MTFCA Forum

For most people, the first time is tough. That gives lots of us the impression that it's inherently unpleasant. If you're new to this game, don't be intimidated. With practice it becomes more familiar, and you learn some things to do and some things to avoid. The more you do it, the less you will dread it. A few suggestions:

1 Do it on the car, and use the vehicle weight as a handy tool.

2 Use long irons. The "correct" little Ford irons, only a foot long, make changing tires the job from Hell. I carry three two-footers from HF. They are inexpensive and make prying easier.

3 Pry both sides of the tire on or off simultaneously.

There are other details, but those three things will help you turn an ordeal into no big deal.

I like the HF tire irons like Steve uses. I also have a pair of spoon-style irons used on motorcycle tires. They can squeeze into a small opening and aid removal of older, hard tires.

Steve's "both sides of the tyre simultaneously" is a great tip. it keeps the tyre irons away from the tube and avoids pinching. I would add a further tip. Buy and use proper tyre fitting lubricant to make the job that much slicker.

Allan from down under.

For lubricating tubeless tire beads, I use out of date brake fluid. So far I have had no problem using it on clincher tires.

Art Mirtes

Art M wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 10, 2025 6:48 pm

For lubricating tubeless tire beads, I use out of date brake fluid. So far I have had no problem using it on clincher tires.

Art Mirtes

I've used dish soap.

Brake fluid will attack most types of paint and varnish. I'd use a commercial tire lubricant. Brake fluid might attack natural rubber.

Using Go-Jo hand cleaner works wonders for lubing up the beads for tire removal or installing. Other similar brands would also work. Go-Jo also works great for removing grease stains on your shirts or light colored pants if you are working on your car.

Bon-ami would probably clean your teeth to but I prefer the purposely made product.
Allanfrom down under.