Tire change tips please

[blarf]

well,
today i tried to change my rear tire on my cr250. i tried to change from a maxxis IT to a paddle tire. after wathcing the guide from transworld motocross and 40min of playing with the tire irons, i gave up. i couldn't get that darn tire off. i tried to warm it up.... no luck.
i had to take it to cyclegear and pay $15.

any tips on how to get it out?

 

[FruDaddy]

Those 3 videos from TWMX are the best tutorial that I have ever seen. Maxxis has a reputation for stiff carcasses, which is probably your problem. $15 sounds like a good price though.

 

[butters]

i tried it earleir this week, i use 3 C clamp vice-grips to pinch the tire so it would go int the deep groove in the middle of the rim..... it was a PITA tho......


and once i got it all on, the tube leaked.....


so i took it to my guy and had him put a new tube in it and he mounted it for free lol....

 

[Blackcat]

I hate changing tires

 

[76GMC1500]

Soapy water...

 

[2strokerfun]

any tips on how to get it out?

Do what I do: pay the $15.


I done this many times and decided $15 is cheaper than the heart attack or damage from me getting PO'd and throwing something.

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

well,
40min of playing with the tire irons, i gave up. i couldn't get that darn tire off. i tried to warm it up.... no luck.

Where did you get stuck?

I have found that the hardest part was getting the third tire iron insertion, so I bought myself a third tire iron.

The typical approach was with two. The first step is easy: Soap up the rim! Slip both irons under the bead. Rotate the first iron over, which is the greatest force required. Second iron is already in place and set, just flip it over. Some force required, not as much as the first. Now you have to move the first iron to a new spot and somehow work it under the bead, which can be a bitch.

So you use a third iron, have all three set before you flip the first one. By the time you flip the third one the tire is getting loose over the flange and it almost will just fall off.

Another mistake I would make was trying to take the other tire bead off the same side of the rim that the first one came off. Don't! Flip the wheel over and do the same thing on the other side. Now you shove the rim deep into the tire and just peel the tire off the rim.

The real trick in putting it back together is to not pinch the tube and to use a LOT of soap!

Rod

 

[schmanman]

I have another set of rims /w/ rear sprocket I got from my uncle, I just have my other tires mounted on them, and when I want dot approved tires, I swap out rims.
how expensive are new rims?

It's a lot less of a hassle, though.

I think out of your options, paying $15 is the best. easy, not too expensive, and a lot less of a hassle.

 

[blarf]

Where did you get stuck?

I have found that the hardest part was getting the third tire iron insertion, so I bought myself a third tire iron.

The typical approach was with two. The first step is easy: Soap up the rim! Slip both irons under the bead. Rotate the first iron over, which is the greatest force required. Second iron is already in place and set, just flip it over. Some force required, not as much as the first. Now you have to move the first iron to a new spot and somehow work it under the bead, which can be a bitch.

So you use a third iron, have all three set before you flip the first one. By the time you flip the third one the tire is getting loose over the flange and it almost will just fall off.

Another mistake I would make was trying to take the other tire bead off the same side of the rim that the first one came off. Don't! Flip the wheel over and do the same thing on the other side. Now you shove the rim deep into the tire and just peel the tire off the rim.

The real trick in putting it back together is to not pinch the tube and to use a LOT of soap!

Rod

well i got 4 tire irons, i followed the video i stated before and i couldn't pop the bead over the rim. i thought i was gonna break the iron.
next time i will try with some soapy water. eventually one day, i will buy me another wheel.

 

[FruDaddy]

Was the opposite bead set in the valley like it should have been? Sometimes the welders vice grips (big C clamp style) will help keep it there.

 

[silvy1200]

15 bucks for mounting? that sounds like a good price! what do most places charge?

 

[darringer]

15 bucks is ok if you only change tires once in awhile. I go through tires fairly quickly so the cost really gets excessive. I either use a bead buddy and/or a few 3/8" drive, 9/16" and 5/8" sockets wedged between the tire and rim to keep the bead in the rim valley while I lever the opposite side of the tire. I use 3 small spoons and it takes about 20 minutes. I also prefer Windex over soap for lube. It dries quickly and leaves no slippery residue. The TransWorld video is a very good how-to video. It takes a few tire changes to get the knack for it and develop your own style.

 

[Pushin50]

You can buy a tire changing stand with a motorcycle tire adapter for about $100 at Harbor Frieght. It does not make getting the tire off or on the rim that much easier but it gets you off the ground and holds everything in place. It is like having a third hand.

 

[_JOE_]

I use the automotive tire machine at work :laugh:

 

[WoodsRider]

well i got 4 tire irons, i followed the video i stated before and i couldn't pop the bead over the rim. i thought i was gonna break the iron.
next time i will try with some soapy water. eventually one day, i will buy me another wheel.

Did you break both beads from the rim?

Starting out, make sure the rim lock is loose (don't remove the nut, just back it all the way off) and remove the valve stem nut. You want to pull the first bead over the brake rotor side that way you won't cut your hands on the sprocket.

To get the first bead over the rim, kneel down on the tire 180-degrees from where you place the tire spoons underneath the bead. This pushes the bead down into the drop-center of the rim. The two spoons should be 3 to 4 inches apart. Once you get that first section over the rim, remove one spoon and move it over another 2 to 3 inches. When you have approx. 1/4 of the bead over the rim you can pull the rest of the bead over by hand.

Once the first bead is off, go ahead and remove the tube. From this point there are two different methods that I use depending on the flexibility of the tire. One is, as rmc_olderthandirt pointed out, flip the tire over and pull the other bead over the opposite rim. Be careful when working around the sprocket. Then stand the tire up, push the rim down into the tire where the rimlock is located and just pull the rim out of the tire. The other is to stand the tire up and put the bead in the drop-center. Use one lever to pull the second bead over the rim then kneel down on the tire and pull up on the rim.

I have some other tricks for installing a tire as well, but it can be done without using any soapy solution, which just makes a slimey mess. In fact I only use a small amount of soapy solution if I'm having trouble getting a bead to seat.

One thing to remember is every time you use a tire spoon you risk puncturing the tube. A tire changing stand can be useful, but I've changed a lot of tires and never used a stand.

 

[2strokerfun]

I generally don't use any soap putting the tire on, unless I run into seating problems. I do use a liberal squirt of Blaster around the rim before I take the tire off, which really helps, in my opinion. When buying tire irons, buy the long ones. It makes all the difference in the world. And a lot of talc in the tire before reassembly. I've gotten to where I can deflate the tube about 1/2, leave the stem locked on and change the tire without removing the tube.
But I still hate doing it and believe it is worth the $15 unless you have to do it quite often.

 

[keefbikes]

$15 is great, as long as your local shop will make calls in the hills. I have had to channge out tubes on the trail and I have learned that the longer irons are well worth packing around with a spare tube. Full tire changes I use the four tire iron method as described earlyer, with Windex. The dish soap stayed wet to long and when I wanted some grip it was always to slippery with the dish soap. Hey, has any one tried SLIME in their tires? Is it worth doing or just a waste of money?

 

[DougRoost]

Don't waste your money on the tire stand from Harbor Freight. If you're going to get one get the MRP stand...it even includes some good instructions on how to do this. I used to pay the $15 at Cycle Gear, too, but decided it's a skill I need to have, and since I have a couple bikes the tools will pay for themselves.

If you don't have a stand use another tire to hold the wheel/tire assembly. I used to make the mistake of using a 5 gallon bucket but the other tire holds it so much better. Of course you're still on the ground...

As was pointed out, get the biggest irons you can. I used to really struggle with 10" spoons but could get it done. I now have a pair of 17" spoons in addition and they make it much easier...it's at least now a fair fight.