Fitting ones own tyres?

[Conor]

So..

Spoiler

I'm a cheapskate

I love DIY and doing stuff myself and it often bothers me paying people to do stuff I can easily learn to do myself.

With three cars and one being a track car which should see regular changes, my thinking is currently that if I can buy one of those (manual) tyre changing things that I can save a few quid.

It seems that the tyre business is a fairly captive market in bricks and mortar.. and if you buy the tyres online it can be cost prohibitive to pay a garage to fit them for you.

Has anybody tried fitting themselves? I know there are concerns around damaging the rims etc, but it seems "No Mar" have solved that with their bar. Also, I believe guys use other various means of protection. Curious to see what you guys do?

No mar bar:



Here is the kind of thing I am thinking could work:



Am I just being a cheap skate? I mean I don't do massive mileage really, so perhaps I just eat the cost when I need a new set.

There is also the issue of balancing, so I need to get a "bubble balancer" to balance the wheels to a point that is a bit less accurate than the computerised units tyre shops have.

 

[Stafford71]

Seems too much effort for little gain to me.

How many times do you change tyres?

My local charges £5 to fit and balance if I take a tyre. So £20 if I do all 4.

However I just normally buy direct from him anyway

Sent from my M2007J22G using Tapatalk

 

[Conor]

Seems too much effort for little gain to me.

How many times do you change tyres?

My local charges £5 to fit and balance if I take a tyre. So £20 if I do all 4.

However I just normally buy direct from him anyway

Sent from my M2007J22G using Tapatalk

Well, the margins between buying online and bricks and mortar seem significant, per tyre.

With 3 cars that's 12 tires. And one car is a track car so would get changed frequently.

Places I've asked have said its 20 per tyre. Admittedly that's London talking and also my local place back in Ireland.

Seems they are pricing you out of buying online.

 

[V6Matty]

Well, the margins between buying online and bricks and mortar seem significant, per tyre.

With 3 cars that's 12 tires. And one car is a track car so would get changed frequently.

Places I've asked have said its 20 per tyre. Admittedly that's London talking and also my local place back in Ireland.

Seems they are pricing you out of buying online.

Most brick and mortar places can match or sometimes better the prices you get online, I know my local shop can get Nexen tyres about 5% cheeper than any online places, plus they then don’t charge as much for fitting

 

[00slk]

Those are okay if you have a 1970's car. Try using that tyre machine with 18, 19's and 20" tyres

 

[Conor]

Those are okay if you have a 1970's car. Try using that tyre machine with 18, 19's and 20" tyres

Yes I believe it can be problematic with larger wheels and lower profiles.

Maybe I just need to find a good tire shop.

The last place I went, admittedly London. They wouldn't budge, even if I bought a set for multiple cars. Which I found surprising.

 

[Blobcat]

Yes I believe it can be problematic with larger wheels and lower profiles.

Maybe I just need to find a good tire shop.

The last place I went, admittedly London. They wouldn't budge, even if I bought a set for multiple cars. Which I found surprising.

There's quite a lot of stored energy so safety is a concern - ask a tyre fitter what it feels like to get their fingers caught in the bead when it's being inflated...

 

[daveenty]

Don't forget to account for the fact that you'll also need air to blow your newly fitted tyres up with. A tiny compressor as you get with a puncture repair kit won't cut it, neither will a foot pump.

When a tyre is fitted there's usually a fair sized gap between the beading and the rim, usually closed up by a tourniquet type strap or physically bouncing the tyre on the ground whilst attached to an air line.

Factoring in the cost of even a cheap 2.5 - 3hp compressor, plus airlines, plus a tyre gauge starts to eat in to the potential savings of not paying a fitter.

 

[00slk]

Yes I believe it can be problematic with larger wheels and lower profiles.

Maybe I just need to find a good tire shop.

The last place I went, admittedly London. They wouldn't budge, even if I bought a set for multiple cars. Which I found surprising.

When I was working in NZ in the 90's I did anything from car tyres to tractor tyres and its certainly a job for the fittest. For some of the harder to bead tyres there was the 'The Cannon' I only had one spilt rim truck tyre blow the rim ring off, luckily it was in the tyre cage
It is so easy to damage the alloy rims too. Even today with the expensive machines there only as good as the tyre fitter, that's why I take my cars to the tyre shop, or should I say my mates

 

[Rockron]

Yep, I'm the kind of berk that dismounts! and mounts! his own tyres. Reason? Just
because they're there, mini Mount Everest if you like, Lol.
At least I do do this for the van and the m/bike. The car tyres are removed at home and taken
to a fitter.

Perhaps surprisingly the skinny m/bike tyres are the most difficult to work with, the narrow rim
well doesn't allow much space to manouevre the bead into. Having said that I managed to
mount the rear a couple of weeks ago (after puncture repair) manually, just my pinkies. No, barely
believed it myself. I think the thickness of the tyre levers gets in the way in this instance.

On my van 6.6 tonnnes tyre size is 225 75 R 121/120 12ply. Fairly stiff walled. I get the tyre off
rim using an oildraulic (see wot I wrote there) bottle jack on a ply load spreader under
a chassis ladder rail 2 tonnes mass always more than enough.

To inflate tyre I cinch the tyre circumference mid tread with a ratchet strap. I bounce the tyre
a few times this sudden air expulsion seats the bead on rim just enough to allow a small 12v
pump to do its work. Yes I know many say 'not possible'. InB4, and yes they do pop indicating
a good seal.

Lube is all, I did lapse a bit in practicing what I preach, viz. not enough lube on that m/bike
tyre, result was minuscule leakage betwixt rim and bead, quick deflation and a bit of manual
manipulation got a bit of lube where it did its thing then a bit of inflation.......all ok.

I do make certain the bead is lubed, talc powder or car shampoo/water not wash up liquid (salt).
Can be impossible without the lube and not too much so that it sits in the wheel for years.

I should add that I use 2 levers valve core remover and plastic rim guards.
Give it a go what can possibly go wrong!

 

[joderest]

When i fitted new tyres to wifes mini, buying on line and delivered was £190, then my local tyre place would fit and balance and dispose of old for £40
So total was £230. (but i had to remove and refit wheels)
Local tyre shop did same tyre fully fitted, all four for £240. Not worth the hassle to save a tenner.

 

[Taffy7hfa]

Likewise, usually buy tyres from Camskills and pay a tenner per wheel for fitting and disposal of old tyres,
really not worth the effort to diy

 

[Conor]

Fair enough guys.

I guess for a single car the argument stands, I was just wondering about the possibility of 3 cars, (Hopefully more in the future).

@daveenty I managed to convince myself I needed a compressor for my Clio project so now I have to content with that and how it will make it's way back to England when I move back..

 

[Rockron]

I don't change my own tyres to save money. Merely for the challenge and a good physical workout better
than a strenuous workout at some gym Lol. With the added incidental benefit
that at least I've negated the chances of someone describing themselves as a 'professional tyre fitter'
failing to renew deteriorated valves with paid for new, another time damaging a rim, another jacking at
mid axle, a definite no no. Banging in rim weights when they should have been adhesive. Not
to mention banging in rim weights with overlength tabs so as to separate bead from rim sufficient to
leak air.
Unfortunately the car tyres need to be dynamically balanced, were it otherwise I'd give them a go.
Might as well in that case leave to those with the equipment and hopefully the expertise.

I balance the m/bike and van statically, rotate m/bike wheel on its axle between axle stands.
The van wheel exactly centred on a steel plate on a ball bearing on another steel plate, no flutter
shimmy, vibration even on front wheels to date........touch rubber.

 

[Conor]

Yea I'm starting to think it might be best to get keep giving to the pros.

I'll save money elsewhere LMAO.

 

[davidsl500]

Just use some easy start or brake cleaner to seal the tyre beads a la extreme northerners.....

 

[alexanderfoti]

Fitting tyres is a PITA!!!!

Low profiles and some bad rum designs mean we can be there for 20 minutes wresting with the tyre, and that is with a good tyre machine and all the kit.

Then the balancing is done on a multi axis balancing machine, MB's are sensitive to out of balance wheels so that can make it a pain!

The you have to dispose of the old ones, not worth it IMO

 

[rorywquin]

Just use some easy start or brake cleaner to seal the tyre beads a la extreme northerners.....

Yep starter fluid was always part of your kit for outback travel in Australia. We’d deflate the tyres right down for driving thick sand & if you were not careful it was fairly easy to break the bead seal on the rim. Saved having to remove the wheel & quick. Sometimes the compressor could push it on. I think I still have an unused can in my garage somewhere. Was happy not to need it as I was not keen of whatever was left of the solvent in my tyre. Good off road tyres were expensive in Oz.