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MG TD TF 1500 - Changing Tire on Wire Wheels

Anyone have any experience on changing their own tires?

It seems that no one either wants to or can reliably change tires on wire wheels these days. The last few places I have been to have either damaged spokes, paint or just did bad work in general. Many claim their machines cannot handle wire wheels nor do they want the responsibility.

So I am looking for any hints and/or devices people have used to change their own tires.

I really don't care about the balancing part as I can either have that done separately or just live with a static balance as I drive like a slug anyway.

This one looked interesting until I viewed the manual and noticed it had a stud that went through one of the lug nut holes. That won't work on a wire wheel.

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/Product/SCA-Tyre-Changer-Portable/345858
Christopher Couper

I remember removing the very old and cracked tyres from my wire wheels. I did it on the garage floor with no more than a set of tyre levers. Despite trying to be careful I wrecked the beads on the old tyres, though the rims were unscathed (but then they were already old and chipped). It put me off ever trying to do it again without better kit. I dare say to do a better job you could use something like the outfit you referred to above, but rather than a stud going through one of the lug nut holes you would have to make some kind of multi pronged adaptor that spread the load to multiple spokes.
Dave H

Dave Hill

Would either of these tire changers work?

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Manual-Tire-Changer


http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Heavy-Duty-Manual-Tire-Changer?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI18jauZKN2QIVDpFpCh20iwUQEAQYASABEgKP1_D_BwE


It looks like the cheaper one is also the same as the one Harbor Freight sells for about 1/2 price, but I'm not sure.

Where in California are you? I live in Colorado now, but spent most of my life in Southern California. Glen's Alignment in Costa Mesa can handle wire wheels.
So can XK MotorSport in San Luis Obispo (XK's Unlimited, the Jaguar Parts Supplier was bought by Moss Motors and Jason len kept the service part of the business which is now called XK Motorsport)

Regards,
Sherman K
Sherman Kaplan

I’ll start by saying I like many of the items Harbor Freight sells.

But some of their items are a little weak. If a tire gives you much resistance the metal stuff will bend and distort. Luckily our tires are not 10 or 12 ply so their changer may work.
G D

I used the Harbor Freight tire changer. Still a bit of work, but after the second tire, my son and I could mount a tire in about three minuets. I did buy two of there tire changing bars, and they helped a lot. I just put the peg or stud, as you call it between the spokes, and was a little gentle, it worked fine with no damage. You do need to put the wheel upside down on the changer. By the way, the H.F. changer is about one third the price of the one your looking at, and looks to be the exact same. I also balanced my own wheels with a fifty year old bubble balancer, that a buddy had laying around. It looks exactly like the one H.F. sells. I bought a package of magnetic weights from H.F.. I had bought a new set of 60 spoke chrome wires and they went on my TR3, but the MG wheels should be close enough to the same. TR drives smooth as glass now with new Vredstiene tires and new wheels.

Gary
g parker

I just fond a picture of my changer, I mounted it on my lift.
Gary

g parker

I use the HF tire changer and it works quite well. Being a non "safety rim, it is fairly easy to pry tires on and off. The trick is to push the tire bead in to the valley of the rim while popping the opposite side over the lip of the rim. I also balance with a H/F bubble ballencer. Works much better than a spin balancer. I've never had satisfactory results spin balancing wire wheels.
TC tires are really easy with simple tire levers. All in all, I've only pinched one tube, it was on Steve and Annie's TD at a GOF. Couldn't believe it until I saw it.
Be well,
David.
D. Sander

Christopher,

My wife's car has Borrani wire wheels and I change the tires as I do on my old motorcycles (and yes, she demands I mount radial tires).

i) Four or five tire spoons, (ii) a couple of milk jugs to cut up for rim protectors, (iii) an old 13-inch steel rim to support the wire rim, (iv) tire/rim lubricant, (v) talc and (vi) 3 mil PVC tape is all that is needed.

Quality rim lubricant and (real) talc is available from Summit Racing. Some people use soapy water, but that can eventually cause corrosion. Strong PVC tape is available from Amazon.

I slit rubber hose and slip it on the outer edge of the 13-inch steel rim to protect the wire rim and spokes. It is actually a very easy job if you take your time.

Regards,

Bill
WHTroyer

Wow some great information. I think all these manual changers come from the same source and it's as low as $44 online. Throw away price IMHO.

I like WH's idea too because I doubt I do this more than once every 10 years.
Christopher Couper

You just need to find a shop that clamps the wheel by the rim, not by the hub. I've had lots of tires changed this way at my local tire shop and they don't even scratch the rims.

You can change your own of course. I change my smaller tires like on the TC and Model T, but the radials are a pain so I farm them out since I have to take them there to balance anyway.
Steve Simmons

Chris

Don't know if this tyre selling chain exists in the USA, Beaurepaires had no issues fitting and balancing tyres on my TF wire wheels here in Aus.

Graeme
G Evans

I attend a "night school" on British car care where we work on our cars.

We have new modern tire changers and they clamp the rim from below.

I changed 8 tires on wire wheels in one night, talc and all.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Here's a photo of an MGA wheel on the machine. Note the clamps visible at the bottom.

Steve Simmons

That's the same type of machines my tire guy has, with the rubber faced clamps, no damage to the rim and with the air activated bead breaker it's very quick. PJ
PJ Jennings

I'm surprised that the original poster is having difficulty finding shops that will correctly mount tires on wire wheels. I randomly surveyed 5 tire shops in my area (Eugene Oregon) and all said they could mount tires on wire wheels with no problem.
John Quilter (TD8986)

Hi Chris. You just need two tire irons and some elbow grease done it on the TD and the MGB with chrome wires.

Butch
R Taras

Butch: I am heading that direction. Are two enough? Suggestions about which ones are adequate?

http://www.harborfreight.com/24-in-general-purpose-tire-iron-61603.html

I should also point out I use bias ply tires so hopefully they will go on and off easier than radials.
Christopher Couper

Visit your local motorcycle shop. They usually have a good assortment of tire levers. Buy a couple different shapes. I normally use one for leverage, an odd shaped one for tricky spots, and one just to hold the bead while I move to the next spot. If it's a soft or loose tire, two will be enough. Bias Ply should make things easier.
Steve Simmons

Hi Chris, last week I changed tires on a set of wire wheels using my old school Cotes 50/50 machine. To hold the wheel on the spindle and stop it rotating I first put a shortened ww rear hub from an Austin Healy on the spindle. These are bolt on hubs (adapters) with pretty wide bolt hole spacing. I then put the anti-rotation pin through one of these holes. Note that it is this pin that does most of the damage to the spokes. The wheel was then put on the splined hub and the machine's locking collar tightened down on the wheel center. The tire was then removed in the usual way.
I can send pictures if you are interested.
Cheers, Hugh
H.D. Pite

Hi Chris. I used a couple of old tire irons about 9 inches long, the type you would carry in the car tool box. Break the bead off the rim all the way around then push one side down into the groove in the center of the rim and lever the other side over the rim and start working around.

Butch
R Taras

OK. I think this is a great job for my wife who is constantly changing her bike tires. :-)
Christopher Couper

Best of luck!
Dave H
Dave Hill

Exactly the same principal as a bike tire, except for breaking the bead and dropping one side into the center recess.
Steve Simmons

I use the Harbor Freight tire changer plus their motorcycle tire adaptor for wire wheels. Works well. I also picked up a spare adaptor unit one store had marked way down, just in case something breaks.

Works well. The old tube-type tires had more flexible side openings so were much easier to change. I have known guys to change even tube-type tires on the bench or driveway just with levers.

You need to bolt down the tire changer. It is great to be able to change them yourself.

Dan

Daniel Shockey

This thread was discussed between 04/02/2018 and 08/02/2018

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