Tire Changer Bars and Mount/Demount Tools: Types, Uses and What to Buy

One word, four tools

Searches for a tire changer bar, a tire demount tool or tire changing irons reach four different things. Sorting them first saves a wrong order.

The bar of a manual tire changer: what it does

We describe the bar from the copy of the owner's manual on ManualsLib for the reference machine, Harbor Freight item 58731, and paraphrase it. The specifications list a bead breaker handle that includes the mount/demount bar. In the working steps the one bar has three jobs.

1. Handle of the bead breaker. The bar is pushed into the bead breaker handle and gives the leverage to press the shoe down on the tire next to the rim edge.
2. Wrench for the post cap. The flat end of the bar tightens and loosens the cap that holds the wheel on the center post.
3. Lever at the rim. To demount, the mount/demount end is set against the bead, pushed down and drawn around the rim with the post cap as the fulcrum. To mount, the flat end works the lower bead over the rim edge; then the bar is turned around and its hook end wedges the upper bead under the rim, section by section. For more leverage the manual has you slide the bar along the center post.

Two consequences follow. The bar only works together with the post: it is a lever that needs the post as its pivot, which is why the stand has to be fixed down. And it is bare steel that travels along the rim flange. The manual itself cautions against use on tires with high-end rims and warns that scratches and slight marring can result.

We found no length for the bar in the documents we read, so we name none.

Can you replace or upgrade the bar?

A spare of the original. The manual copy notes that some parts in its parts list are shown for illustration only and are not available individually as replacement parts. Whether the bar is one of them is a question for Harbor Freight; have the item number ready. For changers of other brands, ask the seller.

A different steel bar. Where a third-party bar is offered with the name of the Harbor Freight machine in its title, that is seller wording. The manual says to use the changer only with the accessories that are included and not to modify it, and no document we read states that a third-party bar matches the post cap, the handle socket and the rim geometry of a given machine. We list no such bar.

A head in place of the tip. This is the upgrade with at least a principle behind it. The tire makers recommend machines with composite mount/demount heads to avoid damage to the rim and the tire bead, and they strongly recommend plastic-coated tire levers with rounded ends. A duck-head kit puts a shaped head on an arm that pivots on the post, so the bar no longer slides along the rim.

The EXODIOS duck-head kit^* (paid link) is a kit that its seller lists for manual tire changers; fit is a seller statement, so measure the center post first. It is a third-party part too, and outside what the Pittsburgh manual covers. The kits are compared under duck-head kits, and the question of marks has its own page: will a manual tire changer scratch alloy rims.

Help for the hand that is not on the bar. While the bar levers one section of the upper bead on, the opposite section has to stay in the drop center. Nylon bead clamps^* (paid link) are listed for that. All add-ons are sorted on the page about manual tire changer upgrades.

Bars for truck tires: a different tool for a different wheel

The long steel bars sold as tire mount/demount tools are made for the tubeless tires of trucks, buses and trailers on 22.5 and 24.5 in. wheels. They are hand tools that are used without a tire machine.

We link to no bar of this kind. OSHA's procedure chart for tubeless truck and bus tires says the work must only be performed by trained personnel, so these bars are described here only to keep them apart from the bar of a car tire changer: they are no spare bar for it and no tool for pickup wheels.

VEVOR's own site shows a kit of this kind under model number XJC-008. According to that page it has three pieces, a demounting tool, a mounting bar and a bead keeper made of reinforced nylon, is stated for 22.5 to 24.5 in. tires on buses, heavy trucks and trailers, and has a nylon roller on the demounting tool that is meant to spare the wheel. VEVOR sells more than one variant.

Tire irons: the bar without a machine

For motorcycle, lawn tractor and other small tires the lever is a pair or trio of hand irons, used with rim protectors and without a post. Length is the main choice: the Dr.Roc irons^* (paid link) are listed at 19.5 in. according to the seller, the NEIKO spoon set^* (paid link) measures 14.5 in. according to the manufacturer and includes three rim protectors. A longer iron gives more leverage and puts more force on the rim edge. Sets and lengths are compared under tire spoons. Irons are not a substitute for the bar of a car tire changer: we found no maker's instructions for changing car tires with irons alone.

Which tool for which job

Which tool for which job

1. 1

   If the bar of your floor-post changer drags on the rim edge

   Duck-head kits compared
2. 2

   If the upper bead keeps climbing out of the drop center while you lever

   Bead clamps and other upgrades
3. 3

   If you change stiff small tires on ATVs or lawn tractors by hand

   Tire spoons and irons
4. 4

   If you change motorcycle tires and want rim protectors in the set→ NEIKO 20601A Tire Spoon Set

   View*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
5. 5

   If you mount tubeless tires on 22.5 to 24.5 in. truck wheels

   Truck tire changers
6. 6

   If you do not own a changer yet

   Compare manual tire changers

The tools 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, AFEISOL Nylon Bead Clamps, 2-pack, Dr.Roc Tire Irons 19.5 in., NEIKO 20601A Tire Spoon Set

Comparison	Seller data onlyEXODIOS Duck Head Kit	Seller data onlyAFEISOL Nylon Bead Clamps, 2-pack	Seller data onlyDr.Roc Tire Irons 19.5 in.	Our pick: tire spoonsNEIKO 20601A Tire Spoon Set
Type	Duck-head kit	Bead clamp (drop center tool)	Tire iron set	Tire spoon set
Stated size range	–	–	19.5 in. (seller)	14.5 in.
Setup	–	2 clamps (seller)	3 irons, TR413 valve stems (seller)	3 spoons, 3 rim protectors, valve tool, 6 valve cores
Weight	–	–	–	–
Price class	Budget	Budget	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.	Mounting the upper bead alone, when the part already over the flange keeps climbing back onto its seat.	Stiffer tires on ATVs, lawn tractors and dirt bikes, where a longer lever saves effort.	Motorcycle, dirt bike, lawn tractor and other small tires changed by hand.
	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
• 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
• Seller data onlyDr.Roc Tire Irons 19.5 in.

  Type

  Tire iron set

  Stated size range

  19.5 in. (seller)

  Setup

  3 irons, TR413 valve stems (seller)

  Weight

  –

  Price class

  Budget

  Best for

  Stiffer tires on ATVs, lawn tractors and dirt bikes, where a longer lever saves effort.

  On Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on Amazon
• Our pick: tire spoonsNEIKO 20601A Tire Spoon Set

  Type

  Tire spoon set

  Stated size range

  14.5 in.

  Setup

  3 spoons, 3 rim protectors, valve tool, 6 valve cores

  Weight

  –

  Price class

  Budget

  Best for

  Motorcycle, dirt bike, lawn tractor and other small tires changed by hand.

  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)” marks statements that come from the Amazon listing and from nowhere else.

What makes any bar work

A longer or stronger bar is rarely the missing piece. Three things decide how hard you have to pull.

• The drop center. The bead is smaller than the rim flange. It passes only when the opposite side of the bead sits in the deep channel in the middle of the rim. The tire makers call for the beads to be completely in the drop well during mounting.
• Lubricant. Both beads and the rim are lubricated with a product made for mounting. A dry bead drags on steel and nylon alike.
• Small bites. The manual's steps move the bar around the rim a section at a time.

The full sequence is under how to use a manual tire changer.

Typical mistakes

• Ordering a truck bar for a car changer. The range in the listing is the wheel size the tool is shaped for.
• Slipping a pipe over the bar. More leverage means more force on post, base and rim than the machine was described for; the manual says not to modify it.
• Hitting the tire with the bar. The manual warns against striking the side of the tire with the bar during mounting.
• Blaming the bar for a dry bead. If the bead is not lubricated and not in the well, no bar helps.
• Working without eye protection. The manual calls for ANSI-approved safety goggles and heavy-duty work gloves. A bar under load can slip.

What to check before you buy

1. Name the wheel: rim diameter and vehicle class. That decides which of the four tools you are looking for.
2. For a duck-head kit, measure the outside diameter of the center post.
3. For a truck tool, read which pieces the listing includes and compare the stated range with your wheels.
4. For irons, check length and whether rim protectors are in the set.

The bottom line

If you own a manual tire changer, you already own its bar; the useful additions are a duck-head kit for the rim edge and bead clamps for the drop center, both third-party parts outside the machine's manual. For small tires, buy irons. Bars for 22.5 to 24.5 in. truck wheels are tools for trained tire service; what that job requires is on the page about truck tire changers. All tool types and their limits are on the manual tire changer homepage.