Britbike forum Forums General discussion The Rod and Tappet Another job I'll start doing myself

Thanks for the tip on Bead Buddy. Two seem to be enough or do you use a 3rd one as well?

And--
Are there any good videos on making cables? I have a soldier pot but have never seen a cable being made.

Wade……be mindful when purchasing the Bead Buddies. IF you’re going to use them in the shop make sure you get the full sized ones……they make a “mini” for your traveling tool kit.

I use two…….sometimes just one. One thing I had to get past was……you just need to keep the bead you’re working on in the well. It doesn’t matter where the other bead is….the absolute best tool I’ve added lately is a proper wheel stand. Night and day difference from working on the ground.

With the tire off the ground……you can use your body to push against the tire to keep the bead you’re working on in the well……you’re pushing against one side while levering in the other. You can’t do that on the ground.

I have two bead buds but I've only needed one and usually none. It really depends on how stiff the tire is. But I use 4 0r 5 long tire irons.

Bead popper on the left, bead buudy on the right. the popper is only for modern tires or old K70's that have been petrofieing for 50 years. I usualy use a sawzall on them.

ah....this reminds me of the 'good old days" of changing tars using SCREWDRIVERS and praying their gnarly ends didn't 'punch a hole' in tube...'fess up.. you know you did it...

Damn you Richrd.......... Just when I thought I was through buying tire tools......you hit me with the popper. Where did you get that popper??

See ya in May!!!!

Gordon, I really onely use the popper on modern tires, IE my vfr or triumph tiger 900.

now if you want to guess what i'm doing right now,,,,,,

flat tire on the t100

Yep........2010 Honda RS. I have those "bead braking" irons that MM uses. GREAT for breaking a bead on my vintage steel rims. Actually the last time I used them was on a trailer tire....they work a treat. But my Honda wheels are a different story.

Got one of these?

One at a time please......where did you get the popper?

long gone Nebraskaa Motorcycle Parts had a wall full of Motion pro stuff. just did a quick serce and they seem to be discontinuted in favor of a pair of metal levers for 76 bucks.

it's not magic and it takes a 4 pound hammer and patience but it works.

I've got those long levers.......they do the job but are pricey.

I couldn't find anything like yours......I like the idea and can see you'd want to be patience, little at a time.

I got a Tire Tamer.....took the place of two wooden ball peen hammer handles and does a better job. A very handy tool for tube stems and rim locks.

I haven't had to use a Sawzall on a tire since I worked in a shop in the 90's. Some rube had a front tire mounted on a rear rim with rim sealant. With tubeless rims front and rear really are different.
On my last tire change my suspicions were confirmed. The tube-only K81 is easier to mount than the tubeless/tube Road Rider due to the more flexible bead. So far I also prefer the way the K81 handles, but I'm not a peg scraper.

I just used one for the first time this past month to remove a pair of tires on a bike that had probably been there 30 years and then parked in the rain.

And I've got proper bead breakers, too. Corrosion had welded the rubber to the steel rim. There's a limit to how much time it makes sense to spend doing it the "right" way befor you go to the nuclear option ...

Lannis

I just do that to get rid of them. cut the tires up and they are not tires and legal to throw in the trash followed by the rims.

Any rim that has sat like that for that long is not going to be used in my garage.