Review - Harbor Freight Tire Changer |
The Harbor Freight Motorcycle Tire changer combo is a very affordable apparatus that can make the task of changing tires a lot easier despite its few shortcomings. The tire changer assembly is made of two parts, a base called the Portable Tire Changer with a built in bead breaker, and a separate top portion, the Motorcycle Tire Changer Adapter, which is designed specifically for changing motorcycle tires. I bought both pieces during one of their special events for $30.00 each which was quite a bargain. Look for their special sale events and take advantage of their regular additional 20% off coupons. Both pieces require a bit of assembly out of the box. They are very easy to put together in just a few minutes. I keep mine in their shipping boxes for easy storage and put them together whenever I have a need for them. The base, Portable Tire Changer, needs to be bolted down to a solid surface, a concrete floor or a very stiff wood platform. Failing to secure the base will result in an otherwise wobbly platform which can make it impossible to use. I have a wooden multi platform base that I use with my HF Motorcycle Lift and with the Tire Changer. I bolt the Portable Tire Changer in place and it is rock solid. You can check this DIY for more information on the multi-platform base: DIY - HF Lift Platform Adapter Note: At first I used a less rigid base platform, ½” particle board, which kept lifting up as I applied pressure from the top while working on the tire. The bead breaker on the Portable Tire Changer is excellent and can break the stiffest of beads with the proper wheel positioning and alignment. I added some protective plastic pieces to prevent scratching the rims on the wheel.
I also fabricated some adapters to keep the wheel from lifting up as one applies pressure to the tire while working on it. The Adapter assembly is shown below with its nylon protector. I would highly recommend you make a set. A few pictures of the Adapter mods. After the first tire change I added some anti-slip material, cut from an old bicycle inner tube to minimize side to side and up lift slippage. It made a big difference in terms of immobilizing the wheel while locked in place. I also added an extra piece to fill the gap between the rim and the wheel platform rest area.
I also added plastic protectors to both ends of the Tool Bar which is used for demounting and mounting the tire. That’s pretty much the end of the mods to the Motorcycle Tire Changer Adapter. I added a few washers here and there to tighten things I completed the assembly following the owner’s manual directions. It took about 10 minutes to put it all together. Here are the assembly diagrams from the owner’s manual:
Below is a quick summary of the assembly steps. Remove the pieces that are used for mounting car tires.
Inventory your nuts and bolts to make sure you have everything you need to complete the assembly. Assemble the three tire platform arms and screw the Motorcycle Tire Changer Adapter to the Portable Tire Changer. Add the remaining two tire changer platforms onto the support bars. Another view of the Wheel Platforms with the DIY Wheel adapters and protectors. Completed Motorcycle Tire Changer Adapter by adding the support arm for the center post.
Note: The new center post will not fit inside the Burgman 650 wheel bearings. You will have to come up with an an alternative center post if you plan on using one. A few more diagrams from the owners manual on how to operate the tire changer:
Below are my first impressions after using the HF Tire Changer combo to mount both a front and rear Shinko tires. If you are in need of a good bead breaker, buy the Portable Tire Changer, it works extremely well and makes quick work of a task that used to take a lot longer and required more effort. Place the tire in front of the bead breaker and use a 2x4 to level out the wheel. Use ample lube around the rim prior to breaking the beads. I use a Tire mounting lubricant from Napa.
I also added a bungee cord to keep the bead breaker up and out of the way while rotating the tire to completly break the bead all around. Insert the mount mount / demount bar into the bead breaker arm and position the bead breaker lip against the rim of the tire. Press down on the bead breaker while steadying the wheel with your foot to keep it from lifting or rotating.
Once the bead is broken on both side, you can place the wheel onto the Motorcycle Tire Changer Attachment and secure it in place. It became obvious after mounting the wheel that a bit more adjustment would be needed to keep the wheel from spinning from side to side and upwards. I cut a few pieces of rubber from an old Mt. bike inner tube that I used as anti-slipping material. and placed them over the Tire Changer Adapters. Below are pictures of the adapter prior to the addition:
I also added an additional piece to compensate for the gap that was created with the tire on the rim. I also covered them with cut pieces of Mt. bike inner tubes. They sit loosely on top of the wheel platform and are held in place by pressure from the wheel once it is tightened and secured in place.
I also used two tie down straps to steady the wheel completely and prevent it from lifting upwards. The center post on the latest model Tire Changer Attachment will not fit inside the bearings of the 650, bot front and rear. Keep in mind that rear and front wheel bearings on the 650 are of different sizes. As a results I wasn’t able to use the mount / demount bar for my first try. However, I was able to place the wheel on the Motorcycle Tire Attachment which made for a very steady platform. The wheel would not move side to side or uwards. I then proceeded to remove the old tire with regular tire irons and mount the new tire the same way. My knees definitely didn’t hurt as much afterwards. I going to purchase two separate center posts for the next tire change and attempt to use the mount / demount bar. |
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