Mount and Balance Tires at Home: Manual Tire Changer & Bubble Balancer
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- Опубліковано 13 тра 2024
- If you're wondering how to mount and balance tires at home, I'll be showing the process on alloy wheels and fairly low profile tires (no wheel scratching allowed). I'll be using the ever popular manual tire changer with a duck head modification attachment and the infamous bubble balancer.
IMPORTANT! Many (perhaps most) people don't get into DIY mounting & balancing of their own tires to save money. If that's your understanding, you're missing the point. It's all about the convivence of doing a tire replacement or tire repair any time you want and being totally self-reliant. You know, what most DIY'ers crave; while hopefully doing a better job and forgoing wheel damage like shown in the part 4 video.
This is part 3 in my manual tire changing series. Part 1 covers the basics of one of these manual tire changers and installing one:
• How To Install A Manua...
Part 2 covers dismounting the tire along with an overview of what a duck head modification is and how it works to safely dismount tires from alloy wheels:
• How To Remove Tire Fro...
Part 4 is fixing careless tire shop wheel damage which is a big reason I wanted to start doing my own tire service work in the first place:
• Scratch Repair On Allo...
Part 5 Covers Easy Valve Stem Replacement:
• Don't Get Stranded! DI...
Part 6 - Manual Tire Changer One Year Update - Tips & Tricks:
• Mastering The Manual T...
Item's used in this manual tire changer series:
- Manual Tire Changer (DOESN'T INCLUDE DUCK-HEAD MODIFICATION)
amzn.to/3U3Ao7A
- Duck Head Modification Attachment I use:
www.ebay.ca/itm/373624493594
- Lucid Autowerks Duck Head Options:
lucidautowerks.com/collection...
- Bubble Balancer
amzn.to/3JaiVDZ
- Digital Tire Pressure Fill Gauge
amzn.to/3JuwLlN
- 1/2 oz Stick on Wheel Weights
amzn.to/3JwjWaK
- Alligator Brand Premium TR413 Valve Stems (the only stems I will use now):
www.europartsplus.com/univers...
- CK Auto TR413 Valve Stems
amzn.to/3FdNOX4
- Low Cost Valve Stem Tool
amzn.to/3yqrnKm
- Higher End Valve Stem Tool
amzn.to/43dHSba
- Tire Lubrication Paste
amzn.to/3ZD38od
- Tire Lubrication Liquid
amzn.to/3Ju9fp3
- Tire Lube Brush
amzn.to/3T9UhIi
- Tire Lube Swab
amzn.to/3T8wQPn
- Drop Center Wheel Clamp
amzn.to/4aDRNt0
- 24" Tire Iron
amzn.to/3jeYM6N
- Nylon Wheel Scratch Protecting Socks for above tire iron (I use these ones)
www.carliftparts.com/product/...
Similar ones at Amazon: amzn.to/3qdmkvU
- Brake Clean
amzn.to/3ywL6bj
For those who want to get really ambitious and try their luck/skill at modifying the bubble balancer using the same method I did (half glass sphere & glass plate), here are a couple links for both items. 30mm Dia for both should work but be sure to check the size of hole up in your balancing head to make sure it's not smaller than that (sizes can vary I've been told).
- 30mm Flat Watch Glass
amzn.to/3UorNLZ
- 30mm Half Sphere Magnifier/Cabochon (pick the correct size)
www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
Time Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:30 Wheel Prep
3:27 Tire Prep
4:56 Mounting The Tire
8:20 Seating Tire Beads
10:26 Bubble Balancer Issues
14:15 Balancing The Wheel
18:41 Road Test Balance
DISCLAIMER: This video is for information and entertainment purposes only. It's no substitute for prior tire removal/installation experience and/or training. You remove, mount & balance tires at your own risk.
Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel which helps me keep creating content.
Please consider giving a thumbs up & subscribe - thank you & thanks for watching :) - Авто та транспорт
Tire Changer One Year Update Video with Tips & Tricks
ua-cam.com/video/QND8n_ArNRo/v-deo.htmlsi=XUwyuzHL1dCcrmhl
Manual Tire Changing Series: Part 1 - Manual Changer Overview & Mounting
ua-cam.com/video/06Jr9t1CnNQ/v-deo.htmlsi=wvgbwoxDUN1l1LLG
Part 2 - Duck Head Modification & Tire Removal
ua-cam.com/video/wXsloeT0QhE/v-deo.htmlsi=4UjZIhoC37FezvoB
Part 3 - Mounting & Balancing Tire
ua-cam.com/video/IX7DvJo7A8E/v-deo.htmlsi=OTW5yzmpjdq7W5tL
Part 4 - Repairing Tire Shop Damaged Wheel
ua-cam.com/video/hn0XbHgvnFY/v-deo.htmlsi=Sm4y9yX2i7_zWbcm
Part 5 - Valve Stem Replacement Without Tire Removal
ua-cam.com/video/pr4bwIlc69o/v-deo.htmlsi=waOAvduaulSryRZl
could i use a little motor oil to lube the core ?
@@filmaker256 petroleum based lubricants will rot out the valve stem if that is what you're referencing as "the core".
If you can get away static balancing at home without taking wheels to the monkeys at tyre shops then all well & good.✅
I certainly would never take my car there as they chip the paint around the wheel bolts.🤬
I only ever take wheels already removed.
They drop the wheel centres on the floor chipping them 🤬
They also round the corners of bolt heads etc because they can't be arsed getting the correct size socket 🤬
They cross threaded one of my studs once because they windy gun nuts on instead of starting them by hand 🤬
And like you say they never bother cleaning the rims thoroughly 🤬
#Bodgemonkeys 🤬
@@julesviolin I could not agree more. They also scratched a good number of my alloys over the years; a couple deep into the aluminum making curb rash look minor.
Thanks sir
You had me convinced right up to "I just used my lathe" to fix the common accuracy issues all these balancers have.
Use a well balanced wheel instead as a calibration tool to set the center point. There is lots of info online how to improve these bubblers.🙂
I’ve been doing tires myself, my whole life with a manual bead breaker and an M-60 Micro bubble balancer!
Next year I’ll be 60 and see no need to stop
😀😀
Nice! 👍
Guessing the tolerance is not good enough for racing applications right?
@@mycarrysunthis is how they mount and balance drag racing tires at the track sooo ya
You don't need a special tool to remove the tire from the rim after you break the bead?
@@robertk7674 two tire irons and a bit of muscle and lube also helps. But totally doable! If I had the space to play around with one I would
You didn’t say goodbye to the tire shops, you became the tire shop 😊 👍
You got that right
😂
If you want it done right do it yourself. Tire shops can’t even get air pressure right and don’t care about your car.
Agreed 👍
Sounds like you need to find a better mechanic or better tire shop . I've ran a tire shop for 25 years and never once have I ever forced anyone to buy anything.
also getting grease on your seat and door and steering wheel
@@southern_merican It’s been long enough I forgot about that!
They damage your rims and paint!real lowlifes.
I used a bubble balance in 1971 at a Mobile Training Center. It was all we had back then. It worked just fine.
Yep, my experience as well having done 5 sets of wheels/tires now. Thanks for the view 🙂
I worked at a Sam’s club tire shop going through school. I learned I could get the balance machine down to .05 tolerance vs the default .25 tolerance. So that’s what I did. Btw, my fav story is the time a guy brought his Honda civic in for 4 new tires. By the time he was done paying for it I handed him his keys back. 😂 you should have seen the look on his face. 4 of us at once worked on the vehicle. He was so dumbfounded he couldn’t talk. 😂
I have an old bubble balancer similar to yours. It’s been my experience that I balance tires better than the tire shop. I’m not saying it’s better than a computer balancer but it’s better than a sloppy mechanic with a computerized balancer. The best advice I can give is if the wheel requires much weight to balance use two weights half the size and put them 45 degrees apart centered on where the bubble indicates. If the rims are steel I put half on the inside and half on the outside. I’ve had tires vibrate from the tire shop and checked the balance on my static balancer to find they applied too much weight. Car drives perfect after I balance it. I’m sticking with what works.
Good tips.
Beat me to the split weight. Move closet to light spot to give a more accurate balance. Since bubble weights tend to be in the eye of the user. Give a closer balance when one weight it to much and cant get half weights.
One thing I learned and always do when seating the beads.
I remove the valve core and use the air hose WITHOUT the quick connect chuck installed...this allows more air at a faster rate to fill the tire.
Works great on harder to seat tires.
Good tip 👍. I've found that out on a few sets that I've done now (done 5 sets of tires now on this equipment and each one gets easier). Seems the higher the profile the tire is, the more important it is to get the air in fast to get the beads to start sealing; as least that has been my anecdotal experience thus far.
One other thing I do, is use a gripping value stem air chuck with the guts removed. If you have bigger truck tires that have narrow beads you stand the tire up, valve stem to the side and give it kwick née the the opposite side or top to get the beads started.
@benzw2505 - Another good tip! Thanks for taking the time to share it 👍🙂
Great tips. But why is there danger @ 9:17 in the video? If the tire is new, what can possibly go wrong trying to seat a bead?
@NextLevelAD - suggest you type that very question into a search engine and you will get many sites and articles that go into great detail of the dangers involved in seating tire beads. Many a mechanic have been injured or killed when when precautions are not followed.
Hi John. I'm posting this here because it's your newest video and I want to make sure you saw it. I came across your flight school more than 10 years ago and was really helpful to me getting started. I left the hobby about 3-4 years later but just picked it up again about a week ago. Your videos have become really helpful again - about 8 year later. So, I just wanted to say thank you.
Hey Allan, really appreciate the kind comments and great to hear you are getting back into the RC egg beaters after a wee bit of a hiatus. Happy flights 🙂👍
There is no better balancing than that I use to work in a tire shop and even the best machines they never get it right for zero balance you need manual machine and the way you modify yours is perfect 👍 good job
@konstantinostselios1129 - Appreciate that first hand experience information 🙂
John, you, sir, are a madman to do tires at home 😂
😄
Very well done sir. I was impressed with your video in demonstrating what can be done in my own garage. I worked at a tire shop as a teenager and took for granted having the right equipment.
Yep, me too.
I remembered changing a tire out when I was 16 with a friend on a junk yard tire. There wasn't enough curse and swearing to get the old tire off and switching it over to the junk yard tire. Busted knuckles and busted knee, spending all afternoon under a hot sun. Ever since then, I just pay my local tire guy $20 to get it done.
They count on the intimidation factor!
Fantastic video. Thank you! I very much appreciate the thoroughness with which you approached the issues. About forty years ago, I routinely mounted my own motorcycle tires after buying the tires through the mail. No Internet then, lol! I have been curious about doing my own automobile tires, and this video is a huge help. Thanks again.
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
JC Whitney! That's where I ordered my motorcycle tires in the 80s
Nicely done, great example of how easy it can be. I live in the Rocky Mnts and there are a lot of us that have two sets of tires for summer and winter driving. Thanks.
The second I saw the tucked in T-shirt with a belt, I knew I had found my people! I am a DIY guy, but you are a DIY Boss!
😄
Sorry... i would prefer an oily rag in the back pocket, tail of shirt out with taco sauce stains on it, and mysterious things piled in the corner and at least one finger that has duct tape around a wound ... I am afraid of the clean as a whistle, anal, engineering guys. I always feel inadequate after watching them do anything, regardless of the fact that the video was great.
When I first started working for a gas station as I was working my way through college bubble balancing was the standard for all new tires. Even the Chevron rep who trained us stated that there is almost no reason to ever have to dynamic balance a tire when you're properly trained on static balancing procedures. You must almost always use two weights separated at at least 12 in or so on the side of the wheel. As one of the practices for static balancing.
I had a similar job during one summer in 1970. This was all SOP.
Nice. 👍
I dunno. Perhaps you have good luck with a bubble balancer. In the late 60’s when I first was driving they never seemed to work. Maybe it was a problem with poorly made tires, but I’ll stick with dynamic balance.
@@dharmadoggie many times the tire person didn't have the patience or was lazy and instead of working for zero balance they would just get the bubble within a 1/16" of dead center...this was the way they would upsell spin balancing. The only time we would spin balance was if the tire was so out of balance that it would take 3 ounces or more of weight to balance it...... Most of the time we would send the tire back defective...... The higher end tires literally needed no weighs as the rims were actually out of balance..... But still would only take 2 weights of 1/2 ounce or less.
You should sell your modded parts for other diy people.
Second this
Wondering how would that be economically possible? Anyone wanting that service would require sending their low cost bubble balancer to me in a remote area of BC Canada to perform the work since it has to be mounted in a lathe to find dead center. The time, parts & shipping/import fees both ways would be worth more than the balancer is worth. Then add an hour of my time, again worth more than bubble balancer. After all that time & money, still only get a static balance along with a fragile balancer modification that I know some people would end up braking and then bitching demanding their money back. No thanks. Better to do it yourself or take that money saved and put it toward a computerized balancer.
You can ask and see if he might sell the modded bubble balancer to you, if you are willing to pay the asking price, shipping, and other fees.
Also you could buy a used balancer machine and tire mount / dismount machine, if you got the funds for it.
Gotta find a local metalwork shop with a lathe
Harbor Freight should offer the swing arm attachment for use with their manual tire changer, because that's what changes it from a wheel scratcher suitable only for steel wheels and wheels you don't care for about appearance, to one that could be used on alloy rims.
That attachment is the biggest cost and biggest improvement to the DIY tire change setup.
6:50 I think most people call that protrusion the "duck bill". This has been a great video. I change my own motorcycle tires with a duck head machine that I designed and built but the process is exactly the same. It's amazing how many "experts" out there do videos just like this but have no idea how to properly use the duck head. You nailed it perfectly; the new gold standard on how to do it correctly. But, having said that, a second rim clamp will make it easier. I space them so that they are about 1/3 of the circumference apart with the second one going in just where / when you start to apply pressure to the lever bar.
I never thought this could be done with the amazing tool. Thanks for sharing. It is the first time I see it. Amazing.
yup- all about CORRECT Way use the tool.. Dont have too strain if your useing correct tool pattern!
Very impressive road test indeed ! It is such a great feeling to DIY knowing you did a cleaner ,nicer and probably as ( or more) accurate job than most shops where you cross your fingers they don't damage anything ( which they always do 90% of the time !! I've experienced scratches, leaks, wrong side rotation mounted...) Hmmm, that tire balancing machine at $ 1000 also has me salivating.....but is it Chiniseum quality and durability??? As you said, I have 2 cars with winter and summer tires plus 1 or 2 punctures a year so it is beginning to make sense to own this tire changing equipment !! Thanks again for taking the time to make those videos !
@1983dmd - yep, doing a job yourself has its own set of rewards and value; something unfortunately that many don't seem to appreciate in this day and age. I'm still not 100% sold on the bubble balancer, but with the two sets of wheels I've done so far, I can't detect any vibration whatsoever and it has most certainly exceeded my expectations. Mabey if I took it up to 200 kph, something would show up, but the speeding ticket and possible jail time (which is also almost a 90% certainty with my luck) would then make getting a computerized balancer look like a bargain :)
Those Mayflowers and other Chinese balancers do get good reviews so I don't think they are all junk; but no question, they are not the same quality as a $5K+ Hunter or Coats which do show up used at auctions for about half that. I unfortunately don't know enough about used computerized balancers to make an informed decision to purchase one. They may be so far out of calibration, un-fixable, or have other unforeseen and future problems making a brand new Chinese brand the better choice for a DIY'er with occasional usage. Oh well, for now the low cost bubbler will have to do, plus it doesn't take up much room. Have fun if you decide to give the DIY tire equipment a go and thanks for the comment 🙂👍
As a tech who hates doing tires, thank you.
😄👍
I started working in shop with dad when about 11 in 1981 and back then we used old school bubble style balance mount with bubble. . .this is kool to watch..little effort,at home, done…thanks for video.
Thanks for watching & sharing 👍
use to work in a tire shop and this is a very good tutorial on basic tire changing , i will ad that sometimes you need to remove the valve from the valve stem [more air volume] to get a tire to bead properly , will also ad that if you have never manually mounted a tire before it is a lot of work , until you aquire the skills and know how it can be quite a struggle depending on the tire a lot ...
Thanks for sharing 👍🙂
I love your setup. A half got some new rims and took them to a shop and they Scratch them not happy I need to get your set up. I love it.
I hear you & fully understand the frustration. In fact, just made a video where I repair tire shop scratch damage: ua-cam.com/video/hn0XbHgvnFY/v-deo.html
You should do a video of what the dynamic balance came out to compared to your static balance. That way we know just how close a bubble balance would be to a computerized balance. Thanks and great video! Subbed as well!
Thanks for the sub Ryan. 🙂 Wish I could accommodate your request, however I have yet to have any tires I've done with the bubbler (20 now) show any vibration and that was even taking one set up to 220 kph . So, I've fortunately had no need to take them to the city and have them computer balanced. I've also put the CAE-3019WB computer balancer I had on order on permanent hold as I no longer see the need to get one now. If I do get one however, I most certainly will do an in-depth follow up video comparing bubble static to both computer static and computer dynamic.
The simpler unit works fine, so I don't see a need for a computerised one.
@@Rchelicopterfun do you get the rated milage on your tires when you static balance only on your bubble balancer?
@v65wings45 - Been almost a year since I mounted and balanced the first set on the wife's car with 40K kms on them and have used about 3/32nds of tread. In short, they are wearing exactly the same as the previous set she had on that car that were mounted and balanced dynamically at the shop. Not that I would expect anything different since wheel balance is not a component of tire wear; at least so long as the tire is not massively out of balance and thumping down the highway. A pot hole slightly tweaking the toe out of spec however would wear them out way quicker.
get a rock in your tire... wheres the difference
Thanks for the presentation John, crisp clear and the picture is impressive.
Many thanks for watching 🙂
I like how you included links. Thanks!
Will make tires for drifting more clear minded.
You bet - have fun 🙂
You had me until 11:53 . Guess I won't be balancing the wheels myself lol.
Same thing I thought. Good tutorial for the hardcore DIY guys though.
Same
I like the extra steps he took that shops probably never do like cleaning the rims before mounting the tires, etc.
In California, I worked at Discount Tire/America's Tire. A lot of managers frowned upon me taking the extra time for things like this to prevent bead leaks or even scrubbing the hub of the wheel to ensure a flush fitment without 1-2mm of rust contamination. It's for the safety of our fellow neighbors and others on our roads. Shame that big name stores are lazy when it comes to ACCOUNTABILITY. Not a lot to ask for these days, I think.
@@1ZZT223 Here in Michigan, BELLE TIRE IS THE WORSE!! I've heard too many bad stories. Imagine buying new tires and they don't even clean your rim beads before they mount them!
Great video John! Very informative. I've been on the fence about these tire changers and balancers for awhile. I think you just convinced me to pull the trigger on these two items.
Thanks for the view Mitch. Seems to be lots of hate on the little bubble balancers going by some of the comments which I knew I would get going by all the research I did on bubblers before getting one. However, if you are up to any improvements it might need, or if you can find a good used Coats M-60 bubbler, the results, granted being static, are not bad at all.
I've done 5 sets of tires/wheels now and all have been smooth as glass, so I've put off the CAE-3019WB computerized balancer purchase (at least for now). It's not just the cost either and shipping logistic hassles to my remote location, it's the space required for one so it's very hard to justify when the bubbler is giving vibration free static results.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks John! The helicopter mechanic in me salivates at the “challenge “! 🤣🤣. It would seem my area harbor freight stores are currently out of stock. Not to worry. HF has more sales than a mattress store. 🤣
😄👍
@@Rchelicopterfun Tire Balancer project 2.0 -- using a cat toy laser and a translucent "hub cap" cover for the beam to shine on.
I live in a major city in the UK so I'm always in range of a tire shop but I'm tempted to do it myself after seeing this! Great instructional.
Thanks for watching 🙂
Is it even legal to own a tire bar in the UK? That could be a lethal weapon!
I was really appreciating how clean and well lit your garage was, and then saw R2 sitting there. Now I think this is the most EPIC garage I have ever seen. Very nice video on this subject. Thank you for sharing it.
@bradmottishaw467 - Thanks for watching & commenting; yep, R2 was a super fun DIY build project 🙂
By the way, if you're at all curious/interested about the lighting; I have a video of the LED ballast bypass conversion process from when the lights were ordinary T12 florescent tubes. That little afternoon project made a huge difference in overall brightness of the garage. ua-cam.com/video/uw61TTQxs04/v-deo.htmlsi=BdcmpmVbjMhga8H8
It was 100% the R2 for me, too!!!!! Best character ever. #r2love4life 😂😂 yeah, I'm a tad obsessed with him.
Yea, me, all my neighbors, extended family and friends now do our own tire mounts/dismounts....whether we need to or not ....we even do each others....cuz we can...
John my first video watching you and I don't know what you have done your whole life but it definitely seems like you come from an engineering back ground. I liked how you solved your problems and seems like a great solution.
Thanks for the view - appreciated 🙂
Cleanliness is on point 👌
had a tire shop tell me I needed new rims because the new tires they installed wouldn't hold air for more than a week. The front passenger tire not more than 3 days. I took matters into my own hands, one by one, removed tire, dismounted then CLEANED the rim, elbow grease and a wire brush, remounted, installed back on car... Look Ma- no more flat tires. The amount of old rubber and debris left on my rims was not allowing the bead to seat and seal properly. I've always done my own motorcycle tires - now I'm doing my car and truck. I only had old fashioned tire irons- I now use the Harbor Freight 'special' but I modified it to actually work. Plenty of vids on how to make the HF tire changer 'your own'. Good luck everybody.
Yep, I've been amazed at the amount of unseen damage inside some of the wheels I've done now. Deep scratches on the bead sealing surface (slow leak as well), layers of old tire goo and corrosion, even found one with a rag inside. As the saying goes, if you want something done right - do it yourself.
let me guess, you had a layer of "rubber" about 6 cm thick around the face side of the bead after months or years of going mudding or off roading?
@@jakelynch5113 not too much 'mudding' in a Volvo s60 sedan there genius. There's no guessing here- the tire 'professionals' were simply LAZY... gee, what a surprise.
I use to just brush the liquid rubber seal along that area before pulling a valve through. It would also help prevent oxidation and a future air leak at the valve. I've changed well over 5000 tires at my old p/t job. My tires never came back for a leak.
your idea is good, I bought a set of tire changer and wheel balance from amazon, they are the same kind of machine we use in auto repair shop, fully power by electrics, the balance tire part is perfect as we do in the auto shop. and that total I have spend around $1700, and every time change tires no need to be working so hard to get the tire on and off, all done by machine.
I wasn't sure if this was clickbait but a guy who has a life size R2D2 can't be lying. I have to watch all three videos.
Be careful where you put those weights. a lot of brake calipers run a few mm from the inside of the wheel. so always check for clearance.
Yes, good point!
Tip: This is something I saw someone else do that you could try. He called it the Y method to balance the wheel. For which you use two small weights opposite the heavy side with the placement of the weights spread so the three points make a Y shape. You can then adjust the weight placement to make it heavier by moving the weights together more, or lighter by spreading the weights. This works since you change the weight's leverage over the heavy side of the wheel by changing the spread.
But now you’re adding weight in the horizontal direction too.
@@TK-gd9td Wouldn't that be better in most cases? It's not like there's just a hole in one side causing the imbalance.
The bubble balancer I bought came with instructions on how to do it that way as well. In the shop that is the way we always did it essentially. If your tires and rims are in good shape a static balance should be just fine.
From a tire buster, always use new valve stems. Once in a while, leaks appeared at valve stems once the bead was broken.
Best explanation of this with the mods you did, thank you.. did my SUV tires without issue, not low profile had some issues, will try the tips you gave me.
Great to hear 👍🙂
Excellent method. No need for expensive equipment. We were doing this over 30 years ago. 👍🏻
@@Rchelicopterfun sorry bro, that wasn’t cool. I’ll edit my comment.
Manual changers are nothing new, as far as the bubble balancer the same , both commonly used in the 50 ,60,and 70's . Tires were also spin balanced on the car both balancing the tire, wheel and drums of rotors. We also spun heavy duty truck tires on the chassis.
Been doing all mine for 20+ years on a Coats 220 and bubble balance. 10 plies suck ass and are damn near impossible sometimes but they still go with a lot of cursing and beers. No bead blaster here...just bead blaster in a can (ether and a torch). Works great when you get the air fuel ratio right and get an explosion and not flames 😂
😄👍
A well done video! Thorough info and clear audio and video.
Thank you for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for watching 🙂👍
Thanks for taking the time and getting this up. Appreciated and keep it up.
I want to get a tire changer for the same reason as you . I brought my old tires to a shop , bought 2 tires ,had them mounted and balanced ,brought them home and put them on the car . A couple days later one went flat (I didn't drive the car) ,they re-mounted it (cleaned the seat ,I'm sure) ,they wanted to charge me 20 bucks ,I told them I wasn't paying it , they told me to never come back ,I said I wasn't planning to .
I’ve had way to many issues with tire shops from scratched wheels to bad balancing. The problem is the turnaround is insane at these places and you have a very good chance of getting the “new guy”. Fortunately I have a buddy who has a shop and lets me use his tire machine and balancer. Unfortunately it’s over 100 miles away from me but it beats the hell out of getting a nice set of wheels destroyed.
I've had every shop scratch nice factory wheels even though I tell them to hand torque, pissesme off. I would rather do it myself.
@@macdaddybillhow did hand torqing the wheels during installation prevent scratches? Are your lug nuts getting scratched?
@@dubmob151I think he means the socket is scratching the inside of the holes where the lugnuts sit
@@bagginn thin wall sockets vs impact sockets? It's a rare wheel that has so little clearance that it requires thin wall sockets.
I’m old school. 69
Watching tires get changed close up. Especially when I was young. They let you watch them. This video is great.
He seems to do everything great. Which is good.
The people changing my tires did nothing like what he’s showing. But always seemed to work.
You could tell they were in it for speed.
Those are the cleanest rims I ever seen
I added up the cost off all the items in description, the total comes to
*~$620*
Here's some information if you're considering to do this yourself.
This is an investment, but it will certainly save you money in the long run, through-out your own lifetime (if not the car's lifetime). You can probably save $100 if you buy cheaper items, but some of these supplies will need to be rebought frequently.
As of right now, the cost of tire installation at wal-mart is $18 ($28 for a roadside hazard warranty) per tire. $72 all four tires ($112 for the roadside hazard (get the roadside hazard)).
Although there isn't any information online for a standard price at Firestone, my latest invoice was $97.48 for four tires (no roadside hazard).
*Here's my opinion*
If you're an average driver, then I'd suggest just taking your car to the shop. You'll likely only need to change your tires once every couple years, unless you puncture it.
If you use your car commercially, have multiple cars, or just enjoy working on your car, then I'd highly suggest making the investment. IMO
Thanks for adding it all up. Can't put a price on the convenience factor either; especially if you live 600km round trip to any tire shop you half trust such as is my situation. For me, that convenience of knowing I can replace a tire or perform a tire patch repair any time at home is worth much more than $620. One single city trip avoided &/or one saved scratched wheel has paid for the equipment. 🙂 Not sure what TR413 valve stems you get that are costing $6 each? The box of 50 I got was about $20 bucks up here and I suspect they will last me for the duration of my tire changing days.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks for correcting me on the valve stems, I'll update my post. The Amazon page says $6 per count, but if you actually read the page there are 100 pieces (50 valves 50 caps presumably) for $24. That's what I get for being lazy.
With this revelation in the price, I'd encourage anyone capable to make this investment.
I do live in a large city of over 3 million, so tire shops are abundant. I still see the value in this investment.
Thanks for the video and the reply, by the way.
We ALWAYS Clean the rims at work, Extremely important with modern rims as they will Leak much easier then old school Steel.
U bring back memories. I worked at a Gulf station in early 70's when gas was 29 cents a gallon. ANYWAY, I used to mount tires by hand like u did & I dreaded winter season mounting all those snow tires. 🙄😂🤣 U should get RuGlide bottle comes with their own brush. 👍
Thanks for sharing
Love your tshirt!
A fun video! I’ve often given thoughts to getting my own wheel fitting kit and balancer! 😊
Appreciate the view 🙂👍
Great instructional video !!!
Thanks for watching - much appreciated 👍🙂
for those whos rims don't seat with an air compressor alone, you may have to use a bead blaster to seat the bead. I remember the tire guys telling me my rims were difficult to seat, so it helped me to put together the solve... now I know what those pops were at the tire shop; Wear ear protection...
Man that's a lot of work. Thanks for showing us how its done.
Great Job !!!! no one spends the time to do things right .. your one of the few .. A1 perfect video
Appreciate the view - happy New Year.
It would be interesting to see a dynamic balancing result right after the static one. How close it can get you to the optimum
Will show a different weight each time unless you mount the rim to the balancer in the exact same spot.
I had a bubble balancer. It took a lot of back and forth to get the wheels balanced. I ended up buying a Mayflower spin balancer which was under $1000. It works great. The mounting machine he has is cool, it's very similar to the one I built. Doing tires manually requires muscle, you get a workout!
@@bb5242yeah it's kinda fun
Just wana say that I have never had tires balanced correct from tire shop (without vibration) always comes vibrations around 100km/H and that's no matter what car I had, the worst was 4x4 car tires. Now thinking to get one for my garage so stop pay for bad job at tire shops...
I used to have a coats balancer. Was fantastic. Wish I knew how to mount the tires at the time
Nicely done...thanks for sharing how you do this! I think I will be getting one of the manual tire changers now. You might also consider using beads inside the tire for dynamic balancing. I have a friend that manually mounts his tires for his Hummer H1 (since many shops would not do them or charge an outrageous amount because of the size and the run-flat insert) and he used the plastic pellet gun beads. The are perfectly round, have no residue or dust, and are relatively cheap. I personally have used the glass beads (perfectly round, have no residue or dust, but are relatively expensive) in tubeless motorcycle tires for years and have had good results.
Can you elaborate more on the beads. I'm thinking off doing my own tires too, need more info on the beads going inside the tire. Im guessing they provide a sort of "online" dynamic balancing as the car moves?
@@MN-sc2uz Also, search for 'airsoft pellets to balance tires' and a link to the Pirate 4x4 forum comes up with good info.
For the last two decades I've successfully used dynamic balancing. Super easy by using centrifugal forces. Pour 2 to 4 ounces of plastic beads inside the tire and its good to roll. The beads don't affect any tire sensors.. The tires wear evenly and therefore last at least thirty percent longer then the manufacturers estimated tread life.
😮😮😮 I wanna try this
You mean without actually balancing the tire? The beads are doing the dynamic balancing s the tire is used. Am i correct in that udlnderstanding? What kind of material of plastic beads did you use. This is very very interesting.
@@MN-sc2uz Correct, no balancing needed. Bare tire on bare rim. I use four to six oz of ceramic beads (1/16' diameter). After the tire is loosely mounted but not inflated, I pour the beads in, making sure none remain on the tire bead surface. Then inflate the tire and its good to go.
If a tire picks up rocks in its tread, no worries, since the beads will continuously balance out the uneven weight of the tire.
This method of balancing dates back to the steam engines and flywheel balancing techniques, where copper tubes filled with ceramic beads were used in parallel for balancing.
@superargo4701 ok so its not plastic beads rather its ceramic beads. How do determine the amount of beads you should add to the tires? Where do you get your beads? Thanks again for the reply backs.
Just put 3 oz of airsoft BBs in the tire and your done. I've heard of people using steel BBs to but you have to add a splash of antifreeze so they don't clump together in the winter. No more chewed up aluminum wheels from those stupid weights.
I'll buy the duck head adapter for the HF tire changer; I'm tired of the tire shop forcing you to buying their tires and upselling you on new valve stem sensors when you get new tires installed.
I was also tired of them scratching my wheels ☹
First let me say, this video was extremely well produced, your attention to detail and care to do everything the proper way was very impressive.
That being said it seems counter productive to go to so much care and detail only to do a really crappy static balance vs that less caring tire shop that will send you down the road with a proper dynamic balance and smoother ride for 59 bucks... Even if they don't wipe away all the previous wheel lip residue.
I have to disagree with "crappy static". Done 5 sets now and one patch repair, all smooth as glass. As many others who work in the tire industry have correctly pointed out here in the comments, static balances are usually good enough with quality wheels and tires. I actually had the CAE 3019WB computerized balancer on order (not that I have much room for one), but after the great smooth as glass results I'm getting with small form factor bubbler, I've put that purchase on hold. Moreover, that $59 dollar dynamic balance you speak of is elusive in my remote location. As stated in this manual tire changer video series, I have a 600 km round trip to the tire shop so that is a day of my time, a day's lost wages, at least one meal out, a tank of fuel and wear on tear on my vehicles every single time. A tire balance, even a simple patch repair for me costs several hundred dollars and a day of my life wasted. It's why even a computerized balancer would eventually pay for itself. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and watching.
Hi John. I watch your RC Heli videos. I came across this video by chance. I changed my motorcycle tires myself. I bought a demounter/mounter and static balancer. I found that the tires I bought rarely marked the heavy spot. So I statically balanced the tire and then used ceramic beads for dynamic balancing. It worked well for me.
Great to hear
nice video!
thanks!
Thank you too
Right on about the convenience in this method. Valuable details in your video. - Thank you!
Thanks for watching
The knowledge, tools, time, and effort needed to change a tire...shops are not short of customers!
Nice job on this video. Found it helpful. I especially like the modification for the balancer resolution. I also have that same arm and duckbill set up minus the upper and lower bearings. Another future modification I suppose. As an old Star Wars fan, I have to ask. What is the story behind the R2 D2 in the background? Looks pretty sweet.
Yes, my only regret is not getting one of these changers years ago (the money & time I would have saved), but I suppose these duckhead mods for the manual changers are fairly recent. Hope you find your changer and ducky mod as useful. As for R2, it was a build project from last year. The full build series is on my channel: ua-cam.com/play/PLZV8xZm3OCXz8I0FoPzIeU--13oWWJfZv.html
Can't be any worse than going to Discount Tire. They have the best equipment available and still can't correctly balance a tire to save their life! I've wasted so much time going back to have tires re-balanced time and time again.
That's been my unfortunate experience as well, albeit with other franchises. Even when they do get get the balance correct, it's a coin toss lately if they've scratched the wheel.
Find my post on here and read it. You'll never need them again for balancing.
Funny this has brought up, I been to 3 different Discount Tires in my area for the past 10 years with many sets of different tires and technicians. None could ever get it right. Went to Walmart and it would be silky smooth. Im done with Discounts.
@@11quatro4 It literally happens at every Discount Tire I've been to. It can't be their equipment, it has to be their employees and lack of training or something. I've spoken to so many people over the years with the same experience.
they are not trained on how to properly use the equipment. For example with balancing, they will continue to add weight until the machine reads zero. They will put weights around 3/4 the circumference of the tire and the lightbulb never goes off.
Really outstanding video. Thank you sir! Appreciate all your shared wisdom, knowledge and experiences.
Thanks for watching & commenting 🙂
Wow, legend in the RC heli community is also tire master.
will definitely try this one day soon.
@halleffect1 Thanks for the view. I of course like most in our hobby enjoy a challenge and learning news skills, DIY tire service is just one more useful example to add to the list 🙂
I mount my own tires as well. The main reason is I live in the salt-belt which causes the rim beads to corrode. Tire shops will not clean/smooth the rims, they just smear some sealant and hope it's good enough for a few weeks/months before the you get a bead leak. I like to inspect and clean the rims properly before the new tires go on. As for bubble balancing, there are better options. A computerized manual spin machine can be had new for around $1K. I've also found this video of a German-made manual dynamic balancer from the 1960s. Honestly, if I could find one these I'd buy it in a heartbeat. ua-cam.com/video/F5UcdjUsuJs/v-deo.html
Don't be scared of mounting the beads I've gone up to like 70 psi on a regular tyre a few times in my shop and although they're scary and loud n some of the wheels were a bit sketchy they never exploded or anything and we were using cheap ass tyres all the time 🤣
Great Video.
I like to see that I am not the only one who likes to do as much as I can at home.
I have had horrible luck & experience with the half wits that work at tire shops.
I'll be looking at getting one of these before too long. I hate tire shops. Such a drain & waste of time.
Thanks John for showing this tool and giving an excellent demonstration on performing the task, I may just go out and bye myself one of these balancing rigs as I don't like or trust the tire shops.
I was planning on going this route, but circumstances ended up allowing me to get a used Atlas tire machine with helper arms and balancer.
If my understanding is correct, the quality of a bubble balance basically comes down to the precision of the operator.
Having dynamic at home is super nice though. :-)
I couldn't deal with tire shops anymore and I work weird hours so that further complicated things.
It also makes using up used tires off of marketplaces a lot more economical with no mounting and balancing fee.
Well said 👍
First of all, Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Without questioning anyone, but very few workshops would do a job as meticulous and clean as the one you have done.
This video has completed my decision to get the necessary tools to do this job myself in my garage, at least as well as the engine oil changes, I know they are being done as required.
Thanks for sharing and I'm going to subscribe to your channel.
Thanks for the view and sub 👍
Hope you find doing your own tire service as awesome and convenient as I have. I've done 4 sets now without issue and repaired a puncture the proper way (inside T patch). The equipment has paid for itself several times over. Not only that, I've found hidden damage inside one wheel (a huge scratch on the bead sealing surface) that now explains a very slow leak I've had with that wheel for years, even after new tires are installed. Can't believe in the several times I've had new tires installed on that wheel, not one shop has pointed it out. 😠
Having worked in the automotive service industry, I know jobs are being pushed through faster and faster to maximize billed hours, but stuff like that makes me mad and is obviously why I do almost all service & repairs myself. I've since repaired that scratch and had the wheel repainted so hopefully no more slow leak. All 4 sets of wheels have also balanced up as well as this set did. I still may get a computerized balancer, but its hard to justify the cost when this little bubble one seems to be working so well. It also takes up much less space 🙂
Good success with your own at home tire shop!
I love your attention to detail and precision. This is exactly what I strive for with every project that I do. @GreggyGTV
🙂👍
Very educative video. I wonder how good the balance would be against fully computerized Hoffman we use in our garage. This balancer is really nice - measures wheel size using laser, it's ofset and has plenty of options. One thing I noticed when balancing larger rims with 5 or 6 mounting holes, the use of special centering adapter/pressure clamp makes balancing persistent and very accurate.
In the winter tire change over I do more than a few sets a day and this machine is big improvement over regular one when we had to do measurements manually and punch the numbers into computer.
I seen this home made contraption 25 years ago , i was working up north and this dude named John would fix flats with this ...kinda like this
Wow you’re the only other person I’ve seen clean the wheel drop we do that at my job we’re very picky about making sure it’s all done clean
@johnwest6977 - Wish I had your shop and detail oriented technicians working on my wheels for the past several decades; if I had, I wouldn't have needed to start doing this myself 🙂
Just one example: ua-cam.com/video/hn0XbHgvnFY/v-deo.htmlsi=7frPDP3AeI37rs1n
6:09 😂😂😂that is a sentence I could never imagine hearing, but here we are
😄
Thanks for the instructions 👍🏼
You bet - thanks for watching 🙂👍
I really dig your R2D2
My screen has a crack so i am not able to see the image clearly but from the comments, i can assure you that the wedding was fantastic. The only thing we are wishing the couple is a fabulous honeymoon and a happy marriage life.
Love your R2D2. Merry Star Wars Christmas 🎄
Happy holidays
Really impressive how far out was it from a dynamic balancer?
That’s amazing, thank you for making this video
Thanks for watching 🙂
Great video. I bought one of those little balancers at the auction and will be looking at how to do your suggested mods to it. I've always done the tires on an old Coates 40-40 found in someone's garbage at the side of the road, But it is limited to 16"
Thanks for the view 🙂
I DO UP TO 18" ON MY 40-40 YOU HAVE TO SHIM THE BOTTOM BEAD BREAKER SO IT DOESNT HIT THE RIM. I USE A 3/16 PIECE OF FLAT STEEL AND IT WORKS FINE JUST CHECK THE BOTTOM
@@zemantire Yes, you are correct I have done a couple of 17s that way.
Thank you. i never heard of bubble balancers before. This should work just fine for my tiny Renault R4 Wheels. Since most Tire Workshops (in Germany that is) dont have balancing machines for 3 hole rims and some of the r4 rims without a hole in the middle I nnow can do it by myself
Thanks again
If you think about it ... without the hole in the middle of the rim...
Very good. Thanks from Spain
Thank you too!
A very good presentation of a clean job. I am not sure how you installed the glass piece however for that modification to the balancer.
Glued it in with 10 min epoxy (perfectly centered of course).
I use a name brand good quality paint brush with the bristles cut down to about 3/4” to apply paste. Nice video btw I like your setup.
Yep, I've been doing the same now. Works so much better! Thanks for the tip 👍🙂
Great video. Well explained.
Glad you liked it & thanks for watching 🙂
Great demonstration of carefully installing new tires on alloy rims without scratching. Where did you get that glass half-sphere?
EBay. Lots of places have them, just use your Google Fu; search for _"half sphere glass magnifier"_ . 1" to 1.5" diameter will work.
The ones I got were 1.5" diameter (left over from R2D2's holo projector lenses) and they just fit in the balance head hole with a little wiggle room for centering since the hole itself is not perfectly centered. 1.25" if you can find that size or close would work a little better (more adjustment room). Definitely don't go over 1.5" or it won't fit.