REALLY Portable HF Tire Changer

[Dugan]

I posted this on my garage thread, but I wanted to make its own thread also because im sure it can help someone in the future that is searching for it.

Ive been messing around with the HF tire changer for awhile trying to make it semi portable.


I came up with an idea to mount the tire changer to a truck hitch. This will give it plenty of extra support and I can bring it anywhere we go.

I took some scrap metal I was given and made the mount. Its a 1/8" peice of 2x3" angle iron about 12" long and a 1/8" 2x2 square tube about 4 ft long. I was trying to find a base to use for the machine. I looked at my scrap pile and saw a bunch of rotors and drums. I chose a drum because it had enough surface area to weld to.

I cut a V into the top and bottom of the square tube and tacked the square stock to it.

I kept the square stock at the length I got it because I can move it out to mount larger tires and it helps adapt for changing surface heights.

Instead of welding the tire machine to the angle iron, I got two 4" exhaust clamps from autozone and cut two small Vs, top and bottom, into the clamp stamped steel part. This allows me to hold them tight to the square stock and tighten the tire machine to it.

Tried a basic tire, no problems at all.

De-beaded a bogger that was bead sealed. Boggers always give me issues when trying to debead.

Overall, the weight of the truck helps stabilize the machine and allows me to use more leverage when breaking beads. I use a piece of pipe instead of the breaker arm that came with it as I have put bends into it. So i just use that to dismount tires now. I need to strengthen the bead breaker lever arm and it should be perfect. It is a lot more stable then when i had it on a pallet.

Also I have strengthened the bead breaker anvil. The arms tend to bend and I had made the anvil into a 90* angle from its 135* angle.

I might even hack up the original arm and weld the tire changing ends to the blue pipe I have. Then I wont have to carry around two pipes.

Gonna add some paint and maybe an AHG Performance logo and itll be good to go.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I had one of these years ago and it worked to break the beads and pull the skins off the rims nicely. Never tried installing tires on one though. I had made braces out of wood for the legs and stood on them for leverage, but that was still a frustrating challenge enough to make me not want to do it again.

Today, I'd be tempted to bolt it to the garage floor, but how often are you going to use it to dedicate floor space to it? Nope, not going to happen.

Using a receiver hitch on a vehicle is not a bad idea. You've got a nice massive 4,000 pound weight planted solidly on the ground that won't move. I'd only be worried about losing my grip or having the handle go wide and smack the back of my vehicle. But it would be worth the risk I think. If really concerned, could put a piece of plywood leaning against the vehicle to protect it.

Antother thought would be to drill and sink a 2" receiver hitch tube in your driveway and slip a cover over it at slightly lower than the surface so the cover is flush. Then you could use this mount to drop in various tools you might want to have a post mount for. Lots of space around it then to work in without interference.

Damn, MORE projects to do.

 

[Dugan]

That's why I left the 2x2 square stock about 4 ft long. I can push all the way in or leave it out far enough to clear pole and a 44" tire