July 24, 200817 yr has anybody ever used those cheap portable tire changers like this one? looks like it works with up to 16" wheels... and would be cheaper than having a shop do it if you had more than a few tires to take on/off... --Spiffy
July 24, 200817 yr Yeah, wish I had one right now. I've been busting my arse hand dismounting most of my "collection". I had close to 70 tires in my backyard. I have about 20 left to dismount. I get rid of 6 tires a week, so I've been at it for a while. The problem I would have with that unit is mounting. I have no cement floor to anchor it to :-\
July 24, 200817 yr Yes I have that exact one. Super easy on the Subaru 185/70-13. Bubble balance it after, works great. Better balance than the inattentive shop monkey with the spin balancer. Tried to mount 205-50/15, no freaking way! 50 series way too hard, impossible even. So for 70 series tires on steel wheels, it works great. Also did some truck tires 215/75-15, load C, a bit tough but do-able.
July 24, 200817 yr Yes I have that exact one. Super easy on the Subaru 185/70-13. Bubble balance it after, works great. Better balance than the inattentive shop monkey with the spin balancer. Tried to mount 205-50/15, no freaking way! 50 series way too hard, impossible even. So for 70 series tires on steel wheels, it works great. Also did some truck tires 215/75-15, load C, a bit tough but do-able. Did you use lots of soap?
July 24, 200817 yr Bubble balance it after, works great. Better balance than the inattentive shop monkey with the spin balancer. That's the truth! I've got a bubble balance from my father that's probably old enough to be an antique and it works great, used it for the last 30 years to diagnose tire problems. Many times its the shop monkey with the spin balancer causing the problem.
July 24, 200817 yr very cool... I had never heard of a bubble balancer... so I looked it up.. and only 119 dollars... http://www.eagleequip.com/page/EE/PROD/WB/RWS-1B?WT.srch=1&s_kwcid=bubble%20balancer|988863426&gclid=CKOqvunD15QCFQKfnAodi304qg
July 24, 200817 yr has anybody ever used those cheap portable tire changers like this one? looks like it works with up to 16" wheels... and would be cheaper than having a shop do it if you had more than a few tires to take on/off... --Spiffy Yes,I have the same one too.Works fine.Didn`t want to permanently mount it to the floor,so I bolted 2x4 extensions to the bottom(simple).Easy to store when not in use that way.Use a tree or solid subsitute to prevent rotation. Paid for itself pretty quick. So far at least,the 13 inch tires I`ve mounted haven`t required balancing.I`m sure larger ones would be a different story.
July 24, 200817 yr very cool... I had never heard of a bubble balancer... so I looked it up.. and only 119 dollars... http://www.eagleequip.com/page/EE/PROD/WB/RWS-1B?WT.srch=1&s_kwcid=bubble%20balancer|988863426&gclid=CKOqvunD15QCFQKfnAodi304qg How about this?
July 24, 200817 yr Did you use lots of soap? I have some dish soap watered down probably 10:1, seems just right. The sidewall on the 50 series were quite stiff as they were "Ultra-high performance" tires. Even the guy at the tire shop needed to coax the tire on with another iron while using the tire machine.
July 24, 200817 yr How is that changer holding up? Everything I've bought from harbor freight was cheap china crap! My grandfather had an old one, like 50 years old that we used all the time, you get a workout, but it's worth it.
July 24, 200817 yr Thats nothing compared to the Michelin Rally X tires I just dismounted....by hand :-\
July 24, 200817 yr Author Thats nothing compared to the Michelin Rally X tires I just dismounted....by hand :-\ see, that's the kind of work I'm trying to avoid... I'm kinda lazy... (: I mean, how hard is the machine to use? is it easier than changing a motorcycle tire by hand? --Spiffy
July 24, 200817 yr see, that's the kind of work I'm trying to avoid... I'm kinda lazy... (: I mean, how hard is the machine to use? is it easier than changing a motorcycle tire by hand? --Spiffy I also change my motorcycle tires by hand. Changing the 185/70-13 is easier. It takes me about two minutes to change a tire. The tire changer is holding up well. Not everything from Harbor Freight is junk, just some things.
July 24, 200817 yr Not everything from Harbor Freight is junk, just some things. I have a a rule, if it has more than one moving part, it'll probably be crap.
July 24, 200817 yr I got my folding engine hoist at Harbor Freight and have pulled several engines with no problems. I would say any thing "electrical" from Harbor Freight is questionable.
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