<VV> Re: harbor freight tirer machine

[djtcz at comcast.net]

I lagged mine to the concrete floor.  Very secure.  My installer bar rolls off too.
I think maybe I was holding it too high.
And also seems fond of shaving the tender sealing lip (ouch).
That was in part because it is hard to keep the already-on bead deep in the dropped center, which is how enough slack bead is obtained to allow finishing the installation.

At any rate I have reverted to taking 3 or 4 bites with my full sized tire irons, which can be wrapped with milk jug plastic or a few layers of cereal box liner bag to protect allow wheels.

I would not dare break a belted tire bead with a jack.

--
Dan Timberlake

-------------- Original message -------------- 
>Haven't seen the Harbor Freight machine.  Are you referring to a tire iron?

Well, to me a tire iron is 18-24" long aka a spoon. This is about four feet 
long and each end is used for something different. The flat end is pretty 
good for removing tires but the curvy end used to roll the beard over the 
lip is terrible & keeps riding over the rim. Took about a half hour just to 
remount the top bead (bottom went on without too much hassle) on one 225x60x16.

Have installed just with spoons before but have found (experience = 
mistakes in past) that rolling the bead on with a curvy tool puts less 
force on a wheel (and most of mine are cast aluminum) than a spoon. 
Hopefully my days of using a station wagon and a bumper jack as a bead 
breaker and irons flat on the driveway are over.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34542 - 
thingie is leaning against tire tread. (ps is now and often on sale for $39.99)

The unit itself (particularly after adding four foot extensions to the legs 
for stability) works fine for my occasional needs but I need a lever 
arm/tire iron that has a better design. Must just not be using the right 
terms for Google because found nothing useful. Did find mention of using a 
rim saver for changing motorcycle tires 
http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/image/16778526 - anyone know if this would 
help ?