Mounting a tire

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Mounting a tire
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Everett on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 02:07 pm:

I ordered the DVD (Fred Houston and Mike Bender) on how to mount a tire onto a clincher rim.

In the DVD, Fred showed and used a tool that was made in the 20's, I believe. Is this tool still available?

I own only a couple of modern spoons, the tire changing tool for bicycles and motorcycles. Other than these, what else do I need that is available today?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 02:15 pm:

I used three irons, just pieces of 1" x 1/8" flat stock. The trick is to lay the tires out in the sun on a warm day to soften them. Easy as pie. It took some practice, but I think I did the last one in less than ten minutes.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Everett on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 02:36 pm:

Steve;

No doubt warming in the sun will help.

Favor? Please e-mail me a picture or two of your tools. My e-mail is picketteqt@gmail.com.

Thank you, Steve.

Bill Everett


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 02:44 pm:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 02:53 pm:

I ordered a nice set of custom-made, Model T-specific tire irons a couple of years ago from a nice, elderly couple. I don't know whether they're still making these available, but I left an inquiry on their answering machine. If they return my call, I'll post what they say. Their phone number is (616) 794-0433. Aside from the tire irons, there are a few other very useful tools which include two or three jumbo-sized C-clamps and these much harder-to-find, antique gadgets.


SIOUX TIRE TOOL
This one is for breaking the bead, but
you can use jumbo-sized C-clamps to do
the same thing, albeit a little slower.


MARQUETTE TIRE TOOL
This one is for physically wrestling the tire off and onto the rim. It works surprisingly well at
getting it off, but more difficult getting the tire back on. The tire irons actually work better for
getting the tire back on, but therein is a risk of pinching and puncturing the inner-tube,
especially if you don't use flaps.

When I was a kid, I changed bicycle tires as often as I changed my socks and that experience stood me in good stead for mounting Model T tires. C-clamps and tire irons are all you really need, combined with your good common sense and a little caution about not puncturing the inner-tube. The more you do it, the easier it gets.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 02:54 pm:

And yeah, warm the tire up in the sun for a while before mounting it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Bohlen, Severn MD on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 03:25 pm:

Steve,

Off topic but....
Hope you have been Ok with the wild weather in KS.
Thought of all our folks in Kansas when I saw the news this AM.

Larry


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Everett on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 04:33 pm:

Thank you, Bob.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 06:37 pm:

Did the tool look something like the one below?



If so they are still manufactured by Bud Jonas – there are some good recommendations for that tool at the posting: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/147691.html?1278086961 . His phone number is also on the tool and listed at that posting. I believe that is similar to the tool used by Dan Treace [Dan or others feel free to confirm or correct that guess] in the thread at: http://modelt.org/discus/messages/2/32845.html?1314150377 In that same thread, Royce also demonstrated how it is sometimes easier if the wheel is still on the car. For the non-demountable folks that is usually the way it gets done.

There are those that recommend use a trash can bag see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6sH8WRl6yI

And if you have a strong son-in-law that can be a big help – just don’t supervise too much and it should work.

Finally if the tool you remembered looked sort of like a screw jack with three arms – that one is not used for the clinchers but rather for the 21 inch balloon tires.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 08:23 pm:

Larry, the sirens went off last evening, so I went outside and looked. No tornado in sight. But the storm did bring a nice soaking. There was nothing in today's paper about a tornado locally, so I guess we're all OK here.

Hap, I think you mean split rims, not all balloon tires. That tool looks like this.



Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 09:15 pm:

Steve,

Yes, correct -- the split rims that were used with the 21 inch balloon tires that were mounted on the wood spoke wheels starting with some of the 1925 Fords. Thank you for the correction/clarification. Additional details at: http://www.mtfca.com/encyclo/U-Z.htm#wheels

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 09:26 pm:

Yes Hap, those are the tire irons about which I was speaking.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 11:25 pm:

Just get after it. Its not rocket science. Everyone seems to have their take on the subject. The Ford clincher rim does not need a flap. A couple of layers of duct tape will work fine.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R. S. Cruickshank on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 12:28 am:

I have added some leather patches to my traveling tool kit. If you have nice rims and don't want to mar the surface, you can put one of these patches under the tire iron and you won't hurt the rim. The patch is only about 3 inches square. Dick C.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 12:54 am:

One thing that has not been mentioned is a rubber hammer, although tire irons are often needed especially if the tire is new a rubber hammer is far quicker at mounting the tire if they are beaded edged. Putting out in sun while a help is not always an option, cold or wet day on the side of the road and a rethink is often needed.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Everett on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 10:35 am:

Hap, yes, the one I saw in the DVD looked very much like the one in your picture.

I'll check to see if one's available.

I've not ever changed a tire, nor seen it done, other than the DVD.

Thanks again for your note, Hap.

Bill Everett


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 11:09 am:

Bill,

As others report, it's not rocket science and many have their own ways of 'gettin' 'er done'.

I never could get the hang of the 'real' irons especially when one of those bigger ones tried to flip back and try and take my teeth with it! I also didn't have the flop over 'gripper'/'holders' that Bob Coiro showed, so I resigned myself that patience was a virtue, and an hour plus per tire with powder and even 'ru-glide' was 'acceptable'. They eventually do come off, and eventually do go on and you don't have to poke a tube to get it there.

Then I went to period correct valve stems on the clincher styles I have on the older ones and oh what a nightmare as they just add a completely new dimension literally to getting tires and tube back on.

But then my mind in the idle time sitting there 'trying' drifted back to bicycle days and the 5-10 minutes they took! Why?

What I finally did was go and get several brake ratchet adjusters at the local auto store and 'smith' them on the grinder so that each end looked like those old bicycle 'spoons'.

Only takes two...but now using them like knitting needles I can walk a clincher on and off, or rather off and on in less than 10 minutes, no damage to the paint on the rims in the process, maybe 15 minutes with a tube with the long valve stem as there still is but maybe 1/16 room to spare to get it started...no ru-glide...never pinch a tube.

Maybe its' just me and the way I use my hands, but I can't imagine it being any easier with the bigger irons and I've used some mighty hard tires. Give one a shot with bicycle spoons if you already have them, two working in concert, perhaps a 3rd to hold your starting point until you get past the quarter way mark...you just might impress yourself at the simplicity. If they are too light, get brake adjusters and grind a 'spoon' on the ends.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gene Carrothers Huntington Beach on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 02:45 pm:

I picked up another iron at a local motorcycle shop. They're lots stronger than the homemade one that I had.
Use a piece of plastic milk jug or ice cream container to prevent damage to the rims. I cut one to fit the radius of the rim.

I've not had to change many tires but did find there is a LOT of difference between the ones I have done.


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