Manual Tire Changer Upgrades: Duck Head, Centering Cone and Bead Clamps

Searches for a Harbor Freight tire changer upgrade kit, a mod or an adapter all point at the same three parts. This page sorts them by the problem each one addresses, says what is documented about them and what is not, and starts with the passage in the manual that most upgrade videos skip.

What the manual says about add-ons

Harbor Freight's own PDF of the owner's manual for the Pittsburgh changer, item 58731, could not be opened from our location, so we read the copy on ManualsLib and paraphrase it. Two points in its safety section concern this page directly: the changer is not to be modified for tasks it was not designed for, and it is to be used only with the accessories that are included with it.

Every part on this page is a third-party accessory. Fitting one takes the machine outside what its manual describes. That is a decision for the owner, and we do not make it for you. What we can do is keep two things apart:

• What an upgrade may change: where steel touches the rim, how steady the wheel sits, how well the bead stays in the drop center.
• What it does not change: the size limit of the stand, the caution about high-end rims, the need to mount the stand to the floor, and the tire makers' rules for inflation.

Changers of the same layout from other brands have their own manuals. Read yours for the same two points.

Three weak points, three parts

The duck-head kit: the upgrade most owners mean

Seller data only, not a pickAd

EXODIOS

EXODIOS Duck Head Kit

A duck-head kit for manual tire changers from a seller brand that is not tied to one changer maker; the fit is a seller statement.

We only have the Amazon listing for this product. We list it as an option, not as a recommendation.

Why here: Not a pick: a duck-head kit that its seller lists for manual tire changers, in the budget price class. Fit is a seller statement: measure your center post before ordering.

Best for: Owners of a floor-post changer of another brand who want a mount/demount head instead of the bare bar tip.

Type

Duck-head kit

Fits

Manual tire changers (seller); check post diameter

Price class

Budget

What it does well

• Adds a mount/demount head to a manual changer, according to the listing
• Low price class

Where it falls short

• No manufacturer page with specifications found; all data are seller statements from the listing
• Fit depends on the post of your changer; check the listing against your machine before ordering
• Reduces contact with the rim; marks remain possible

View on Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonRead the comparison

A duck head is the shaped mount/demount head of a tire machine. On a kit for a manual changer it sits on an arm that pivots on the center post and guides the bead over the rim flange. The tire makers' bulletin on low-profile tires recommends machines with composite mount/demount heads to avoid damage to the rim and the tire bead. That is the idea a nylon head borrows; a cast-steel head is still steel. Marks remain possible with any manual tool.

Which kit goes with which post, and what separates the four kits we list, is the subject of its own page: duck-head kits for manual tire changers. Two short pointers here:

• For a VEVOR changer the VEVOR duck head kit with cone^* (paid link) is the one kit whose maker states material and fit.
• The Krysolad kit^* (paid link) mounts the arm on a bearing, according to its listing, and sits in the mid-range price class. In listings this type is often called a bearing adapter.

The centering cone

According to the manual, a floor-post changer holds the wheel with a lug pin through one lug hole and a threaded cap on the post. The manual describes no part that centers the hub bore on the post. A centering cone is sold for that: it slides over the post and into the hub bore.

The AFEISOL centering cone^* (paid link) is listed for manual tire changers and is made of billet aluminum, according to the seller. We found no manufacturer page. Two measurements decide whether it suits you: the outside diameter of your post and the hub bore of your wheels. If you plan to buy a duck-head kit anyway, check whether it includes a cone; two of the four kits on our duck-head page name one in their data.

Our own reasoning, not a maker's statement: a cone matters more once a duck head is fitted. The head travels around the post, so a wheel that sits off center on the post brings the head closer to the rim on one side.

Nylon bead clamps

The AFEISOL nylon bead clamps^* (paid link) are an example of this part, known from seller data only and not a pick: according to the listing, two nylon clamps that hold the mounted section of the bead down in the drop center while you work the rest of the bead over the flange.

This part addresses the step the tire makers single out as very important. The bead is smaller than the rim flange. It only passes because the opposite side of the bead drops into the deep channel in the middle of the rim. The tire makers describe the technique for machines: keep continual pressure on the top sidewall opposite the mount head so that part of the top bead stays in the rim well. The lower the profile of the tire, they add, the harder the top bead is to mount.

On a shop machine a helper arm does that pressing. On a manual changer you have two hands and a bar. A bead clamp sits on the rim edge and keeps the section you have already mounted from climbing back onto its seat. The seller lists the clamps as a drop center tool made of nylon; rim and tire sizes are not documented, and the listing names motorcycle wheels. Check it against your wheels.

The technique itself is described step by step in how to mount a tire on a rim.

Which upgrade for which problem

Which tool for which job

1. 1

   If the bar tip drags on the rim edge and you own a Pittsburgh or similar changer

   Duck-head kits compared
2. 2

   If you own a VEVOR changer and want head and cone from the same maker→ VEVOR Duck Head Kit with Cone

   View*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
3. 3

   If the bar is the problem

   Tire changer bars
4. 4

   If you want larger wheels than 16 in.

   Read what the documents say

The parts side by side

This selection covers only products sold on Amazon. It is not a market overview. Products are compared by manufacturer and listing data, not by hands-on testing. How we research

Comparison: EXODIOS Duck Head Kit, VEVOR Duck Head Kit with Cone, Krysolad Bearing Duck Head Kit, AFEISOL Centering Cone, AFEISOL Nylon Bead Clamps, 2-pack

Comparison	Seller data onlyEXODIOS Duck Head Kit	Our pick: duck-head kitVEVOR Duck Head Kit with Cone	Seller data onlyKrysolad Bearing Duck Head Kit	Seller data onlyAFEISOL Centering Cone	Seller data onlyAFEISOL Nylon Bead Clamps, 2-pack
Type	Duck-head kit	Duck-head kit with centering cone	Duck-head adapter kit with bearing	Centering cone	Bead clamp (drop center tool)
Stated size range	–	16–21 in. (manufacturer claim)	16–21 in. (seller claim)	–	–
Setup	–	–	–	–	2 clamps (seller)
Weight	–	9.4 lb	–	–	–
Price class	Budget	Budget	Mid-range	Budget	Budget
Best for	Owners of a floor-post changer of another brand who want a mount/demount head instead of the bare bar tip.	Owners of a VEVOR floor-post changer who want less steel-on-rim contact and a steadier wheel.	Owners who want the arm to turn on a bearing and accept the higher price class.	Owners of a floor-post changer whose wheel shifts on the post while levering.	Mounting the upper bead alone, when the part already over the flange keeps climbing back onto its seat.
	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon	On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon

• Seller data onlyEXODIOS Duck Head Kit

  Type

  Duck-head kit

  Stated size range

  –

  Setup

  –

  Weight

  –

  Price class

  Budget

  Best for

  Owners of a floor-post changer of another brand who want a mount/demount head instead of the bare bar tip.

  On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
• Our pick: duck-head kitVEVOR Duck Head Kit with Cone

  Type

  Duck-head kit with centering cone

  Stated size range

  16–21 in. (manufacturer claim)

  Setup

  –

  Weight

  9.4 lb

  Price class

  Budget

  Best for

  Owners of a VEVOR floor-post changer who want less steel-on-rim contact and a steadier wheel.

  On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
• Seller data onlyKrysolad Bearing Duck Head Kit

  Type

  Duck-head adapter kit with bearing

  Stated size range

  16–21 in. (seller claim)

  Setup

  –

  Weight

  –

  Price class

  Mid-range

  Best for

  Owners who want the arm to turn on a bearing and accept the higher price class.

  On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
• Seller data onlyAFEISOL Centering Cone

  Type

  Centering cone

  Stated size range

  –

  Setup

  –

  Weight

  –

  Price class

  Budget

  Best for

  Owners of a floor-post changer whose wheel shifts on the post while levering.

  On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
• Seller data onlyAFEISOL Nylon Bead Clamps, 2-pack

  Type

  Bead clamp (drop center tool)

  Stated size range

  –

  Setup

  2 clamps (seller)

  Weight

  –

  Price class

  Budget

  Best for

  Mounting the upper bead alone, when the part already over the flange keeps climbing back onto its seat.

  On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon

The columns labeled “Seller data only” rest on Amazon listings alone; they are shown for comparison, not as picks.

“(seller)” means the statement comes from the Amazon listing and from nowhere else.

What no upgrade changes

• The rim caution. The manual cautions against use on high-end rims and warns of scratches and slight marring. A nylon head or clamp reduces steel-on-rim contact. The page will a manual tire changer scratch alloy rims goes through that question.
• The anchoring. A duck-head arm is worked against the post, so the stand has to be fixed. The manual says not to use the changer without mounting it to the floor.
• Lubricant. A dry bead drags on any head. Use commercially available bead lubricant on both beads and on the rim.
• Inflation. Never more than 40 psi to seat beads. If the beads are not seated at 40 psi, deflate completely, reposition the tire on the rim, relubricate and reinflate.

Before you order: three checks

1. Measure the post. Outside diameter, with a caliper or a tape. Listings that say “for Harbor Freight” in the title are seller wording; Harbor Freight publishes neither a post diameter nor a fit list.
2. Measure the hub bore of the wheels you work on, if a cone is part of the plan.
3. Read your manual for its position on accessories and modifications, and decide with that in mind.

Typical mistakes

• Buying a kit to go up in wheel size. Upgrades make work inside the stated range cleaner. They are not a size extension.
• Skipping the centering check. Before the first tire, turn the head once around the bare rim and watch the gap. If it changes, look at how the wheel sits on the post before you blame the head.
• Adding hardware where technique is missing. If the bead is not in the drop center, no part helps.
• Expecting warranty cover for a modified machine. The Pittsburgh changer carries a 90-day warranty with limitations, according to its product page. What a modification does to it is not stated there; ask the retailer before you drill or weld anything.

The bottom line

For an existing floor-post changer, the EXODIOS duck-head kit^* (paid link) is an example of the head, known from seller data only and not a pick; bead clamps help with the hardest step, and a cone steadies the wheel for both. All three are third-party parts outside the manual of the Pittsburgh machine. A branded conversion sold outside Amazon is described under Lucid Autowerks Ultimate Manual Tire Changer, and building a stand yourself under DIY tire changer builds. If you do not own a changer yet, compare the stands first on the Harbor Freight tire changer page and in the overview of manual tire changers.