[Closed] Anyone tried changing their own car tyres?

You will die to death if you do

The way I look at it...

You will struggle to get them from a wholesaler being Mr Molgrips of Molgripsville.

If you buy them from a regular tyre fitter, they won't give them to you any cheaper for not fitting.

Why the bollocks would you even try?

How do you propose to do your wheel balancing?

How do you propose to do your wheel balancing?

He will use mrsgrips' loom.

Hmmm, diy bodgery on the most important bits of a car...

I'm popping kettle on, anyone want a brew?

Yup, I've got the lever thing to break the bead and levers. It's hard work and balancing by hanging the wheel on string is a bit hit and miss, so now I'm no longer poverty stricken I pay the man at the tyre fitters.

Ooh, I wouldn't - you need a special very expensive reaming tool that only proper wheel changing places have.

On steels its easy enough to do but youve still got to balance the buggers so easier too pop to tyre place. If its to fit tyres you already own most places that do part worns will be happy to fit them.

I did it once about 20 years ago, never again - bl**dy dangerous..but worked out fine eventually.

The hardest part was squeezing it over the rim without breaking the wheel off, but eventually got it on and was pulling on my trigger again in no time.

you need a special very expensive reaming tool that only proper wheel changing places have

I reckon you could get one of those in Ann Summers.

My dad used to do it all the time when he ran a Land Rover with tubed tyres.

He never went over abotu 45 mph in it and the prop shaft was so out of balance despite the application of numerous jubilee clips that any slight wheel wobble was incidental.

Why the bollocks would you even try?

Because I already own the tyres!

It's £300/year or thereabouts to swap winter and summer tyres. Spare wheels for both cars would cost £450 or so and then I'd need the tyres fitted to those for £150, which is a big outlay.

It'd be nice to be able to do it myself, and for that price I could buy whatever kit I need.

There are wheel balancing rigs available. I think you just have to mount the wheel on something free spinning and horizontal, so that the heaviest part sinks to the bottom.

you need a special very expensive reaming tool that only proper wheel changing places have

You do? Whenever I've had it done the guy has a rig that tells him where the heavy spot is, and he just sticks weights to the rim. Never seen any reaming.

I bet Coffeeking's done it - where is he these days?

It's £300/year or thereabouts to swap winter and summer tyres.

WHAT?

They seen you coming. What do you drive, a Maybach?

Your paying way to much to swop tyres. My local garage would do them for a tenner a go or less.

Ive regularly taken wheels and tyres to various garages and had them fitted/removed/balanced for a fiver/tenner a go.

But do you put the weight on the inside or outside of the rim? It's trial and error. I changed the tyres on my competition cars which were never geared for more than 100mph.

You do? Whenever I've had it done the guy has a rig that tells him where the heavy spot is, and he just sticks weights to the rim. Never seen any reaming.

I was kidding - see numerous headset threads 😉

Low profile tyres, forget it.

Anything else, big tyre levers and two people usually helps. Oh and experience.

I would agree with the above that more than a tenner a tyre to take off/refit is too much.

go to a local independent and haggle.

http://www.tyrebaydirect.com/107-Tyre_Machine_Packages/622-Package_1_-_20_Semi_Automatic_Tyre_Machine_&_Wheel_Balancer_Package.html

There you go - job done.

It's easy enough to change car tyres and balancing them on the car is straightforwards enough.

Surely this time could be better spent cleaning your fridge?

They seen you coming. What do you drive, a Maybach?

The mobile guy is £15.. or maybe it's £12 actually. I [s]could[/s] should shop around, you're right.

There are two cars, each of which has four wheels, and they need changing twice a year.

I would agree with the above that more than a tenner a tyre to take off/refit is too much.

a tenner per tyre is too much.

£40??!??

edit: ahhh multiple cars.

Can you not just buy cheap rims, have the tyres fitted and swap wheels?

These mythical cheap rims are hard to find. Only 1 set on ebay currently for £100 for one car, and they were in Leeds collect only. The rest are £200-250 for 4. So it's a big outlay again. Don't really have that much lying around.

Well played Bencooper, well played.

I fit and balance my own motorbike tyres, but that's relatively straightforward- the tyres and wheels are pretty well balanced in the first place, and you can balance them in the bike with a bit of patience. But that doesn't work with cars- too much drag, and the wheel and tyre weights can be all over the place especially with cheaper ones.

So, I got a second set of wheels instead for the car.

Oh, a new post. What car is it molgrips? Some are cheaper than others- with Ford frinstance there's about 10 million slightly used or brand new 15 or 16 inch steelies out there.

I broke a nail sticking HansDampfs on Crests the other day..

I'd hazard a guess a broken wrist at the very least.

BOL..

& Pics.

😀

molgrips - Member

Why the bollocks would you even try?

Because I already own the tyres!

It's £300/year or thereabouts to swap winter and summer tyres. Spare wheels for both cars would cost £450 or so and then I'd need the tyres fitted to those for £150, which is a big outlay.

I just watched ebay for a few months until the right wheels came up and bought them so I could have two sets. Then, with storage in the back garden, I was sorted.

[img] http://washford.scene7.com/is/image/Washford/220160?$prod$ [/img]

VW Passat 2006 205/55R16
Toyota Prius 2006 195/55R16

Any chance of a smaller pic, binners?

Snow chains

You could always do what people who don't follow the latest STW fashion do, and not bother with winter tyres.

Y'know, like the rest of the UK has been doing for the last 30 years. I know this will seem like heresy, and I'm probably going to die a horrible snowy death, but for the 4 or 5 days a year that it actually snows, and that the snow actually lies on the ground, is it really worth it?

Again, I know that having winter tyres is an absolute must for the daring young motorists of this parish, but I reckon you'll be fine.

Just try breaking a bead on your spare tyre, molgrips. If you get that far there's a good chance you have the strength and patience to do the rest.

Make sure you can get it back on, too.

[img] [/img]

Fek me. Not only does Molgrips have the worlds most unreliable VW, he also throws money away swapping it's tyres twice a year.
I'm constantly astonished how much money you manage to throw away on cars mate! 🙂

I'm honestly sitting here shaking my head in disbelief. Gobsmacked.

You need a more diverse group of friends Moly

I've just had some [barely] used Winter tyres fitted for £25 and I had to force that on him. I seem to have mates in all sorts of trades and industries.

Y'know, like the rest of the UK has been doing for the last 30 years.

We also used to not wear seatbelts, not have abs, airbags, decent crash protection, child seats and whatnot. We managed fine. Except for dying more in car crashes.

I got winter tyres because I went to Germany where they are mandatory, and I liked having more grip in the colder weather. Winter tyres are better and last longer all winter long, not just when it snows - but you know that full well of course, don't you?

Are you deliberately trying to wind me up by disagreeing with every post I make, by the way?

I'm constantly astonished how much money you manage to throw away on cars mate!

And I'm honestly amazed that you keep logging on to try and wind me up, and that you don't know when to stfu 🙂

You could always do what people who don't follow the latest STW fashion do, and not bother with winter tyres.

Y'know, like the rest of the UK has been doing for the last 30 years. I know this will seem like heresy, and I'm probably going to die a horrible snowy death, but for the 4 or 5 days a year that it actually snows, and that the snow actually lies on the ground, is it really worth it?

Again, I know that having winter tyres is an absolute must for the daring young motorists of this parish, but I reckon you'll be fine.

The usual argument is winter =/= snow tyres. Winter tyres are more suited to work best in lonwer temperatures say -10 to +10, whereas summer tyres might be +5 to +25. So winter tyres will grip better on a cold day not just on snow (where the difference is probably actualy less).

[edit] moly got there first.

I still think it's a waste of time and money, do they last £450 longer? that's the cost of 6 average sized (fiesta/focus, not ferrari) good (michelin/goodyear/pirrelli not arrowspeed) tyres! And I drive sensibly enough not to be skidding, the last time I skidded it was because big lups of faulty tyres were falling off!

(where the difference is probably actualy less).

You think there's less difference between summer and winter tyres when actually on snow? You definitely have not tried it, and you don't know what you are talking about.

not have abs

I've seen a pic of you Moly, you still don't have any

crikey - Member

for the 4 or 5 days a year that it actually snows, and that the snow actually lies on the ground, is it really worth it?

Of course not. But for the months on end where it's cold and it rains, it is. And o'course, some of us get more than 4 or 5 days of snow.

For mountain bikers, there's the possible side benefit of massively improved mud driving... My old focus with its icebears got happilly bounced in and out of fields, taken up swampy access roads, parked in ditches, etc etc. Towed a Freelander out of Pitmedden