mpb218
Junior Member
I did not change the tires, brought them to a place to swap them out. Taking off the wheels though was pretty easy, I am in Groton, CT, kinda far but I have all the tools (not the tire machine) if you need a hand.
Help wanted - Changing Both Tires
- Thread starter cap'n
- Start date
I've yet to buy the stuff for the Busted Knuckle Garage. Wish I had now because you're not too far away to call it a haul. Maybe next tire change?
Norbert
crash tested
good luck, I just did mine a few weeks ago, the on off the bike is the easy part. I did mine alone, with help would be better.
i used homemade tire irons and bead breaker. getting the new tires on was the hardest part. Keep new tire bead centered in rim vally as much as possible while puting tire on rim, this is very hard to do.
hope these pics work
AWESOME DIY!!! Much respect!!!
One tip of advice to the OP: if you take your wheels to a shop to have the tires mounted, ask to dispose of the old tires yourself. That should save you the disposal fee. Many counties have recycling centers that take tires.
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cap'n
Junior Member
Ok, I found the 19mm bit at Grainger, called them, ordered it and had them deliver it to a location close to where my buddy works. He's gonna grab it today after work, so I will have the tools I need. WHEW.
Meanwhile, the pics help a ton, THANK YOU. I'll have 3 of us there total, so help won't be an issue, and we're all excited about getting both bikes' tires swapped (other bike is a bonnie). I will:
1. Photo the deal as I go
2. Write it up here with anything good / bad I found
Meanwhile, the pics help a ton, THANK YOU. I'll have 3 of us there total, so help won't be an issue, and we're all excited about getting both bikes' tires swapped (other bike is a bonnie). I will:
1. Photo the deal as I go
2. Write it up here with anything good / bad I found
Good luck Cap'N!!!
Cali rider
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Wavex and I will be dismounting and remounting 4 tires tomorrow using my setup. Perhaps we can get some video or still images to show you what is involved in the actual tire handling process.
Thanks John! Is this setup something you've purchased or is it something you've engineered? :rockon:
Has anyone ever tried this one? It just doesn't seem like you can get enough leverage, does it?
Buy Now: Motorcycle Bead Breaker Tire Iron Bead BrakR | Pashnit Moto
Buy Now: Motorcycle Bead Breaker Tire Iron Bead BrakR | Pashnit Moto
Cali rider
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It's a heavily modified Harbor Freight package, with my own wheel balance stand. With approx. 40 tire swaps to date it has paid for itself a few times over. In retrospect a No-Mar would have been simpler and would have been paid for by now. Oh well.
I can say that unit might work with normal street tires, but not DOT track tires. The stronger sidewalls of a Power One or a BT-003 require enormous effort to unseat and I would not want to impart that onto the other side of the wheel as they show in this image:
I guess I am taking the video camera with me 
Cali rider
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I guess I am taking the video camera with me
I just assumed you would have it, you always do.
What do you insinuate? :innocent:
Absolutely David. I'm curious to see what a "heavily modified HF package" entails! :iconbeer:
cap'n
Junior Member
Ok, I got the tires on. And I took copious pictures while doing it, and as I suspected, there were a few "gotcha" moments where I was careful to photo the parts that pissed me off, so I could write it up. Then I came in this morning, downloaded the pics, and accidentally erased every one of them. I am not pleased with myself. The short synopsis, then:
GETTING THE WHEELS OFF
REAR:
As others have said, undo the left nut, pop the axle through, and drop the wheel out. I did not need to touch the adjusters for this, nor do anything special prior with the rear brake. Also I used a big 18" breaker bar with a 1/2" drive on it, pushing a big-well socket for that nut. Made the whole deal very easy, very controlled. That breaker bar was nice on a few other spots, too. Just like everyone else, I draped the chain over the end of the left side of the swingarm and the wheel was free.
FRONT:
First, the brakes have to come off, because they are sticking way too far inside the rim diameter for you to take the wheel off with them still bolted onto the fork. **A "gotcha" here**, and I am sooo sorry I deleted the pics, because I wasted like 30 minutes on this one stupid part. The stock reflectors were still on my bike. Those little bastards stick out about 2 millimeters too far, top AND bottom, BOTH brake sides, for you to get a socket on those 2 brake bolts. I tried crescent wrenches, I tried a u-joint adaptor (and almost broke it), I got frustrated, and then I walked outside and helped the other guy with his tires for 20 minutes to cool off. Clearly I was missing something. Sure enough, when I looked at those reflectors from dead-on in front of the bike, I could see a little nut on them, in the center on the back side, holding them onto their mounting brackets. It's an SAE nut, too -- wierd for a japanese bike, but the actual reflectors are made by Stanley (!?!) so I guess that's it. Anywho, when you take a little crescent to that nut and remove the reflectors, they're out of the way so you can get a socket on those caliper bolts and the world makes sense again. Needless to say, the reflectors got filed under "T" and didn't make it back on the bike.
Once the brakes are off, you un-do the 6mm pinch bolt, then use your expensive 19mm male hex socket to remove the front axle. I got one from Grainger (Grainger Industrial Supply) for $22, part # is 4JW36. As you keep unscrewing the axle (past the threading) you just pull it a bit and it will work itself out gently. Now the wheel should be free.
SWAPPING THE TIRES
This has been covered here and elsewhere, and well. I have nothing to add. Breaking the bead is a bitch. Have friends to help.
REMOUNTING THE WHEELS
Now you've got these dangling calipers to contend with on both ends, which makes the extra set of hands veeeeery helpful. Getting the whole sideways sandwich of components to line up so you can tap the axles through with a soft mallet is a handful, so really find someone to help. I took good pics on a digital camera of how everything started off, and then I had the option of reviewing them on the camera if things got hinky on the reassembly. I didn't need them, but you know. Ounce of prevention and all that.
I didn't have anything happen on the remounting of the wheels that was worthy of comment. At this point you just need another person to make it 1000x easier, and to go slow, and to torque your bolts down. Also, I almost forgot the pinch bolt. Don't do that.
GETTING THE WHEELS OFF
REAR:
As others have said, undo the left nut, pop the axle through, and drop the wheel out. I did not need to touch the adjusters for this, nor do anything special prior with the rear brake. Also I used a big 18" breaker bar with a 1/2" drive on it, pushing a big-well socket for that nut. Made the whole deal very easy, very controlled. That breaker bar was nice on a few other spots, too. Just like everyone else, I draped the chain over the end of the left side of the swingarm and the wheel was free.
FRONT:
First, the brakes have to come off, because they are sticking way too far inside the rim diameter for you to take the wheel off with them still bolted onto the fork. **A "gotcha" here**, and I am sooo sorry I deleted the pics, because I wasted like 30 minutes on this one stupid part. The stock reflectors were still on my bike. Those little bastards stick out about 2 millimeters too far, top AND bottom, BOTH brake sides, for you to get a socket on those 2 brake bolts. I tried crescent wrenches, I tried a u-joint adaptor (and almost broke it), I got frustrated, and then I walked outside and helped the other guy with his tires for 20 minutes to cool off. Clearly I was missing something. Sure enough, when I looked at those reflectors from dead-on in front of the bike, I could see a little nut on them, in the center on the back side, holding them onto their mounting brackets. It's an SAE nut, too -- wierd for a japanese bike, but the actual reflectors are made by Stanley (!?!) so I guess that's it. Anywho, when you take a little crescent to that nut and remove the reflectors, they're out of the way so you can get a socket on those caliper bolts and the world makes sense again. Needless to say, the reflectors got filed under "T" and didn't make it back on the bike.
Once the brakes are off, you un-do the 6mm pinch bolt, then use your expensive 19mm male hex socket to remove the front axle. I got one from Grainger (Grainger Industrial Supply) for $22, part # is 4JW36. As you keep unscrewing the axle (past the threading) you just pull it a bit and it will work itself out gently. Now the wheel should be free.
SWAPPING THE TIRES
This has been covered here and elsewhere, and well. I have nothing to add. Breaking the bead is a bitch. Have friends to help.
REMOUNTING THE WHEELS
Now you've got these dangling calipers to contend with on both ends, which makes the extra set of hands veeeeery helpful. Getting the whole sideways sandwich of components to line up so you can tap the axles through with a soft mallet is a handful, so really find someone to help. I took good pics on a digital camera of how everything started off, and then I had the option of reviewing them on the camera if things got hinky on the reassembly. I didn't need them, but you know. Ounce of prevention and all that.
I didn't have anything happen on the remounting of the wheels that was worthy of comment. At this point you just need another person to make it 1000x easier, and to go slow, and to torque your bolts down. Also, I almost forgot the pinch bolt. Don't do that.
For the rear wheel re-assembly, if you don't have another person to help you, you can always use a couple of wooden blocks to lift the tire... that allows you to take care of the caliper and alignment of all parts.
Also, for reference: http://www.600riders.com/forum/how-...your-tires-modified-harbor-freight-setup.html
Also, for reference: http://www.600riders.com/forum/how-...your-tires-modified-harbor-freight-setup.html
cap'n
Junior Member
That linked thread with vids = wonderful. You guys did good work. I'm really pissed I wasted all those pictures.
