Manual tire changer machine: Anyone using one?

I built a fixture several years ago to change tires, and have done dozens of tires in the meantime, but I'm running into a Hoosier tire that's giving me fits. I bought some track and autocross tires, and have most of them mounted (still need to balance them), but I've got one that's got such a hard bead in it that I can't get it over the rim. With all the tire lube on the bead it just keeps sliding off as I'm trying to press it on. I'm going to make an addition to the fixture to hold the bead at one side while I nudge the rest of the bead over the rim, but before I start bending and welding material, I'm curious if anyone else uses a manual setup, and if so, how are you holding the tire so it doesn't keep sliding around in the process?

Thanks,
Mike

Sounds like its a 2 person job. If you notice the guys with the air operated machines they hold the tire while the maching is doing it's thing.

I got some discontinued Hoosier dirt tires for $40. They are huge monsters 12" wide 84 circumference.

I need to get them mounted to my old steel rallys

If i do manage to fit them, they'll look bitchin. Probably only last a few hundred miles though.

I use an old manual Coats machine. When I get a tough one I double check to make sure the tire and rim match, that the wheel is mounted to the machine right-side-up and use a tire tool between the bead section of the rim and the tire bead to hold it in place while I lever the rest of the bead onto the rim.

I hope you don't have spun alu rims, you will F them up...don't ask me how I know

Twin_Turbo said:

I hope you don't have spun aluminum rims, you will F them up...don't ask me how I know

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Although I have changed thousands of tires with the old machine in the far past, I only use the manual machine (rarely) on old steel wheels now.

A new style rim-clamp machine is needed on pretty much everything now...especially the run-flat tires used on my current vehicles.

FRISKY said:

Twin_Turbo said:

I hope you don't have spun aluminum rims, you will F them up...don't ask me how I know

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Although I have changed thousands of tires with the old machine in the far past, I only use the manual machine (rarely) on old steel wheels now. Ya got me beat. I've only changed a little over a thousand tires (I used to make a mark on the wall every time I fixed or swapped a tire during my gas station job in high school and doing vehicle maintenance in the summers during college). A new style rim-clamp machine is needed on pretty much everything now...especially the run-flat tires used on my current vehicles.

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My problem is I swap enough tires (most of them on stock C3 and C4 wheels) during the year that that it would cost me a small fortune if I paid a tire shop to do them, but not enough tires to justify the expense of a nice rim clamp machine.

69427 said:

[My problem is I swap enough tires (most of them on stock C3 and C4 wheels) during the year that that it would cost me a small fortune if I paid a tire shop to do them, but not enough tires to justify the expense of a nice rim clamp machine.

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I have bought several good but older Coats rim-clamp machines for $250-$750. I put a fresh coat of paint on them, made sure they were in perfect working order, and sold them for $1,500.

FRISKY said:

........I have bought several good but older Coats rim-clamp machines for $250-$750. I put a fresh coat of paint on them, made sure they were in perfect working order, and sold them for $1,500.

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Well, ya got me thinking there. I might just keep my eyes open for a used machine if I can find one in that price range.

Thanks!

Success!

I welded up a short fork shaped item that anchors to the center of the fixture and and holds the tire bead from rolling up over the rim at a "starting point", and then I can just roll the rest of the bead over the rim. Worked great, and I got the last two Hoosier tires mounted. I just need to balance the tires now (I got a low-tech bubble balancer, but it has always worked great) and I'll be done with that part of the prep for some track days this month.