So there seems to be a number of conversations and people looking and thinking about what tyres and wheels to go for next. I am one of these and am torn in what route to go.

Stick with 14" and R888 A048 NS2R or go for 13" lightweight wheels and R888 A048 ZZR Slicks.

Something that can help me make up my mind would be fitting my own tyres. In another thread ( http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=198800&page=1 ) there was mention of pressing on tyres at home and not balancing them.

I am curious to hear from anyone else that has done this. When sealey offer a tyre changer for £70 ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-Tools-TC960-Garage-Tyre-Changer-from-UK-Toolbox-/181746097614?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a50e95dce ) it does not take long before you make your money back.

Thoughts opinions please.

I have one of those. And have used it a fair amount over the past 10 years, changing many tyres.
I modified the bead breaker so it didn't flap about, and some tyres (notably conway rally spec gravel tyres) were VERY hard to get off.
Just fitted a set of tyres onto our MX5 wheels. All went OK, but I wrap the lever in gaffa tape to protect the alloys.

With decent tyres and straight wheels weights are rarely needed as long as you use the balance marks on the tyre. However, I do have a bullseye balancer
bought at the same time, and that works OK. I collect used weights off old rims....

It is essential to use tyre soap when fitting tyres, really don't try without (I did, and regretted it)

The tyre fitting machine may only be £70 or so but it's very easy to damage a tyre bead rendering the tyre scrap . I have fitted thousands of tyres over the years even using tyre levers to do it but still wouldn't waste my money on one. Just my opinion of course.

My dad has one of those tyre lever machines and it makes me wince every time I see him struggling with it. Makes me realise knowing a tyre fitter is a massive bonus! If you don't it really depends on how much your time is worth, as even with practice its not a quick process.

I've got one, takes a bit of practice and you need plenty of lube, also needs bolting down very firmly.


Upside, it's paid for itself
Downside, it scuffs the rim up and the centre hole where it clamps, really for steel wheels.

Regards Mark

I used to have an employee who could throw a tyre over a wheel and the tyre bead would be most of the way over the rim. Fitting tyres manually is a bit of a knack some people are naturals.
The classic way of fitting tyres was to use a rubber or wooden mallet.
Manual tyre changers do need to be really well bolted down, also be aware that to avoid damaging an alloy rim the design of the pole is critical



You can statically balance wheels at home easily enough but that is only good enough for some cars.
You can buy static balancers that are based on a spirit bubble --- simplest of these was the old "Paddy Hopkirk" one which was a bit minimalist.

You can also balance wheels statically by mounting them on a hub which has bearing with the lowest possible friction and simply spinning the wheel gently, when it stops the the heaviest part of the wheel will be at the bottom. This was the way the first wheel balancers worked, later they were refined with added mechanisms to do limited dynamic but the results depended on the skill and patience of the operator. This very basic of balancer is still used for motor bike wheels.
Years ago built a home made static balancer to balance wheels on my Imp and Davrian racers because they wouldn't fit on our old Blackhawk balancer. Basically it was very simple, the lower part of either an Hillman Avenger (might have been a Hillman Hunter) strut mounted on a bracket and an old Hillman Imp wheel hub (as they used the same wheel bearings), the oils seal was removed and thrown in the trash and all the grease was washed out the bearing. The taper roller bearing was adjusted to a fairly loose clearance and lubricated with 3 in 1 oil to minimise friction.



[Edited on 25/6/15 by britishtrident]

A048's i know are very hard to remove. one garage i know with a old basic machine couldn't get them of. another garage i know with a decent machine as they fit a lot of tyres commented on how hard they where to change. not sure if R888's etc. have the same very stiff sidewalls.

slicks would probably be doable as the sidewalls are much softer but for the sake of paying a garage £20/£30 to change 4 tyres its not worth it IMO

Thank for the feedback.

As i dont know a tyre fitter i am looking at 80 quid fitting for 4 wheels. They just dont want to promote the buying of internet tyres.

Good point about how difficult different tyres are to fit. Sods law A048 are hard to fit!

I dont expect it to be easy. Trying to leverage a steal bread with 20mm of stiff rubber over a 25mm lip will be hard.

I can find the time if it gives me better tyre and wheel options.

Years ago as I used to fit tyres with a clamp bead breaker, a rubber hammer and two tyres levers.
More recently I bought one of the Sealey changers but have never used as every time it comes to changing tyres I can't be a*sed with the aggro.
Anyone want to make me an offer?

As for mounting the changer firmly I have seen it suggested that bolting it onto a pallet works as it can be stored and moved relatively easily.

Cheers, Pewe10

We used a pre-ww2 manual clamp bead breaker a lot a "Stenor". Stenor were a big brand name in tyre repair tools but like most UK brand names are now almost forgotten. Eventually it couldn't fit over modern wider tyres so a well know member of the Fraser-Nash chain gang got it off me.

for track usage, especially with med-soft or softer tyres, don't bother balancing as the tread rubber will migrate as it gets up to temp anyway. if using really sticky tyres, a lap or so cruising in will allow the tyres to cool sufficiently so that when parked in the paddock the tyres don't flat spot. If you come into the paddock 'hot' the tyres deform slightly when parked up as the rubber cools and the next time out of the paddock, it will feel 'orrible!! a couple of medium laps will bring them back up to temp and they will go round again.

if using slicks/List 1B tyres in a soft compound, watch out for 'pickup' which is all the crap on the track surface from everyone elses tyres that sticks to yours! It really needs cleaning off before it cools (a slow cooling down lap or stiff 'horse' brush' will do the trick.
if you get home and all the craps still stuck, then a surform will remove or heatgun and scraper (watch you don't overheat the surface though as the heat cycles will age the tyres and make them harder/grip less, just enough heat to detach the stones,old rubber and debris)

HTH
CNH

Take your tyres to ash tyres near longfield. If you turn up in the kit he'll do them for £5 each then when he knows you it'll always be £5. I know them well as I've always used them for tyres changing and work tyres.

I made myself a fitting post by welding a granada hub onto a pole mounted on an old BMW 6cyl Iron Engine block. I then bought some tyre levers from Machine mart and made a pole for pulling round the post to push the bead over.

Its quite hard work but saves a load of money and if you need a tyre fitting the night before an event you can do it yourself and aren't stuck looking for a late night tyre fitter. The conveneince is as much of a benefit as the cost saving.

13" Slicks are the easiest to do as they have big soft sidewalls, its defintely a learned skill though. A048's are hard work but a mate of mine who does truck and agricultural tyre fitting literally pushed a set of 195/50/15 onto rims with only the aid of a single lever.

Breaking the bead is the hardest bit of the whole process. As with other people I dont bother balancing track and sprint tyres.

Instead of soap I use spray silicone lubricant that you can buy from Halfords, less messy and works really well.

I had no problem fitting 048's 185/60/13 or 205/60/13, struggled with 175/60/13 008's

The trick is to get the bead deeply into well of the wheel, bigger the wheel easier the job.

We used to fit Firestone SAT tyres, 750/16's on landrover rims with levers and a rubber mallet, tough old bastards but easy once you got the hang of it.

I recently changed two tyres, really knackered me. Not as easy as it was 30 years ago. But one thing in it's favor was I was able to clean the rim where the tyre seals, tyre shops seem to overlook this.

Tell me about that ^ took two loose wheels into MOTest Reading for new tyres. By the time I got them home the stick-on weights were falling off - totally underwhelmed. Cheers, Pewe (