned how to remove the front wheel, and with some near back-breaking effort (I need to make changes to securing the "stand") I got my 30,000km+ front changed over this weekend for a 1/2 worn one I had.
Benefits.. I know I have it near perfectly balanced.. and no-one bitched about the Ultraseal that came out of the old one, and I got to put a metal stem in the wheel, and know how well I secured it. Put Ultraseal back in, went for a test run... and yes it has the decel wobble at ~ 50kph, but that doesn't surprise me with a tyre thats been off and now back on again.
I learned a lot from doing this, what to do next time to (I hope) make it easier, without spending $1000+ buying a machine to do it.
Yes, I could have taken the wheel to a tyre shop and had it done cheaper... but then I wouldn't have the satisfaction I'm feeling now.
But I can wait till next time which will be to swap out the rear... I'm sure it won't be any easier... but I reckon I can do it.
No photos were taken during this endeavour, and no small animals were harmed.
A home-made bead breaker, tyre mounting setup and static balancing stand... made from metal tubes, timber and bits and pieces lying around the garage.
I had to buy an old steel rim (17" off a holden commodore) that makes a near perfect fit mounting station at least for the front wheel (with some 1/2" hose pieces on the top edge) - $20, and some 5/8" threaded rod for the centre post - $13.
So they were the cheap bits.
The expensive bits... a Mojolever - about $150 shipped from the US, Marc Parnes balancer - about $135 shipped from the US.
So I've learned how to remove the front wheel, and with some near back-breaking effort (I need to make changes to securing the "stand") I got my 30,000km+ front changed over this weekend for a 1/2 worn one I had.
Benefits.. I know I have it near perfectly balanced.. and no-one bitched about the Ultraseal that came out of the old one, and I got to put a metal stem in the wheel, and know how well I secured it. Put Ultraseal back in, went for a test run... and yes it has the decel wobble at ~ 50kph, but that doesn't surprise me with a tyre thats been off and now back on again.
I learned a lot from doing this, what to do next time to (I hope) make it easier, without spending $1000+ buying a machine to do it.
Yes, I could have taken the wheel to a tyre shop and had it done cheaper... but then I wouldn't have the satisfaction I'm feeling now.
But I can wait till next time which will be to swap out the rear... I'm sure it won't be any easier... but I reckon I can do it.
No photos were taken during this endeavour, and no small animals were harmed.
