spoons or straps?

[jsandidge]

Tomorrow will be tire mounting day. This will be my first time. The tutorial on BassCliff's site shows a method using lash straps. Has anyone tried this? Or should I go the spoon method?

[portdave]

I tried a little of both when I did my first one. I used large zip ties along with my spoons and it was pretty easy to get it on there that way....

[Joe Nardy]

Having done many tires I can offer a couple hints. First, get the tire warm if you can. This will make it more flexible and easier to mount. Second, use plenty of lube. Soapy water works as does Murphy's Oil Soap diluted with water. This will help the beads slide onto the rim. Third, and probably most important, it is absolutely necessary to keep the bead of the tire opposite of where you are using the spoons in the drop center of the wheel. If the bead is not in the drop center there is not enough room to spoon it onto the rim. I use a 2x4 square I built to rest the wheel on so the rotors won't get damaged. I kneel on the side of the tire closest to me to keep the bead in the drop center. Beside keeping the bead in the drop center I also push the tire as far toward the opposite side as possible. Don't try to take big bites with the spoons, just move over a few inches at a time. It takes patience and practice but it is not difficult once you figure it out.

Or, do what I did and buy a No-Mar changer and make life much easier...

Thanks,
Joe

[chuck hahn]

Cut some garden hose and lay on the rims bead as your prying then tires on and off,,,,,damage preventers.

[Joe Nardy]

Cut some garden hose and lay on the rims bead as your prying then tires on and off,,,,,damage preventers.

Good point Chuck. However, garden hose is pretty thick and will probably make the job tougher. I cut up pieces of thick plastic jugs and use them as rim protectors. They are thin and slide in easily between the rim and spoon. Plastic milk jugs work okay but are a bit thin and the spoons can pinch through them. I use protein drink jugs but any thicker jugs like laundry detergent jugs would work well too.

Thanks,
Joe

[jsandidge]

went to shop

As much as I wanted do this myself, I had to give up and get a tire shop to mount them. Tried the zip ties along with tire levers. Even with a piece of garden hose, my rim was getting marked up. Probably a combination of the rubber being so old and stiff as well as being cold. It was thin garden hose, too. To my surprise, the shop only charged me $10 a tire. Had I known they were going to be so cheap, I just would have went there in the first place. The motorcycle shop 2 blocks away wanted $50 per tire!

[Dogma]

That's cheap. Balanced too?

[jsandidge]

not balanced

That's cheap. Balanced too?

No, I didn't get them balanced. I'm going with dyna beads.