Manual tire changer help

[franklin2]

I inherited with a house I bought this manual tire changer. I have never used one before.



After a few trials, I have it down, this thing works great. Except putting the tire back on, that is a problem I haven't figured out yet. It came with a bar, and I finally figured out this end is for taking the tire off. It works beautifully once you figure it out.



This other end is for putting the tire back on the rim. This is where the problems start. My bar originally looked like the one below in the picture, with the curvature of the tool at "A".



I figured the "hook" of the tool went around the lip of the rim, and then it along with the wheel would push the tire back down over the rim. It works till the going gets tough, and then it would rather slide up off the rim rather that push the tire over the edge of the rim. I thought the hook must have been bent at one time, so I decided to bend it around to position "B". I put it in my press and bent it to the new position. It helped it, but it still wants to slide up off the rim. If I go over and hold down on it with my hand, I then can't get enough leverage on the tool to push it around the rim at the same time.

I was thinking about heating the tool and bending it at "C" but thought I had better stop before I really mess it up. Does anyone have a setup and a bar like this? It's a old Coates 3S tireman changer. If I can get this part working, it will be really slick and work on everything except aluminum rims. I got the above picture off the internet, and that is when I found that picture looks like mine before I bent it around. So I might have to bend it back out if someone helps me figure out what I am doing wrong.

 

[M5farms]

are you pushing the tire down on the side opposite of where your working to the middle of the rim so it has enough clearance to slide on. Also use a little soap or grease on the rim and bead . with it slick you can push tire on bottom and top side will slide on once you give it relief

 

[George2615]

I had the same tire machine except the base had 4 bolt down legs instead of a round base. Mine came with a 3' tire bar similar to yours. The flat side (pic 2) is used to remove the tire. vertically hook the tire bead and pull the bar down so the bead is above the rim and walk it around to remove.
The hook side (pic 3) is used to install the tire. Yours looks to have a roller the bead rides on, mine the bead slid on the top. Hook your bar over the rim, lube the tire bead, push down the side of the tire behind your roller so it is under the rim lip then walk the tire iron around. the tire bead should roll on the roller and drop below the rim lip as you walk around.

I now have a commercial air operated tire machine and got rid of my manual changer years ago but I kept the bar.
I use plenty of lube both to remove or install tires.
You should not need to heat and bend the bar. Its designed to work as is.

 

[Redneck in training]

HF Tire Changer - YouTube

 

[sd455dan]

I inherited with a house I bought this manual tire changer. I have never used one before.



After a few trials, I have it down, this thing works great. Except putting the tire back on, that is a problem I haven't figured out yet. It came with a bar, and I finally figured out this end is for taking the tire off. It works beautifully once you figure it out.



This other end is for putting the tire back on the rim. This is where the problems start. My bar originally looked like the one below in the picture, with the curvature of the tool at "A".



I figured the "hook" of the tool went around the lip of the rim, and then it along with the wheel would push the tire back down over the rim. It works till the going gets tough, and then it would rather slide up off the rim rather that push the tire over the edge of the rim. I thought the hook must have been bent at one time, so I decided to bend it around to position "B". I put it in my press and bent it to the new position. It helped it, but it still wants to slide up off the rim. If I go over and hold down on it with my hand, I then can't get enough leverage on the tool to push it around the rim at the same time.

I was thinking about heating the tool and bending it at "C" but thought I had better stop before I really mess it up. Does anyone have a setup and a bar like this? It's a old Coates 3S tireman changer. If I can get this part working, it will be really slick and work on everything except aluminum rims. I got the above picture off the internet, and that is when I found that picture looks like mine before I bent it around. So I might have to bend it back out if someone helps me figure out what I am doing wrong.

I have that same bar - was standard with my Coats tireman - Will try and get a picture-

also do you have the rim on the machine with the recessed side of the rim up? trying to re-mount with the wide flat side of the rim will make it Very hard to get the bead over the rim due to the bead being stretched much tighter

ok here's a couple of the end and the Coats twin air itself

 

[franklin2]

About the recessed part of the rim being up, yes I found that out the hard way.

Do you put that hook over the edge of the rim like the picture below? If you do, how do you keep the hook down around the rim instead of just riding up and off the rim when it hits the tire. It starts doing it when the tire starts getting tight.

 

[sd455dan]

About the recessed part of the rim being up, yes I found that out the hard way.

Do you put that hook over the edge of the rim like the picture below? If you do, how do you keep the hook down around the rim instead of just riding up and off the rim when it hits the tire. It starts doing it when the tire starts getting tight.

Yes over the rim, Once you get it started (do need to Push down on the tire) then and this has happened to me on some of the very stiff sidewall tires (10 plys) .

I use a regular big tire mounting iron or 2 to finish prying the bead over the rim if the factory bar slips off.

Most times it will work without involving any other tools, i also sometimes put a big cheater tube over the end of the bar for more lever effect.

One other thing these old tire machines are useless unless mounted down very securely.

I have 4 concrete expanding anchors on mine to keep it from moving. As has been said before lots of lube can make a huge difference to.


Good Luck - they are very handy machines to have

 

[franklin2]

I talked with a guy that works in our garage today, and he told me it's very important to push down on the tire with your hand as you are working the tool around the rim. I will have to try that, it was mentioned in the previous post also.

 

[Sprinklerman]

A spray bottle with soapy water does wonders

 

[The Fred]

I used the same machine for 10 years as a kid changing tires at my dad's shop until we bought an air operated model in the early 80s.

I was hoping never to see one again it brings back bad memories:laughing:

Regards, Fred

 

[Mysfyt]

About the recessed part of the rim being up, yes I found that out the hard way.

Do you put that hook over the edge of the rim like the picture below? If you do, how do you keep the hook down around the rim instead of just riding up and off the rim when it hits the tire. It starts doing it when the tire starts getting tight.

My dad had the same machine at his gas station, only it had an air operated bead breaker on the bottom. Maybe its the picture, but the hook for rolling the tire back on looks too blunt on the edge where it will meet the tire. I remember that edge being tapered and very smooth, for obvious reasons.

 

[franklin2]

A spray bottle with soapy water does wonders

I saw a couple u-tube videos and after they soaped it up really good, they just pushed the first bead on with their hands. Looks like I am not using enough soap also.

 

[KYErik]

I have the harbor freight version- it works ok- I avoid using soapy water because some will get trapped inside the tire and I figure that it may lead to additional rust on the rim. I have a bottle of armor all that I use to lube the bead.

Is my fear of using soapy water (because of corrosion) valid or am I just overthinking it?

 

[George2615]

I use a mixture of dish soap and water to lube the tire bead before installing. Dish soap also shows any rim leaks after blowing up the tire.

 

[Steave]

Rema’s Bead Butter Tire Mounting Lubrication, 1-Gal. Pre-Mixed | GEMPLER'S

KYErik if you're concerned about corrosion here's a lube that has anti corrosion added to it for that purpose.

George2615 that's what I use too. Dish soap and water slopped on with a cheap paint brush. I do try to keep it just on the bead and not so much to fill the tire up.

franklin2 I seem to have the same problem as you. I have to hold back on the bar to keep it on the rim while tapping it around. Sometimes I just grab a tire tool and put it on.

 

[sd455dan]

My dad had the same machine at his gas station, only it had an air operated bead breaker on the bottom. Maybe its the picture, but the hook for rolling the tire back on looks too blunt on the edge where it will meet the tire. I remember that edge being tapered and very smooth, for obvious reasons.

Umm -actually that's a picture of mine , not the ops and overall it works well.

Have used it twice a year to switch between hiway/snow tires on my Ram 3500s 17 inch ten plys.
15 inch car tires are a breeze.


Not sure if the OP has got his machine and bar working well together yet.

 

[franklin2]

Umm -actually that's a picture of mine , not the ops and overall it works well.

Have used it twice a year to switch between hiway/snow tires on my Ram 3500s 17 inch ten plys.
15 inch car tires are a breeze.


Not sure if the OP has got his machine and bar working well together yet.

Yes, I did steal the pictures, they came up on google images. Thanks for putting them up. I haven't had a chance yet to try all the ideas. What I have been doing is taking a large screwdriver and a couple of prys and the tire pops right on. But I felt like I was "cheating", I want to be able to do with the machine. Thanks for everyone's help so far.

 

[prs]

Never had a bar with the wheels, but my guess would be the wheels ride the rim, not the tire bead; but, I have never used that type.

So, you just push your lubed first bead, the lower one, onto the rim without the tool. On the upper bead, where ever you get the mount bar started, let us call that 12:00 and you will be going clockwise with the bar. BEFORE starting to rotate the bar, push the tire sidewall down into the drop center at about 10:00 or so and put a chock of 3/4" wood there to hold it, continue with your hands pushing the tire down into drop center and placing wood chocks as you go as far as you can, which will be about 7 or 6 o'clock. Then use your hip against the bar to push it clockwise with your right hand on the bar close to the mount tip pulling in to the center of the rim and pushing down. Heavy duty tires or run flats will kick your butt and require several tire spoons to finish. I still use a manual machine, but I found a far better bar, called the MoJo Lever. Google is your friend.

The Mojolever

prs

 

[franklin2]

Never had a bar with the wheels, but my guess would be the wheels ride the rim, not the tire bead; but, I have never used that type.

I thought the little wheel went against the rim too, but it doesn't work well at all like that. The "take it off" end of the bar works beautifully when the wheel is pointed up against the tire. I haven't seen the wheel on the "put it on" side of the bar really do anything.

 

[sd455dan]

Never had a bar with the wheels, but my guess would be the wheels ride the rim, not the tire bead; but, I have never used that type.

So, you just push your lubed first bead, the lower one, onto the rim without the tool. On the upper bead, where ever you get the mount bar started, let us call that 12:00 and you will be going clockwise with the bar. BEFORE starting to rotate the bar, push the tire sidewall down into the drop center at about 10:00 or so and put a chock of 3/4" wood there to hold it, continue with your hands pushing the tire down into drop center and placing wood chocks as you go as far as you can, which will be about 7 or 6 o'clock. Then use your hip against the bar to push it clockwise with your right hand on the bar close to the mount tip pulling in to the center of the rim and pushing down. Heavy duty tires or run flats will kick your butt and require several tire spoons to finish. I still use a manual machine, but I found a far better bar, called the MoJo Lever. Google is your friend.

The Mojolever

prs

Never had a bar with the wheels, but my guess would be the wheels ride the rim, not the tire bead;




No- the hook slides on the outside of the rims lip
The wheel rolls on the tires inner bead as the bar is pulled against the tire machines center post .

When working correctly the bead slips over the rim behind the wheel as the bar is moved around the wheel


If I get a chance I will take a few pictures of my changer with the bar putting a bead on.




ps. Here is a place you can get a parts/operation manual for the old Coats machines- Very helpful...


Coats Tire Changer parts Manuals



Page 3 of the 510 manual shows the mounting procedure using the bar in question (although the manual itself is upside down) that should clear up some things

The mojo lever looks to be handy -but it's $109 also mentions only motorcycle tires- edit Looks good for motorcycle tires


but
1st thing stated in it's manual- (CAUTION: The Mojolever is a heavy tool and may cause injury if dropped or broken during use.)

and then this:

( The Mojolever is intended for use on motorcycle tires only. Do not attempt to use the Mojolever to remove or
install automotive tires.)

That makes it a non starter for car and truck tires.

Not sure whether a bike tire could be changed on one of these old Coats machines- but with the large diameter of the center shaft it looks like the wheel centers would not fit over the machine.?



but no reason the original bar shouldn't be able to be made to work.