Changing a tire the bus-nut way...

bevans6 · September 23, 2014, 11:16:38 AM

So on my trip to Gaspe I was towing the car on the dolly. The tires were pretty near gone before I left but I thought I could get around and back. The rough roads made one tire cup badly on the inside edge and I was afraid of losing the tread, so I decided I would put the (brand new) spare on and and get another tire swapped on to the other side. The local Canadian Tire store would sell me a tire but because the one they had in my size was a P rated tire, not a ST, they would not install it. I had never heard that you can't run a passenger car tire of correct size and appropriate load rating on a car dolly, but they had. I know you can't run an ST tire on a car, of course, and I know that in a lot cases an ST tire is better for trailer use, but I needed a tire... So I bought the tire, a couple of cheap flat pry bars and had at it. Wheel off the dolly, valve core out to release all the air, wheel flat on the ground under the rear bumper of the bus, started by using my 20 ton bus jack to start popping the bead over the bead lock. Couldn't quite get it so I stuck the flat pry bar into the bead, put the jack on that, held it all in tight by driving the other prybar into the ground and using it as a lever to push the first prybar blade all the way into the bead, and just jacked until the bead popped off nice as you please. Flip the wheel over, do the other side same as the first (but about 30 minutes faster because I now knew the trick...). Used the flat prybars as tire irons to pop the tire off the wheel, little bit soapy water and the new tire was on in about 4 minutes, and my little compressor seated the beads as easy as you please. Bus nuts don't need no stinkin' tire machine...

Brian

Jeremy · September 23, 2014, 12:08:57 PM

Quote from: bevans6 on September 23, 2014, 11:16:38 AM
... I had never heard that you can't run a passenger car tire of correct size and appropriate load rating on a car dolly, but they had. ...

Yes, I was surprised the day a tyre dealer told me the same thing - trailer tyres have a stiffer sidewall to cope with being bounced against kerbs on corners I believe. Not sure if the overall load-carrying ability is higher too, but it might be

Jeremy

John316 · September 23, 2014, 01:26:05 PM

Darn straight. That is the way to do it! Sounds like you took care of it, like a boss. Great story!

06 Bill · September 23, 2014, 01:37:58 PM

Petes tire barns here in Mass.changed my 12R-22.5 fronts & outside duals with rims on the bus. An air operated bead breaker & tire irons, 10 min max per wheel including jacking. 06 Bill

MightyThor · September 23, 2014, 02:47:43 PM

Saw gramps fix flats in the field all the time. Pull the flat, move a tire to the back if needed (always have two tires on the rear. Drive the good front tire of the truck onto the flat to break the bead, two or three bars and a three pound hammer to break down the tire, pull the tube patch it, remove the nail, screw etc from the tire. put everything back together and a big bike pump to fill it. I got to run the pump. pump and a highliift jack both were mounted to the front bumper. On rare occasions the jack had to be used to break the bead.

bevans6 · September 23, 2014, 02:56:23 PM

Quote from: MightyThor on September 23, 2014, 02:47:43 PM
Saw gramps fix flats in the field all the time. Pull the flat, move a tire to the back if needed (always have two tires on the rear. Drive the good front tire of the truck onto the flat to break the bead, two or three bars and a three pound hammer to break down the tire, pull the tube patch it, remove the nail, screw etc from the tire. put everything back together and a big bike pump to fill it. I got to run the pump. pump and a highliift jack both were mounted to the front bumper. On rare occasions the jack had to be used to break the bead.

That exact image was running through my mind the whole time. A throw-back to a time before touchless tire mounting machines so the $1K per wheel mags don't get scratched and the Hunter balancers so no one feels the road on the way home... I knew it could be done with a jack but I've never actually done it before - I have a manual tire mounting system courtesy of Princess Auto (Canada's Harbor Freight) at home to change all my race car tires. The modern bead lock rims make it a PITA to break the bead down. They are downright tough.

Brian

chessie4905 · September 23, 2014, 05:37:23 PM

Since it is junk' just set it on fire and burn it off the rim. Cook some hot dogs while yer waitin......

Jim Eh. · September 23, 2014, 06:34:03 PM

I hope you did that in Canadian Tire's lot in full view of the service people!
Personally I hate being told I can't do something. It's my money and none of their damn business!

The icing on the cake would be to seat the bead with starting fluid.

bobofthenorth · September 23, 2014, 06:47:58 PM

My oldest boy is wandering aimlessly around Australia for a couple of years. Shortly after he arrived he did a telephone job interview with a farmer. One of the questions was "do you know how to change a tire?" RJ's answer was "What exactly do you mean? Do you mean 'mount the spare' or do you mean 'remove the tire from the rim, fix it and remount it?'" The guy made him repeat the answer for his wife who immediately assured RJ that - if he wanted the job - it was his.

Paso One · September 24, 2014, 07:38:08 AM

Quote from: bobofthenorth on September 23, 2014, 06:47:58 PM
My oldest boy is wandering aimlessly around Australia for a couple of years. Shortly after he arrived he did a telephone job interview with a farmer. One of the questions was "do you know how to change a tire?" RJ's answer was "What exactly do you mean? Do you mean 'mount the spare' or do you mean 'remove the tire from the rim, fix it and remount it?'" The guy made him repeat the answer for his wife who immediately assured RJ that - if he wanted the job - it was his.

Awesome answer I can relate to the farmers willingness to hire him sight unseen