Mounting & Balancing Your Own Tires

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concours said:
I put inner tubes in 34yo tubeless tractor tires today. I did the obligatory blood letting procedure. ;) View attachment 95481
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Some jobs do seem to require a blood sacrifice. I always feel a sense of relief once it happens and is behind me. A mate who ran a mechanical workshop for years, specialising in Jaguars, used to say he was tempted to add a "blood levy" to customer's bills.
As for tyre fitting at home I just purchased one of these: https://max2h.com/en/tire-changer-evo2-12-21
I've used it once on a Norton front tyre and it worked like a charm. Not cheap, but no more pinched tubes or damaged rims (and no blood loss).
 
Tornado said:
I'm running CounterAct bead balancer tubes in my Commando and modern Bonneville. Never need any other balance method. The tubes come ready to install with beads already inside. Tubes are of high quality, never seem to loose pressure over winter layup. Bead packs are available for tubeless tires to add prior to mounting tire or you can add them post mounting via valve removal and lots of patience feeding them in via funnel.
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Thanks, great info. I have used beads before but never heard of the CounterAct tubes. They are on my shopping list now Jim
 
I used to live in a rural community and the local tire shop did a brisk business in flats and tire changes from garden tractors, car and trucks to big field tractors and combines. They said the worst tires to fit, without exception, are the small lawn mower tires.

When I worked in the BMW shop my boss said that every pinched tube would come out of out pay. He said "pinch your fingers before you pinch a tube." We didn't pinch tubes.
 
whether a tire needs balancing or not, imo depends in large part on the tire brand. Dunlaps pretty good, as are shinkos, some others not so much. But it takes such little time and effort to balance a wheel- why not do it just because.
 
Just had a look see at those magical inner tubes to see if they were available in the Third World (Cornwall) but not they seem
to be a stateside thing which means shipping and duties are show stoppers. Anyone in the Enlightened part of the UK have an affordable source?
 
Here is what I have used. 3mm porcelain media. Just like the tire guys send you.
Here is enough to last a long time.
I have found some inner tubes need to have the stem drilled a little larger so the beads will fit.
Amazon upc 755867285564
 
This spring a packet of glass beads went in the back tire tube when the new tire went on and I kept an eye on the nibs as the tire got use and they dissapeared evenly. The advise was to have the stem at the bottom of rotation when checking the air so the beads are less likely to foul the air valve. So it makes sense to use as big a bead as possible if there is a selection so there is less chance of a mishap.
 
BERT said:
This spring a packet of glass beads went in the back tire tube when the new tire went on and I kept an eye on the nibs as the tire got use and they dissapeared evenly. The advise was to have the stem at the bottom of rotation when checking the air so the beads are less likely to foul the air valve. So it makes sense to use as big a bead as possible if there is a selection so there is less chance of a mishap.
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Just give the valve stem a few taps with the pressure gauge prior to checking pressure...works everytime for me. Or give it a quick blast of air from compressor before checking pressure to clear any beads near the valve.
 
BERT said:
I wonder if the beads wear the tube out from the inside
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The porcelain beads I've been using are very smooth and non-abrasive. I have worn out a couple tires on the last tube so I don't think they wear the tube at all.

The porcelain beads I've used look just like the tire balancing beads I got from Summit Racing many years ago. I'm not sure if they are the same as what was posted earlier. Jim
 
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