Questions and answers about manual tire changers

Questions with a page of their own

Problems have pages of their own too:

Terms are explained in the glossary. The most common short questions are answered below.

Before you buy

Which wheel sizes does a manual tire changer handle?

The common floor-post changer is specified for 8 to 16 inch wheels. Harbor Freight gives its Pittsburgh changer a range from 8 in. to light truck (7-1/2 in. x 16), and the copy of its owner's manual on ManualsLib excludes standard tires over 16 in. Larger ranges in listings are seller claims. The comparison of manual tire changers shows the stated range of each tool.

Does it work on low-profile tires?

Not according to the people who make the tires. The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association says to use only equipment designed for low aspect ratio, high performance tires and wheels, and it recommends machines with composite heads and plastic-coated levers for them. A cheap floor-post changer is not that equipment.

Do I have to bolt it down?

A floor-post changer, yes: it is built with a predrilled base, the manual copy of the reference machine says not to use it without mounting it to the floor, and the lever force needs something that does not move. If drilling is not an option, see portable tire changers. Portable motorcycle changers are designed to stand free; the page on motorcycle tire changers explains the difference.

Is the Harbor Freight changer sold on Amazon?

No. It is a Harbor Freight store product. What Amazon offers in its place is covered on the page about the Harbor Freight tire changer.

During the job

How much pressure may I use to seat the bead?

Never more than 40 psi. If both beads are not seated at 40 psi, the tire makers' instruction is to deflate completely, reposition the tire, relubricate and inflate again. The steps are on the page how to seat a tire bead.

What can I use as lubricant?

Tire makers name commercially available bead lubricant first. Vegetable oil and animal soap solutions may also be used, and a water-based lubricant should contain a rust inhibitor. Silicone, petroleum and solvent-based products must not be used. Household dish detergent is not named in the bulletin at all. More under tire mounting lube.

Is starting fluid a way to seat a stubborn bead?

No. The tire makers' bulletin is unambiguous: never, under any circumstance, introduce a flammable substance into a tire. Igniting it to seat the beads can make the tire explode and can damage tire and rim in ways you cannot see.

Do I need a tire cage at home?

OSHA's rim wheel standard, 29 CFR 1910.177, covers employees who service the wheels of large vehicles. It does not apply to automobile tires or LT tires and does not address private users. The tire makers still ask for a safety cage or another restraining device whenever the machine has no device that locks the wheel down, and they say never to stand, lean or reach over the wheel during inflation.

Will the changer mark my rims?

It can. The Harbor Freight manual, in the copy on ManualsLib, warns of scratches and slight marring and cautions against high-end rims. A duck-head kit reduces steel-on-rim contact, as the page on duck-head kits explains, but marks remain possible. Where makers advertise rim protection, that is their claim; Rabaconda's own FAQ says it cannot guarantee zero risk.

Do I have to balance a tire I mounted myself?

Plan on it. The manual of the reference changer ends its mounting steps with having the tire balanced by a qualified automotive technician, and a manual tire changer does not balance. The options are on the page do you need to balance tires after mounting.

What about wheels with TPMS sensors?

Keep bead breaker and bar away from the valve, where the sensor sits, and follow the vehicle manufacturer's TPMS service requirements; the tire makers recommend replacing the parts of the TPMS valve kit with new tires. Details are under changing tires with TPMS sensors.

Small tires and motorcycles

What do I need for ATV and lawn tractor tires?

Usually a bead breaker before anything else, because stiff beads on small rims are the hard part. The types are compared under tire bead breakers.

Spoons or a changer for motorcycle tires?

For one or two changes a year, spoons and rim protectors are the lowest-cost complete tool; see tire spoons. A portable changer is a question of how often you change tires and how much effort you want to save.

Is your question missing?

How our answers come about and which sources we use is explained under how we research.