edinmass Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 I had a phone call today asking what I used to do tire work by hand in the shop. Here are SOME of my tire tools............snap ring, drop center, motorcycle, at, ect.......... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Know what some of that is but also looks like window removing tools. Once ordered a set of tire irons from JC Whitney, never saw a 3/4 size replica before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 They look a lot like mine except most of mine are at least 40 years old , and many are much older than that. Pretty basic but indispensable tools. And built to last more than a couple of lifetimes. I have an assortment of Michelin, Dunlop and other tire irons. Rim tools are mainly Blue Point { Old , pre war ? } and Ken tool. But I am not nearly as organised as you are , Most of mine live on a shelf near my { old , manual } tire machine. Greg 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 I *knew* I should have bought Snap-On stock 30 years ago! 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 23 minutes ago, padgett said: Know what some of that is but also looks like window removing tools. Once ordered a set of tire irons from JC Whitney, never saw a 3/4 size replica before. I have a set of the smaller tire 'spoons' I used on a small dirt bike tire. Pretty handy. Ed, I dont see any 15lb tire hammers! If youve ever seen a guy muscle a tire for a semi you know what Im talking about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 I definitely have one of those. A 2 ton and 3 ton 1946 GMC's in my "yard truck " fleet. They will never be restored but are cool old trucks none the less. Big A frame boom and HD pto winch For one of them. I am getting to the age where I need a bit of mechanical assistance with larger things. But an ongoing project like lots of my stuff. Greg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 I can’t imagine who would have asked you that question. I’ve seen some decent looking vintage wheel balancers on eBay. Will any work with the wheels we deal with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Seems like those old bubble balancer ones would work. I'll let you know when I get new rubber for Victoria with the dental drive wheels and give it a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Not all of us are able to supply Snap-On with money to pay employee bonuses. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 2 hours ago, Grimy said: I *knew* I should have bought Snap-On stock 30 years ago! Most are NOT Snap On. Some are German, others Japan, and some from China. I use the motorcycle irons the most........on cars and bikes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 1 hour ago, auburnseeker said: Seems like those old bubble balancer ones would work. I'll let you know when I get new rubber for Victoria with the dental drive wheels and give it a try. I bought a NOS Snap On balancer in the box from the 50’s last year. Works great on big car tires. All for less money than having some half assed shop try and balance my tires and fail. It’s easier to do things yourself today since 95 percent of service companies and tire centers have no clue at what they are doing. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 2 hours ago, Grimy said: I *knew* I should have bought Snap-On stock 30 years ago! Come on down to the shop if you want to OD on Snap On tools...........we have that area covered! 😎 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 1 hour ago, auburnseeker said: Seems like those old bubble balancer ones would work. I'll let you know when I get new rubber for Victoria with the dental drive wheels and give it a try. The red one is the one I found NOS, the green one is identical to the one I have up north. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 George, this on is for you! 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 1 hour ago, edinmass said: George, this one is for you! I'd need one of those traveling library ladders to access the top six drawers.... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Cole Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Ed's version of an ice cream truck. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yachtflame Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 12 hours ago, TAKerry said: Ed, I dont see any 15lb tire hammers! If youve ever seen a guy muscle a tire for a semi you know what Im talking about. Ask Ed about his elbow, seems he’s old school and was using his hand and arm as a hammer! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 8 minutes ago, yachtflame said: Ask Ed about his elbow, seems he’s old school and was using his hand and arm as a hammer! Typical mechanic, LOL. I am a 4th gen carpenter, my Christmas present when I was 13 years old was an Estwing hammer. Have been using it ever since. Hands and arms still in tact, just a bit artheritic. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Any thoughts on balancing beads? I've got a buddy that used them in his Duesenberg and says they actually work. https://www.rideapart.com/reviews/254107/dyna-beads-miracle-balancing-cure-or-tire-snake-oil/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 I would imagine for pre war tires youre pretty much on your own for mounting and balancing. I have a pretty good tire company I use for daily's, they also serviced my big iron when I had some along with big trucks. Their guys are all really good at what they do, however I cannot imagine what any of them would say if a wood spoked wheel came into the shop. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 58 minutes ago, alsancle said: Any thoughts on balancing beads? I've got a buddy that used them in his Duesenberg and says they actually work. https://www.rideapart.com/reviews/254107/dyna-beads-miracle-balancing-cure-or-tire-snake-oil/ I have been wondering about that too. Thanks for the link: It makes sense to me that they won’t help for lateral (dynamic) imbalance. Since the tall narrow tires on my old car are only static (vertical) balanced, it seems they might work. At least work as well as the cheap bubble balancer that I can get access to. Maybe I’ll try them on my next set of tire. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobinVirginia Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, alsancle said: Any thoughts on balancing beads? I've got a buddy that used them in his Duesenberg and says they actually work. https://www.rideapart.com/reviews/254107/dyna-beads-miracle-balancing-cure-or-tire-snake-oil/ I can’t say for a Duesey but I do know people with 44” plus tires on on road driven rock crawling jeeps that swear by this. I’ve got no personal experience but I believe at least two of these guys!!! Lol Edited March 11, 2021 by BobinVirginia (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 2 hours ago, alsancle said: Any thoughts on balancing beads? I've got a buddy that used them in his Duesenberg and says they actually work. https://www.rideapart.com/reviews/254107/dyna-beads-miracle-balancing-cure-or-tire-snake-oil/ Doesn't work......been there, done that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Ed, can you post some links to some decent tools? I spent 3 hours helping Lib the other day on a 20 inch snap ring tire and it was horrible. The tire was a Firestone 700-20 and I swear it would run flat it was so heavy. I told him I would pay for the tools, but we needed some better ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 A separate question: would leaving the tires out in the sun for a couple hours or heating them with a heat gun make things easier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 Heat gun......NO. Left in the sun.......yes.......AFTER it’s mounted. Fact is, snap ring wheels suck big time. Painted ones even more than chrome. If you’re not bleeding when doing them, you are lucky.......and probably doing something wrong. With liability today many shops no longer do ANY wheel work with snap rings or split rims. The truck shops down here won’t touch them either. Having done countless tires on them, I don’t find them difficult.........but as I age they are time consuming and prone to make me sore for a few days after doing six of them. My trusty assistant Phil almost lost his father to a split rim. His father was in a coma from one back in the 50’s. They are NOT difficult.....just work. Using you head and respecting it like a loaded gun......not letting your guard down, and having proper tools and equipment is the key to doing them safely. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 Getting on a plane....tool links later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 AJ......was the problem the tube, rim flap, tire? Or was the ring on and off the issue. Sometimes I use a pedestal to change them, sometime on the floor. As I age the floor seems easier today. The trick is to change the tire using you head as the primary tool..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 29 minutes ago, edinmass said: Getting on a plane....tool links later today. A Ford Tri-Motor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 On 3/10/2021 at 10:11 PM, Grimy said: I'd need one of those traveling library ladders to access the top six drawers.... Have you seen how tall some of those tool chests on the market are? Some are nearly 6 feet tall, and would require a step-stool to access the top tray. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgreen Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 What do you use for a bead breaker on the later pre-war tires? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 1 hour ago, edinmass said: AJ......was the problem the tube, rim flap, tire? Or was the ring on and off the issue. Sometimes I use a pedestal to change them, sometime on the floor. As I age the floor seems easier today. The trick is to change the tire using you head as the primary tool..... The snap came off hard, but that was because he couldn’t find his good spreader. The big issue was getting the tire on and off the rim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 I had a good friend growing up, his father was a truck driver and an errant split ring took off half his head. He never talked about him much, I dont think he died from it but was def. in a nursing home at an early age. Those things have scared me ever since. Our first dump truck had split rims, my crusty ole uncle was the mechanic. He would grumble every time I went in for a tire service. Never used a cage but he would sit it outside when he did the inflation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 When I was a kid the football coach got us all construction jobs for the summer to help keep us in shape. I was hired by a company that poured cement curbs. One rainy day they had me help in the shop repairing flat tires. I was the guy taking them off and putting them back on the trucks. The shop Forman was a crusty old guy that said a cage or chain was a waste of time. One blew off the tire when he was filling it. Luckily he had the attaching type air hose and had walked away from the tire when it blew off and stuck in the ceiling 18 feet up! The boss was more than mad at the cost of the roof repair. Cages were mandatory after that one. dave s 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 3 hours ago, 8E45E said: Have you seen how tall some of those tool chests on the market are? Some are nearly 6 feet tall, and would require a step-stool to access the top tray. That's what I'm talking about! I was all of 5'6" in my prime, but have shrunk an inch in my geezerhood. I have one tool chest that I have to stretch to peep into the top drawer, so that one contains the most infrequently used tools. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 2 hours ago, Grimy said: That's what I'm talking about! I was all of 5'6" in my prime, but have shrunk an inch in my geezerhood. I have one tool chest that I have to stretch to peep into the top drawer, so that one contains the most infrequently used tools. I can relate to that! Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuchbhi Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 20 hours ago, alsancle said: Any thoughts on balancing beads? I've got a buddy that used them in his Duesenberg and says they actually work. https://www.rideapart.com/reviews/254107/dyna-beads-miracle-balancing-cure-or-tire-snake-oil/ it worked very well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 I did not see one of the most important tools in the picture and its not made by Snap On . That is a green garbage bag to help put the tire back on the rim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 (edited) So- Edinmass, my hand tools for changing tires pale in comparison to yours, a couple of big Stanley screwdrivers, a steel drift and ball peen hammer to open and close the split rim locks, a couple of Pony furniture clamps to pull the split rim back into alignment for reengaging the locks, some talcum powder to seat tubes and some soap and water and a sponge to slick up the bead of the tire to help it on. Oh- these are 31 Buick 60 series split rims by the way. I had to take them all apart to send out for powder coating recently, then reinstalled the new Coker repro BF Goodrich 600-19 blackwall tires that came with the car plus a matching tire for the spare, along with new heavy duty tubes. I had lots of experience over the years with motorcycle tire mounting, finally bought a No Mar tire machine for those (which is useless for split rims), but never tried a car split rim until this adventure. When these rims are unlocked they pop into an overlapping condition dictated by the shape the rims were made in. Getting bopped right in the nose and losing copious amounts of blood all over my white work quilt taught me that it is better to work the tire onto the rim from the outside part of the overlap to the inside. I also discovered if the ends of the rim have been filed or mis-shapen in any way they are a bear to align to reengage the rim lock, wife said I invented a couple of phrases she had never heard before trying to close the deal with one of the rims. In earlier experiments with trying to pry on the ends of the split rims back into alignments with a couple of Craftsman medium size screwdrivers I asked a little more of them than they could handle so the guy at Ace Hardware had to replace them under warranty. He didn't ask how I broke the blades and i didn't offer either.... Edited March 13, 2021 by Str8-8-Dave (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Boudway Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Hi, I like my Hercules Model C rim jack along with Dave's hand tools for the split rims on our '26 Chrysler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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