Tire Changer - Harbor Freight
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Tuned
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 317
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From: New Jersey
Tire Changer - Harbor Freight
I inherited a "manual tire changer" made by Harbor Freight from my Dad and I was looking for advice on what the best solution for mounting it. I don't want it to be permanent, but it will need a sturdy mounting system. My Pop is 77 years and the Old Coot stills skins off tires by hand because he never decided to mount the tire changer. I was thinking of bolting it to 2 4x4 sheets of 3/4 plywood screwed together. My other option would be to somehow sink some anchors in my Garage concrete floor. Any takers ? 
Thanks, Chet
Thanks, Chet
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
Yes, you really need to bolt it to concrete. Use Redhead type anchors.
Yes, they work fine as long as you are working on steel wheels or wheels that you don't mind scratching. I have an ancient old manual machine that has an air operated bead breaker. I modified it to extend wide enough for modern wider wheels. I use it alot, but when I have to mount tires on really nice wheels, I go somewhere and pay somebody that has a rimclamp machine.
A bubble balancer doesn't do a very good job. They will do a static balance which used to work pretty good, but our cars and trucks now have pretty nimble suspension systems and require a dynamic balance.
I looked around for awhile and bought an old Coates computer balancer for $800. It does a fabulous job. What led to this was the fact that I was having trouble finding someone who would balance the wheels properly. Most of them just want to static balance, or they use the wrong weights, or they don't recheck, or.............
A bubble balancer is better than nothing, but not much better.
Have a great day,
Doc
Yes, they work fine as long as you are working on steel wheels or wheels that you don't mind scratching. I have an ancient old manual machine that has an air operated bead breaker. I modified it to extend wide enough for modern wider wheels. I use it alot, but when I have to mount tires on really nice wheels, I go somewhere and pay somebody that has a rimclamp machine.
A bubble balancer doesn't do a very good job. They will do a static balance which used to work pretty good, but our cars and trucks now have pretty nimble suspension systems and require a dynamic balance.
I looked around for awhile and bought an old Coates computer balancer for $800. It does a fabulous job. What led to this was the fact that I was having trouble finding someone who would balance the wheels properly. Most of them just want to static balance, or they use the wrong weights, or they don't recheck, or.............
A bubble balancer is better than nothing, but not much better.
Have a great day,
Doc
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Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
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A bubble balancer used properly can be very accurate. It just takes proper operator training.
The manual tire machine takes a lot of room to use well. They get in the way of other projects. If you bolt them to the floor and remove them the holes in the floor fill up with dirt unless they are plugged some way.
The manual tire machine takes a lot of room to use well. They get in the way of other projects. If you bolt them to the floor and remove them the holes in the floor fill up with dirt unless they are plugged some way.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Cypress, CA
As others have said, it is necessary to bolt it to the floor. If you use anchors in the concrete, when you remove the bolts to store the machine, there are plastic "plugs" that are available to cap the holes - and as Eric stated, keep the dirt etc out of them. Good hardware store should have all you need to mount the machine. Eric is also correct regarding the bubble balancer, used correctly they can be quite accurate.
Good Luck
Russ
Good Luck
Russ
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
For my manual tire machine I poured a small pad outside my shop door. It is out of the way but in solid concrete so that it is very usable. I have an old trash bin that fits perfectly over it upside down when not in use.
Yes, a bubble balancer can give a decent STATIC balance. For most trucks this will work quite well. For cars, however, with nimble suspensions, a dynamic balance is a must. A dynamic balance, to put it crudely, prevents wobble. A static balance prevents the tire from hopping up and down. The only way to get a dynamic balance is on a computer balancer.
Have a great day,
Doc
Yes, a bubble balancer can give a decent STATIC balance. For most trucks this will work quite well. For cars, however, with nimble suspensions, a dynamic balance is a must. A dynamic balance, to put it crudely, prevents wobble. A static balance prevents the tire from hopping up and down. The only way to get a dynamic balance is on a computer balancer.
Have a great day,
Doc
Trailering
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 19
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I sank a couple railroad ties in the ground outside my shop and used lag bolts to mount the manual tire changer last summer when I needed to set it up quick and intended that to be a temporary setup. It's worked well and will probably be permanent. When not in use I store the tire changer inside, when needed it only takes a couple minutes to bolt down.
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Tuned
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 317
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From: New Jersey
Re: Tire Changer - Harbor Freight
Brillinat Drydocked !, thats exactly what Im looking for, a simple, semi-permanent and cost effective soloution ! You say you burried a couple rail road ties, where they one on top of the other or were they crossed ? also, what size were they (4x4, 6x6) ?
Thanks, Chet
Thanks, Chet
Trailering
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 19
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These were actual used railroad ties that a local lumber yard sells, if you can't find them check with a landscape place. They're probably 8x10 or maybe 6x8, 8' long and heavy treated timbers, they must weigh close to 100# each. The going price around here is $5 to $10. I dug a trench wide enough to lay them side by side, spaced just a little bit apart so the mounting bolts would be centered in the timbers and then filled back in around them. They're heavy enough, and with the dirt holding them in place, that they're pretty solid even when I'm wrestling with some tough tires.
Joe
Joe
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 111
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From: Orange County, So. Calif
When bubble balancing we 'spread' the needed weight in two places rather than all the weight in one place. This is on drag race tires and not street tires tho. Yes dynamic is the ultimate, if the operator knows whats happening. Try this some time. After your local yokel balances one of your wheel and tire setups, have him reverse the wheel and run it again. Very interesting results happen sometimes, like if it balances going this-a-way, it should also balance going that-a way, Si???
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
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From: NE Texas
You can't turn around most rims on a computer balancer because they will not seat correctly on the machine or will cosmetically damage alloy wheels. If you do, make sure you reset the machine for the different offset.
What you can do is turn the wheel 90 degrees and remount on the machine. If the machine then shows out of balance, then the wheel is not being properly seated on the machine or there is something wrong with the machine.
Yes, when bubble balancing you should split the weight among inboard and outboard rim lip, or better yet divide by four and place about 30 degrees apart on the inside and the other two lined up on the outside. As was said, this will STILL not be a dynamic balance and will most likely cause vibration on an independently suspended car.
Have a great day,
Doc
What you can do is turn the wheel 90 degrees and remount on the machine. If the machine then shows out of balance, then the wheel is not being properly seated on the machine or there is something wrong with the machine.
Yes, when bubble balancing you should split the weight among inboard and outboard rim lip, or better yet divide by four and place about 30 degrees apart on the inside and the other two lined up on the outside. As was said, this will STILL not be a dynamic balance and will most likely cause vibration on an independently suspended car.
Have a great day,
Doc