Mounting & balancing tires yourself: Difference between revisions

If you want to be one of the cool kids, you can get one of these from [http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92961 Harbor Freight] or [http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2004055/c-10111/Nty-1/p-2004055/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-111+10111+500000/tf-Browse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=bead+breaker JC Whitney]. Whitney also has a [http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2004056/c-10111/Nty-1/p-2004056/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-111+10111+500000/tf-Browse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=bead+breaker less expensive model].

Get the shortest stem you can find. Angled ones are a bad idea (need to be replaced more often) and the screw-together metal stems can be a PITA to get to fit correctly, and to remove later when they eventually fail. It's best to just change the valve stem every 3 or 4 sets of tires. The stem is the same standard size as those used by cars. You should be able to get one at any tire retailer. They may just give it to you. Tireflies and other heavy caps will lead to premature stem failure. ''If you run anything but plastic caps, you'll likely be doing valve stem replacements a lot sooner.''

[[Image:mount balance 12.JPG|150px]] 

Make note, or mark on the inside of the wheel, where the heavy spot is located. As you can see above, the valve stem is off to the right, and very much Not the heavy spot.  

It's important to note that tires are directional, due to how they're constructed. The arrow is plainly shown on the side of the tire, like this (to the left)  

Also notice the DOT code. It's a 4 digit code that lists the week and the year the tire was made. This one is 3205, so the 32nd week of 2005. More than 3~4 years old and tires start to go 'off', get hard, and aren't any fun to ride on (worse than the stock Dunrocks on the 250!). You should also look for a round dot, about the size of a dime, on the tire. This is an indicator of the lightest spot on the tire from the manufacturer, though not all brands have this (this Avon didn't). You'll want to line this up with the heaviest spot on the rim that you noted earlier.  

There are no pictures of this process, as it's impossible to stop without having the tire work its way off the rim. Here's Leon to give you a good idea of how it works. Keep your knees on the part that's already on the rim, the first bead in the low center part of the rim, work your way around with your tire irons, and it should only be difficult the last little bit.

With the tire on the rim, it's time to seat the bead with an air compressor. Those cheaper units that just provide an on-demand supply (often in blue boxes at gas stations) do NOT have enough oomph to do the job. You need a good source of air, but that's usually easy to get ahold of at any sort of shop doing any sort of work, or (my favorite) the old time gas station/garage. They always have good air.   

One tip, if the above methods don't work, is to use a ratcheting tiedown wrapped all the way around the tire and compress the tire down into the rim (this will force the beads towards the lips). Then you can seat the beads with air, as usual.  

You'll then want to look for an even ring on the tire all the way around the rim (there are usually some rings molded into the tire to make this task simple). If it's not even all the way around, the bead is not fully seated.  

Now, put the core back in the valve stem and fill the tire up. Go a little over what you normally run until you get it back on the bike. It's always easier to let some out than to add some back.

And it's time for a final static balance, the same way as before:

 

[[Image:mount balance 16.JPG|150px]] 

 

 

[[Image:mount balance 17.JPG|150px]]

 

Now [[Removing/replacing the rear wheel|reinstall the wheel]] (exact reverse of above). Be sure to use a new cotter pin. Be sure to reattach the brake and use the [[Torque Values|proper torque]] on everything. If the rear wheel gives you trouble, try this:

 

Sit on the ground behind the bike. Hold the wheel up with your left hand, or your feet, and feed the axle in with your right. When it starts to hang up (and it almost always does), tap (not whack! just tap) the head of the bolt with a hammer while moving the wheel up and down a little with your left hand.

If you get it back on and it doesn't seem quite right, check that your spacers are all in order. Should look like this:

[[image:DSC00424.jpg|150px]]

If you have trouble with the wheel not spinning after the front is back on, check that the speedometer drive is [[Reinstalling the front wheel|installed correctly]].