Any tyre fitters on the forum?

[anto]

Is it essential that a tyre machine has to have a helper arm to allow removal/ refitting of tyres on bigger sized alloys/ low profile tyres ie 18" and above? Or is it still possible to do it with a normal machine, but with extra care taken to avoid damaging the alloy or tyre?
Ive seen a few tyre machines within my budget but none have a helper arm. I would need to up the budget by £300 or so in order to have that as well.

Thanks,
Anton

 

[doubleboost]

It is possible but it takes 2 people
Price a Range Rover alloy
It will make the helper arm seem cheap
Some of the run flats are horrible even with the extra arm

 

[anto]

Thanks @doubleboost it would only be for me and the family wheels so nothing as fancy as a Range Rover.
I cant imagine any of the family will be buying any runflats.

So, to summarise, it is possible with 2 people provided we are careful and it aint a runflat we are fitting?

 

[Tinbasherdan]

I'd pay the little extra for one with an arm, it really does make life easier

 

[JohnRUFC]

Considering it can still be done by hand with lube and tyre irons I should think a machine without a helper would be fine! Unless you want to be fitting something below 50 profile. What cars do you and your family have?

 

[anto]

I have a BMW 330d with 225/40/18 which is the biggest size and lowest profile in our "fleet".
The rest are mostly 16" alloys around 50-60 profiles.

 

[rikrobson]

is there an option where you can get the machine without the helper arm and then purchace the helper arm at a later date?

The arm is to help with runflats is it not?

 

[anto]

Apparently it helps with big dia & low profile tyres as well.
I am sure I could probably add to it in some form or another.
Even if it does struggle with the tyre on my BMW itl be handy for the rest of the fleet.

 

[octo0072000]

if you are on about this type manual machine you will mark alloys
you need a different bar like this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/manual-ty...ls-car-bike-/171935625889?hash=item28082972a1


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Porta...ne-Car-Bike-/201344747459?hash=item2ee11507c3

 

[anto]

No, it would be a semi auto machine like you would see in most tyre fitters/ Kwik Fit type places.
I don't think those manual tyre changers would be up to an 18" rim. It struggled with a 195/40/16 tyre so I think a 225/40/18 would be next to impossible.

 

[vince01]

Tyre machines, bah humbug lol, i left school at 15 and my first job was as a tyre fitter,
during my time there i mastered fitting by hand, im now 60 yrs old and still do all my own tyre changes and repairs by hand, be it alloys or steels, a couple of tyre levers and a hammer/mallet is all thats required.

 

[anto]

The thought of me taking a hammer/ mallet and tyre levers to my freshly painted 18s does not bear thinking about lol

 

[vince01]

Its understood and appreciated, i wouldnt want to mark freshly prepared wheels either, but theres lots of ways to protect wheels, a length of old hose pipe slit down the middle to cover the edge of the rim, and when refitting tyres use the levers and omit the hammer/mallet, ive not marked a rim yet but as i get older theres always a chance lol.

 

[octo0072000]

with 18 inch rims beware of older tyre machines as they only go up to 16 inch rims
older type machines had 3 pedals well ours at HiQ did later ones had 4 pedals