How we change a tire with our hydraulic tire changing machine
When to change your tire?
Tread depth: The tread on your tires helps maintain traction on the road. If the tread depth has worn down to 2/32 of an inch or less, it's time to replace the tire. You can check the tread depth using a tread depth gauge or by looking for wear bars that run across the tread pattern.
Age: Tires can age and deteriorate over time, even if they haven't been used much. Most tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires after six years, regardless of the tread depth. If your tires are older than six years, it's time to consider replacing them.
Damage: If your tire has cuts, punctures, bulges, or other types of damage, it's not safe to drive on and should be replaced.
Vibration or shaking: If you notice vibration or shaking while driving, it could be a sign that the tire is out of balance or has a defect. In this case, it's recommended to have the tire inspected and possibly replaced.
Seasonal changes: If you live in an area with severe weather conditions, you may need to replace your tires more frequently. For example, if you live in a region with harsh winters, it's recommended to switch to winter tires or all-season tires with the "M+S" (mud and snow) designation for better traction on snow and ice.
What is a hydraulic tire changing machine?
A hydraulic tire changing machine is a type of equipment used for changing tires on vehicles such as cars and motorcycles. It uses hydraulic power to assist in removing and installing tires quickly and with minimal effort.
The machine typically consists of a platform where the tire and wheel assembly is mounted, a hydraulic system that provides the force to remove and install the tire, and various tools such as bead breakers and tire irons to assist in the process.
Hydraulic tire changing machines can save time and effort compared to manually. However, it's important to follow safety guidelines and manufacturer instructions when using these machines to prevent accidents and damage to the equipment or vehicle.
Safety First
Always put on safety glasses before working, and stay away from anything that might hang or get caught in the machine.
Although gloves are excellent, they are not always essential they will keep your hands from slipping off wet tires and from getting covered in brake dust.
Be comfortable and certain in your activities about what components serve what purposes. Check the order of the foot pedals your tire machine has. Make sure to know what pedal dose what. Before putting anything on the machine step on each pedal and watch what happens. To ensure correct usage
Tools Requires
Hydraulic changing machine
Bead Lifting Tool Bar
Valve stem core tool
Spray Bottle with soap water
Tire Lube
Bead Blaster
Step-by-step process on how to take off.
Deflate The Tire
Take out the air from the tire by removing the pin from the valve stem with the appropriate tool
Note: Be sure to let all the air out before moving to following steps not doing so may cause injury
Breaking The Beads
Depending on the rim it might be a reverse mount or a regular mount check out our blog on “How To Tell If A Wheel Is Reverse Mount?” for more information
After determining what the correct “front” side is based on the rim break the front bead in one spot away from the sensor to not damage it.
Spin the rim to the back side and break the bead all around again being carful of the sensor
Securing The Rim
Once the beads have been broken lift the rim onto the machine with the clamps on the outside and the rim in the middle
Press the linking pedal for the clamps that will grab onto the outside of the rim
Note: Rims can be clamped from the inside but risk damaging the rim we highly do not recommend doing this and to avoid.
Note: When clamping from the outside be sure not to pinch the tire sidewall
Setting the mounting/unmounting arm
Lower the center tilt back column with the pedal be sure to unlock the vertical arm with the mount/demount head if locked in place possible chance to gouge the rim.
Set the head as close to the rim lip without it touching on the top or side to prevent and scratches to the rim
Note: If the rim has a sensor it must be on the right side of the head when removing the tire or will be damaged or break
Removing the tire (Upper Bead)
Insert the hook side of the bead lifting tool bar into the space behind the mounting arm and top broken bead.
Note: If the bead is stiff use horizontal arm to push it down more and spray with soap water solution
Pull up and apply pressure down to bring the upper bead on top of the mounting arm
Start rotating the rim clockwise using the pedals to completely lift top bead then remove bead lifting tool bar when becomes loose.
Note: Rotate the rim back to the starting position to ensure the sensor is not damaged while removing bottom bead
Removing the tire (Bottom Bead)
After the upper bead is loose insert the flat side of the bead lifting tool bar again between the back of the mounting arm but this this time all the way down to the bottom bead
While the bar is in place lift the tire upwards from the bottom with both hands apply more pressure to secure the bar to not slip out of position. If done correctly the bottom bead should be level with the mounting arm with the flat side of the bar in between
Grab the bar with the hand further away from the machine and apply pressure down towards the rim. This will cause the bottom bead to be on top of the mounting arm
Rotate the rim clockwise then remove the bar to complete the process
If all steps above are done correctly the tire will be now be removed from the rim
Tire Installation Preparation
Again always follow safety protocols and guidelines. Before mounting any tires, you must ensure that the rims are all the same size. Rims can differ from back to front depending on the setup of the car. Another thing to check is if all the tires are the same size as the rims can be different even if all four rims are the same. Check the tires for any holes, bubbles or rips before installing failure might result in injury when inflating. When mounting always take your time to ensure rim is not damaged. For more info on tires check out our blog on “How to Choose the Right Tire”.
Step-by-step process on how to put on a tire.
Securing The Rim
Make sure the rim is locked it into place by clamping it on from the outside
If reverse mount use plastic guard clips for the clamps
Note: Add a regular valve stem or sensors if it has
Setting the mounting/unmounting arm
Lower the center tilt back column with the pedal be sure to unlock the vertical arm with the mount/demount head if locked in place possible chance to gouge the rim.
Set the head as close to the rim lip without it touching on the top or side to prevent and scratches to the rim
Note: Add the plastic head piece to the mounting arm to better protect the rim form scratches
Getting the tire ready
Take the tire lube and wipe the front and back inner edge also wipe the outer side lip close to where the mounting head will touch.
Note: If tires are stiff wipe the entire rim with lube to help not sticking
Installation of tire (Bottom Bead)
Lift the tire onto the rim with the face angled towards the center tilt back arm.
Press the pedal to bring the mounting arm in position and ensure it is as close as possible without touching
Note: If arm was not set before high chance to damage the rim
Now grab the tire with both hands from the upper bead and turn and tilt the tire slowly clockwise while doing this turn the rim with the pedal in the same direction. The tire will catch and the bottom bead sound be pushed lower than the mounting arm
Note: If the rim has a sensor it must be on the right side of the head when removing the tire or will be damaged or break
Installation of tire (Upper Bead)
Now take the horizontal arm and line it to the edge on rim, do the same for the secondary vertical arm. Make sure these two arms are at the same level by adjusting the vertical arms height
Now bring the entire apparatus down with the pneumatic joystick. Push the upper bead down past the lip by 2-4 inches depending on the rim/tire combo
Press the pedal to turn the rim clockwise
As the upper bead gets pushed down release pressure of the two arms pushing down, slowly let it go
Note: Going to fast or to slow may cause damage to the rim
Inflating the tire
If followed steps above were followed correctly the tire should be full on the rim and you can unsecure the rim from the machine
Attach the air hose to the valve and push the pedal to start filling the air
Tires sometimes will be too loose for the rim and need an additional burst off air that is where the bead blaster is used
Note: Confirm that you are knowledgeable on how to safely use a bead blaster
Note: When using a bead blaster be sure to protect the rim may cause scratches if not used correctly
Fill the air till you hear two loud pops indicating that the upper and lower bead has been set in place
Note: For both beads to pop you may have to inflate higher than recommended max psi is, when doing so take the proper safety protocols.
After both beads have been set in place fill the tire to the correct psi (37- 39.5psi)
Now the tire should be fully on and inflated. The last step before install on car is to balance then follow to our blog on “What is balancing a rim”.
After balancing the wheels are ready to be put on the car. There should be no vibration, sounds or leaning to one side. If those things do occur the car might need an alignment.