Who installs "your" tires?

Idaho Brett

Idaho Brett

Member
Hello, I'm restoring a family Model A that's been in storage since the early 80's. As for installing tires......What do most of you guys do?

Do you take your wheels and tires to a place like Discount Tire and hope they get it right? Or do most of you do it yourself to reduce the risk of getting your wheels messed up? Thanks.
 
Do it yourself, there are probably videos on you tube, I here the plastic bag method works well, although I haven't tried that way yet.
 
My Dad and I did the ones on My Model B. Did it by hand with two tire irons. I put them on a blanket and worked from the back of the wheel.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I'm sure it's the same as changing a bicycle tire from when I was a kid, except with more "oomph" required.

I've never heard about the "plastic bag method". I'll have to look that one up.

Working from the back side is good advice.
 
Easy to do it yourself.

Use lots of corn starch for lubrication inside the tire. Get it all white. If it is not properly lubed you can cause the tube to puncture.

One word of caution. You will be told that the valve is supposed to be by the dot or opposite of the dot for balance.

That is not true.

You need to set up a spindle with light lubrication on the bearings so it spins easy. Then after you mount the tire and set it you balance it. Put in on the spindle and see how fast it finds bottom. Then rotate the tire on the wheel and try again. You want the slowest move to find bottom.

You will find the dots end up in different places. You see the color of dots have meaning with shape of the tire, not always the weight of the tire. Look up the color codes and you will find how confusing it all can be.

In the end, you want to have a decent balance.
 
Like it's been said "it's like mounting a bicycle tire but bigger." I used Murphy's Oil Soap to make it slippery and I made a couple "tire irons" out of hardwood to avoid marring the painted rims. It's the way it was done before the tire changers were invented.
 
soap it up or trash bag method the tire will slip right on the rim.
dont take it to any monkeys at a tire chain store
 
I have changed them myself all went well if we change enough of them we can remove and install tires on the car without removing the wheel like the old timers did :)
 
I will probably get hammered for this....

I found one of the nearby Les Schwab tire stores has a guy that knows how to do Model A tires and wheels. I just take the car over there and the guy does it right. Knows how to adjust the brakes and rods too (but I do that myself anyway).

Also, by purchasing the Firestone tires and tubes for the Model A from Les Schwab, I get the same warranty. I can go to any Les Schwab and get a tire replaced for free if something happens. Sure, they'll likely have to order it, but it beats paying for a new tire each time.
 
P.S. said:
I will probably get hammered for this....
Click to expand...
No, you shouldn't be hammered. While I've done all of mine for years, we also have a non-chain place that does them very well. While some say it's easy for them, it may not be for others. As times goes on, I may go there;).
 
I have done two sets of 5 tires without tools. I had help on the first set, but installed the second set by myself. It took some effort, but I used no tools that might nick or scratch the powdercoated rims. I mount the tires from the back side just in case something bad happened (nothing has caused any problems yet). A friend made a 2x4 and plywood platform slight larger than the tires with a hole for the center and carpet on it. That platform helped a lot. The previous hint to use corn starch is what I did. It did take some effort to push the tire over the lip. The key thing to remember to to make sure the front side of the tire is down in the center recess so the rear lip will be easier to stretch over the rim.
Rusty Nelson
 
If you or somebody mounts the tires, wire brush the insides of the rims , use rim liners and be very careful using tire irons as they can cut the tube very easily.... and don;t be in a hurry..... just from experience.....John...
 
BE VARY CAREFUL ABOUT HAVING PLACES LIKE DISCOUNT (disclaimer, I don't know your particular shop and they may have the knowledge to do it correctly) CHANGE YOUR TIRES. The employees in most modern high volume tire shops only know how to change tires with the machines and the machines WILL BEND YOUR WIRE WHEELS if not used properly and carefully. Find a place that knows how to use tire irons (usually they also do a lot of work on trucks). Or do it yourself which is what I do.

Charlie Stephens
 
Hi Brett,

FWIW:

1. One major concern appears to be not to damage the Model A steel wheel paint; hence, if one finds a local, very trustworthy person in any tire changing establishment who really "cares" about "not" marring wheels, that option with that person could be most wise; however, if any such establishment has the normal uncivilized gorillas changing tires, then "always" do it yourself -- it's that simple!

2. For DIY, per reply #9, one can make a similar, simple square wood frame. I made a lighter one with (4) 1x4's on edge, braced with (4) 1x4's laid flat at 45 degree angles on top for placing one's tire on top of same with the hub cap pointing downwards so no metal touches ground or concrete. Full length 45 degree 1x4 corner braces terminate in the center of each 1x4 on edge & are supported with a vertical 2x4 below about 7" long, attached to the in-side center of the vertical 1x4.

3. For difficult bead breaking, I made an attached & removable wood bead breaker with a rotating 2x4 horizontal lever fixed to (2) vertical 2x4's with a single through-bolt, -- examples & further details are shown on line if one searches something like "wood tire bead breakers", then use one's imagination to complete same. Works great.

4. Once the bead is broken on the in-side, the out-side bead is easy to break.

5. Plastic bags work great -- just installed (5) new tubes in my (5) tires in a jiffy -- used no talcum powder, no voodoo dust, & no hog fat -- changed tires on my Model A's for over 50 years.

6. After doing one (1) successfully, the next 1,000 are quite simple.

7. Each to his own how to do it; just hope one day this may help somebody to remove stubborn Model A tires.
 
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I have a local tire shop that I have used for over 25 years. They know tires and wheels, including spoke wheels. Although they could not get tires for me, I bought mine from Berts and had them mount them. They use a "touchless" machine.
Anyone that mounts high end Custom wheels should be able to do "A" wheels easily. But if you are not familiar with the shop I sure would ask them about their experience with wire wheels.
 
Roger V said:
No, you shouldn't be hammered. While I've done all of mine for years, we also have a non-chain place that does them very well. While some say it's easy for them, it may not be for others. As times goes on, I may go there;).
Click to expand...

Model Tire in Durango is a family owned business going back to 1929. At $5 a tire to mount A wheels, I'd be stupid to do it myself. BTW, I found NOS 16" Ford Wires in the basement at Model Tire for $50 each.
 
This helps me: After one side of the tire's on the wheel, I poke in the tube, air it up, & let it sit in the sun for awhile, to help relax the creases & fold marks. Then take out the tire valve & CAREFULLY pry on the bead, being very careful NOT to pinch the tube. Then "poof" it up once, with the core out, (This helps the tube "settle in" jist right), put in the core & air it up.) Chief had a fillin' station in 1945 & taught me this method. Also, I fog the beads & the tube, lightly with "PAM"----seems to help. Bill W.
 
Kevin, Mitch, and Bill have pretty well covered just what I was going to say. Be sure to use a powder, such as talc on the tube. I bought some body powder at K Mart that works well on inner tubes. I sprinkly it on fairly heavy and rub it to completly cover the tube. This is important not just for mounting, but so the tube doesn't stick to the tire from age and heat. I removed an old inner tube once that was just as though someone had glued it to the tire. I inflate the tube to about 2/3rds full, install it and then install the other tire bead. I just did 4 inner tubes on two lawn tractors and used Vaseline on the tire beads to help them slip over the rim. I then bounce the tire as I turn it around to help settle the tube. Then as Bill said, inflate it without the core, just enough to push the tire to it's position on the rim. I then let the air back out of the tube, and shake it a little to make sure the tube is in the correct position. Then I insert the core and inflate to 32 pounds pressure. BTW, the instruction sheet that came with my inner tubes said to start the tire bead on the side opposite the valve stem, and finish installing the tire at the stem.

As carefull as I was trying to be I used a screwdriver on the 12" tire and poked a small hole in the new tube. Nothing worse than having to patch a brand new tube.:mad::o The Carlise tubes are much better than the ones at Fleet Farm.:)

On Model A 21" wheels I will use a tire tool to start the removal of the tire, but I've always been able to install tubes and tires without any tools.
 
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