A Do-It-Yourself Shop-Made Tire

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by Richard C. Banfield

To many folks, changing the tires on a vehicle means a biannual trip to the local shop to swap snow treads for some summer tires, and perhaps a jaunt or two to pick up a newly patched flat. However-as anyone in the country can attest—changing punctured tires (say on that old workhorse pickup) can be a time-consuming chore when the nearest service station is a considerable distance away.

One summer, having spent what seemed an inordinate amount of time (and gas money) toting tattered tires to town and back, I vowed to eliminate this unnecessary expense . . . and came up with the idea of building a manual tire changer. My homemade tool—which is fashioned after the machine-shop models, with a few minor alterations incorporated into the design—has proved to be just the ticket for my tire-changing needs. And I'll wager that it would come in handy for other country folks, as well.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

To construct the tire changer, you'll need some fundamental metalworking skills (including knowledge of welding, torch work, and basic fabricating) and the following tools: a drill with 3/8", 27/64", 1/2", and 5/8" highspeed bits, an oxyacetylene torch, a welder, a grinder, a 1/2"-13 tap, a tape measure, a hammer, and a pipe wrench (for leverage). And, although they're not necessary, an assortment of hole saws and a metal-cutting band saw will make your job easier.

Most of the tire changer's components can probably be fashioned from odds and ends around your shop, or (of course) you can buy the materials from a local scrapyard or steel supplier. Even though I purchased much of my metal from a welding shop, my tally for the tool came to just under $30 . . . and your total—even if you bought all of the material new—shouldn't come to much more than that. Furthermore, my device paid for itself in convenience in its first few uses . . . and your tool could even provide you with a bit of extra cash (or barter credit) if you offered its services to friends and neighbors. (A word of caution here, though: Don't try to change any fancy-rimmed tires until you're certain of your skill!)