Harbor Freight Portable Tire Changer....

[Crow Horse]

I just ordered one to do my own tires and I was thinking on fabbing a hitch mount instead of bolting it to the floor. I've seen several examples but was hoping for some more ideas....

 

[owenst7]

I bolted mine to a pallet. Works fine for my 40s.

 

[NKlamerus]

I would vote hitch. But just make sure it is plenty far away

 

[Crow Horse]

I'll be using a 48" length of 2" square tube to slide into the hitch. What I'd like to do is make it so it could accommodate angles when not on level ground (nothing is level on my property). I'm not concerned with side to side, but rather the length, if that makes any sense.....

 

[Crow Horse]

Something like this but with pivot points at the hitch as well as the tire changer. If that is doable, I'd also have to fab a variable length "leg" to "lock it perpendicular to the floor.....

 

[NKlamerus]

Is it worth adding a drop foot? Pull the pin, drop it down, pin it to the closest hole and that should take some weight off the 48" bar. Stable and strength would be on the top of my goals IMO

 

[Crow Horse]

That is something worth considering.....

 

[Crow Horse]

This is a crude representation of what I am considering.....

 

[57c]

I think what is more important with those is having good support for the tire and rim when you use the bead breaker. I mounted mine to a 2.5' x 2.5' x 4" cement slab I poured. I wish I made it longer to support the rim when I break beads... which is almost all I use it for since I find a pair of tire irons with the tire on the ground is faster than lifting the rim on to the changer. I only use the changer part on small 14" rims. bigger rims = easier. GM rims = easier

 

[Outlawmws]

That should work well Crow, and I like the pass through on the tire stand/tool end, however, I'd make a series of holes so you can "choke up" closer to the vehicle.

On the strut, unless you are up high on the hitch (you may be if your rig is still lifted...), I'd go UP to under the tire, and hinge pin it on the truck end (so it folds easily) and again use a pass through.

Or you can hinge pin it on the top of the tire stand and pass through on the 2" extension bar... (Steep angle, and tuck it under the tire)

 

[franzdom]

Looks better than the one I got from the Dollar Tree

 

[Outlawmws]

I just noticed the hinging requirement:make a stub yoke for the receiver adn get some 2" ID box, cut one 2" piece and chop one side out and drill it, then drill the end of your 4 ft piece.

One bolt hinge.

Or make the foot of the stand adjustable. (I'd go with that option)

 

[justme-]

my father in law has had one of those bolted to a tree stump outside for almost 7 years. Works good as long as you remember it's all brute strength. Needs a solid base... I think in order to get the working room the length of tube needed to hitch mount it would compromise the rigidity even with a drop leg. You'll be fighting yourself, trying to hold it still and work the tire.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

still have to have the bead worker function, that is all I use my $10 garage sale HF tire tool for I have a commercial tire machine with a broken bead breaker on it. and the bead breaker works pretty good. but that is a lot of force pushing UP

 

[Crow Horse]

Still a work in progress......

 

[DekeT]

I either bolt mine to a wooden pallet or to the boards of a trailer. As hard as you will have to pull on a stubborn wheel and tire sometimes, I think a long bar from the back of a trailer will bend.

 

[Crow Horse]

I guess I'll find out if bending will be an issue....

 

[Outlawmws]

It the prying is in line with those bars, it won't be an issue.

 

[justme-]

You're going to find yourself tripping over those bars I think. Clear access 360* around a manual one is really, really helpful. someone with now experience on them mounted our shop one (the mini HF tire tool) about 14 inches away from the tank of our waste oil heater...aside from making larger tire changes impossible, not being able to access all sides makes even small tires much harder than it should be. I'm still concerned about rigidity/anchoring, but I'm impressed by the tube size.

 

[Crow Horse]

When I finish getting all the components I made powder coated, I'll give it a test run and will report back.....