Mounting & balancing tires yourself: Difference between revisions

(5 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)

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[[image:bar clamp craftsman.jpg|120px]]

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~~].

If you want to be one of the cool kids, you can get one of these from [http://www.harborfreight.com/bead-breaker-92961.html Harbor Freight]. It stores somewhat compact and works many times better than a c-clamp. [http://www.jcwhitney.com/tire-bead-breaker/p2004021.jcwx?filterid=j1# JC Whitney] has one that appears to be the same.

[[Image:HFbeadbreaker.jpg|150px]]

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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 or 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).

==~~Find~~ the wheel's heavy point==

==Finding the wheel's heavy point==

Before you put the tire on the rim, you need to find the wheel's heavy point. You only need to do this once for the lifetime of each wheel. Go to [[How can I balance the tires by myself?]] and do that part now. It will also tell you how to use the factory's paint mark to find the correct point to mount the tire on the wheel.

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After you've balanced the wheel, you're done mounting and balancing. Time to put the wheels back on the bike and go for a ride.

~~[[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~~:

Reinstall the wheel:

~~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.~~

*[[Reinstalling the front wheel|Front wheel]]

*[[Removing/replacing the rear wheel|Rear wheel]]

~~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:~~

Be sure to use a new cotter pin. Be sure to reattach the brake and use the [[Torque Values|proper torque]] on everything.

~~[[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~~]].

==Links==

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 [[image:bar clamp craftsman.jpg|120px]]
-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].
+If you want to be one of the cool kids, you can get one of these from [http://www.harborfreight.com/bead-breaker-92961.html Harbor Freight]. It stores somewhat compact and works many times better than a c-clamp. [http://www.jcwhitney.com/tire-bead-breaker/p2004021.jcwx?filterid=j1# JC Whitney] has one that appears to be the same.
 [[Image:HFbeadbreaker.jpg|150px]]
@@ Line 107: / Line 107: @@
 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 or 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).
-==Find the wheel's heavy point==
+==Finding the wheel's heavy point==
 Before you put the tire on the rim, you need to find the wheel's heavy point. You only need to do this once for the lifetime of each wheel. Go to [[How can I balance the tires by myself?]] and do that part now. It will also tell you how to use the factory's paint mark to find the correct point to mount the tire on the wheel.
@@ Line 151: / Line 151: @@
 After you've balanced the wheel, you're done mounting and balancing. Time to put the wheels back on the bike and go for a ride.
-[[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:
+Reinstall the wheel:
-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.
+*[[Reinstalling the front wheel|Front wheel]]
+*[[Removing/replacing the rear wheel|Rear wheel]]
-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:
+Be sure to use a new cotter pin. Be sure to reattach the brake and use the [[Torque Values|proper torque]] on everything.
-[[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]].
 ==Links==