Mounting own tires - Harley Forum

LJFed · #1 04-14-2009, 01:05 AM

I called the Harley dealer today to have new rubber put on my 06 Road King. $500.00. I can buy the tires for $280 and was thinking of mounting them myself. I have cast wheels and am a little nervious about cracking them. Any thoughts on this.I have not done this before but would love to give it a try.

frisco-rigid · #2 04-14-2009, 01:44 PM

Hey LJ

I have removed and mounted my own tires for years on cast, forged and spoke wheels.. On pretty wheels you just gotta be careful of marring the finish----practice makes perfect..
It's alota work and takes some practice and because you will Not do it very often (only as tires wear out) it will be kinda new each time.. Very economical however..

I use a bead breaker (about $30) that I got in the 70's and three long Tire Irons..
I also bought Tire Mounting Lube..
I do it by hand but retailers like HarborFreight sell kinda efficient looking tire mounting stands for around $50???? or so.. I might just get one myself..

Google Motorsickle tire mounting you'll get alota ideas and procedures----pick one and learn as you go although it's just simple common sense..
You guys have it easy nowadays,, I learned to do it Long before computers,,,

Then call around and find the best price for Balancing..

Have a ball

LJFed · #3 04-14-2009, 02:39 PM

I checked the internet , a milk crate was recommended as a mounting table or a 25 gal drum. I have both on had so we will see. Also found plans for a bead breaker out of 2x4's. The only expense would be a balancer if I can't find someone to do it for me.NoMar makes one for $99. I have seen Furniture polish, car wax and dish soap used as tire lubes.Anyway I would save enough on the 1st set to pay for any tools I need . Thanks for your input. I guess I'll give it a try.

aceharleywrench · #4 04-14-2009, 03:50 PM

Not to rain on your parade,but there are lots of tricks to mounting tires & if you've never done it before I'd suggest you get an old wheel to practice on before taking your life into your hands.Another option would be for you to take the wheels off the bike & take just the wheels in to have the tires mounted & balanced.We mount & balance tires off of the bike for considerably less than if we have to remove & reinstall them(typically less than half price) Every shop I've ever worked in has had a policy like this.

HarleyCruiser · #5 04-14-2009, 04:09 PM

Like Frisco I mount my own tires, I live an hour from any dealer, so it is hour down drop the bike, drive back home, then go pick it up.
In that time I can do it myself.
I use the two by fours, put one up from my tire then another under my tool bench and pry it down onto the tire.
Works great.
Yea get three tire irons, and get some tire protectors. HD gave me some when I bought a tire from them some time back. They get them free when they buy tires.
There is a hole in the protector, tie them together so if one of the protectors comes off inside the tire, you can fish it out.
Lube the tire, NAPA sells some tire lube or use dish soap, and water, this will help get the tire to seat, and seal.
Blowing up the tire is exciting when it pops.
It takes a little practice getting the tire off, and back on.
As you are prying kind or make a circle with the tire iron, this will move the iron with the way the tire wants to move.
Finding the hole between the tire and the rim takes a little practice, but it is there, just have to imagine where it is.
I very seldom balance them; I have the cast wheels and never felt any difference when I do.
When I do I just pull off the brake pads and spin the tire, see where it lands.
There is a yellow dot that you line up with the valve stem.
Make sure you run the arrow the right way.
Tubes are a little of a hassle, be careful not to pinch them.
Guess that is about it.
On a scale of one to ten this is a seven.
If anyone wants to learn how to change a tire, and lives in N Fl, let me know, pick up the tire, and bring it over. Be tickled to death to help show how it is done.
Bet Frisco would make the same offer.

evoKENevo · #6 04-14-2009, 06:48 PM

Last year I got tired of paying a shop like $50** a wheel to mount & balance (not always very well) the new tires bought at their inflated prices...noting that most won't mount & balance tires you buy elsewhere. Harbor Freight had the manual tire changing machine Frisco mentioned on sale which is actually a 2 section thing..that you have to 1st. buy the base for (made for auto tires) that includes a bead breaker and then add the motorcycle wheel adaptor to it...usually around $50** each marked down to $39** each. All of which works pretty good,once you drill 4 holes in garage floor for anchors and lag bolts.

I also ordered a wheel truing/balancing stand from Dennis Kirk for around $150** that works a lot better for balancing than on the bike. Because there's WAY less drag on the wheel/axle for a LOT more accuracy. Then I saw that Harbor Freight started handling a very similar truing/balancing stand for under $50**

Balancing the wheel is an easy thing to do. Just give the wheel a little spin (at least 2 full revolutions) mark the lowest spot on the wheel when it comes to a stop...and start adding wheel weights (also avial. in varies sizes from DK catalog) directly across (180* VERTICALLY) from that mark until the spot you marked and the weights on the wheel are balancing HORIZONTALLY directly across from each other after the weights on spoked wheels have been tapped into place touching the rim (or just stuck on alloy/mag wheels) noting that if you tap them into place later it's like adding more weight due the leverage.

Then,of course, give the wheel another spin to check your work...and adjust from there if necessary

WD-40 sprayed on the tire bead works fine (cheap & easy) and if you're running tubes, dusting the inside of the tire with a good amount of talc (baby powder) allows the tube to move into place easily when you inflate it...noting you DO want to get it in there as close to where you need it to be before inflating OR find yourself queering the valve stem...as in a "do-over" with a new tube.

BTW.."back in the day" I'd also used the 25 gal.drum etc tricks

and trust me this is a perfect example

of how the right tools etc for the job make a big difference...especially on a on a PTA job I've never looked forward to doing.

unclepsycho · #7 04-15-2009, 12:01 AM

I too do my own tires... A tire guy told me that there is a colored dot on the sidewall on the tire.... this dot is to be lined up with the valve stem. the tires are pre-balanced and the dot is put there for that reason.

evoKENevo · #8 04-15-2009, 09:58 AM

I've never noticed a colored dot on tires OR heard the story...but,it sounds feasible as far as mounting the tire. Which would be a good start...but it would'nt account for any imbalance/imperfection of the wheel assembly (incld'g brake rotor etc) that I'd be concerned with.

Tbone · #9 04-15-2009, 10:03 AM

The HD dealer charges $65 to mount and balance, front or rear, the tire I bring them. I strap it on the bike and wait about an hour. Wheel weights are extra but so far have not been required. I've never had to change both at one time yet. That would be $130.

chipster · #10 04-15-2009, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclepsycho

I too do my own tires... A tire guy told me that there is a colored dot on the sidewall on the tire.... this dot is to be lined up with the valve stem. the tires are pre-balanced and the dot is put there for that reason.

Automobile (Car and Light Truck) tires have a dot on the sidewall of the tire and the placement of that dot is the high spot, or heaviest spot on the tire.

The hole in the rim for the valve stem is the low spot, or lightest spot on the rim.

In theory they should equalize each other, but how does the tire or tire manufacturer know how much of a low spot there is on that particular wheel that it's being installed on?