CycleHill Tire Changer is the Cats Meow!
- Thread starter CowboyJim
- Start date
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
GitSum... I have the Cycle Hill changer with the scratch proof rim clamps... they work pretty well and don't scratch the paint as long as you don't pull up on the rim/tire. The rim clamps sit on the arms by gravity only (there is no retaining pin). When I pull up, the rim clamps will rise up off of the arm and I have popped the rim out of the rim clamps...of course this happens while using force, so the rim can easily get scratched as it pops loose and impacts other parts of the changer. So I now strap down the rim to at least two of the three arms.
I wish the rim clamps to be more positively retained on the arms, perhaps with a Bridge Pin or Lynch Pin.
I wish the rim clamps to be more positively retained on the arms, perhaps with a Bridge Pin or Lynch Pin.
Thanks BakerBoy.
I am trying to make up my mind on which changer to get
The Cycle Hill looks like a nice unit, but I don't like the idea of breaking the bead on the ground. Also to get the hitch mount is an extra $79 so the price for their "Big Package" would be right around $634 to my door.
The No-Mar lets you substitute the hitch mount for the floor mount which is money saved and a similar package to the Cycle Hill is $795 - (about $159 more)
I like buying tools, but I hate buying something only to think a couple of months later "I wish I would have spent the extra money and bought ...."
Anyways, at this point I think I am leaning towards the No-Mar. I just thought it was interesting that the clamps on the Cycle Hill are a $120 option on the No-Mar
I am trying to make up my mind on which changer to get
The Cycle Hill looks like a nice unit, but I don't like the idea of breaking the bead on the ground. Also to get the hitch mount is an extra $79 so the price for their "Big Package" would be right around $634 to my door.
The No-Mar lets you substitute the hitch mount for the floor mount which is money saved and a similar package to the Cycle Hill is $795 - (about $159 more)
I like buying tools, but I hate buying something only to think a couple of months later "I wish I would have spent the extra money and bought ...."
Anyways, at this point I think I am leaning towards the No-Mar. I just thought it was interesting that the clamps on the Cycle Hill are a $120 option on the No-Mar
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
I didn't care for the idea of breaking the bead at floor level either, but I find it works very nice and is very stable. I put a long 2x4 under the rim at the far side from the bead breaker, poking out from under the tire at roughly the 5 and 7 o'clock positions, and the rim is stable while at the same time the brake disc is off the floor.
The first time I used it I grinned at how easy it was to easily get the beads broken in just seconds.
I also bought the scratch-free bead breaker... an expensive option on the Cycle Hill.
Good luck with your decision.
The first time I used it I grinned at how easy it was to easily get the beads broken in just seconds.
I also bought the scratch-free bead breaker... an expensive option on the Cycle Hill.
Good luck with your decision.
GitSum, I purchased the rim clamps after having the base no mar for a while and they do make camping the rear wheels much easier however, one of the screws has stripped and I need to return it.
It takes more of an effort to use the base no mar blocks but would take 10,000 tire changes to wear them out...
It takes more of an effort to use the base no mar blocks but would take 10,000 tire changes to wear them out...
Anyone thinking about buying the Cycle Hill Big Package, No-Mar has one on EBay right now and you can save 10% by going through Bing and getting the microsoft cashback. (you get the check in about 60 days)
Cycle Hill Big Package
I ended up buying the No-Mar Ultimate package and got free shipping along with the cashback which saved me almost $210 (thanks RCS for the eBay tip)
Cycle Hill Big Package
I ended up buying the No-Mar Ultimate package and got free shipping along with the cashback which saved me almost $210 (thanks RCS for the eBay tip)
Attachments
Just make sure you tighten the rim down REALLY, REALLY good. Put a wrench on 'em and snug them up. I simply hand tightened at first and spinny winny goes the wheel.
I'm going to fab up some wooden spindles on my lathe to drop in and catch the spokes, preventing wheelspin in the event I don't snug 'em up well enough. (Yeah, I'm just looking for an excuse to use the lathe.
)Careful, too much of that and you'll strip the bolts for the rim clamps... I did on the ones I got for the no mar and went back to the blocks that came with it.Just make sure you tighten the rim down REALLY, REALLY good. Put a wrench on 'em and snug them up. I simply hand tightened at first and spinny winny goes the wheel.
I'm going to fab up some wooden spindles on my lathe to drop in and catch the spokes, preventing wheelspin in the event I don't snug 'em up well enough. (Yeah, I'm just looking for an excuse to use the lathe.
I use a strap on one spoke and one of the changer arms and that holds the wheel nicely.
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
After ~16 months and 'tens' of tire changes with my Cycle Hill changer, I thought I'd follow up with some comments & observations:
1) It hurts a lot when I bang my knee on one of the arms or into the rim clamp adjutment knob!! Doh, it seems that I've done that every time I've used it. :nuts1:
2) The bead breaker alone is worth the price of admission! I'm glad I opted for the delrin version of the bead breaker paddle.
3) The rim clamps by design are NOT positively retained on the arms--that continues to be an annoyance and design flaw IMO (see post #22 above). Strapping down the rim to the arms has proven to be necessary to avoid the rim and rim clamps suddenly popping upwards and off of the arms, which usually happens just as I'm starting to put force on things while trying to remove a tire. I now take the time to strap down the rim with 3 separate straps, one to each of the three arms--2 straps has proven insufficient. Without 3 straps, it is too common that as I lift/pry off the old tire one of the rim clamps will pop out. :banghead: A significant design improvement can be made on this 'issue' IMO.
4) The only dowell provided with the changer which fits through the bearing inner races on ST rims is too sloppy (the dowell is inserted through the axle hole in the rim to 'center' the rim while it is clamped down, and it is also what you pull the nomar tire iron against as you pull off or put on a bead). I hope to get a larger diameter dowell (one which is slightly smaller than the ST's axle bolts) and I would like to add a shoulder onto that dowell. The shoulder will be used to rest the tire iron against as I lever it around the circle. I've had several instances when I'm levering the tire iron around the circle (pulling off a bead) and I realized that the tire iron has slid down on the dowell and the disc brake rotor is holding up the tire iron.: So a shoulder needs added to the dowell so that the tire iron can't drop onto the disc rotor. (Make sense? If not, I'll add a sketch later)
5) The sloppy bead breaker joint (see post #8 above) turns out not to be an issue. The bead breaker is used for only a short time and its slopiness is inconsequential.
6) The original delrin tip on the tire iron remains in service, but is weakening & stretched where it mounts into the metal. The package came with a spare, but I haven't had to use it yet.
7) A safety observation: The dowell should NOT be in the center of the rim as a new tire is being pushed onto the rim (that first bead usually can be pressed down over the rim with hand force). If the dowell is installed, while pushing that tire down it is easy to push your torso, head, or neck onto the dowell! So, keep the dowell out of the way while pushing the tire's first bead down onto the rim.
Would I buy another one? Yes. It remains a good purchase and I'm happy to have it, but could use some fixes to the design.
1) It hurts a lot when I bang my knee on one of the arms or into the rim clamp adjutment knob!! Doh, it seems that I've done that every time I've used it. :nuts1:
2) The bead breaker alone is worth the price of admission!
I'm glad I opted for the delrin version of the bead breaker paddle.3) The rim clamps by design are NOT positively retained on the arms--that continues to be an annoyance and design flaw IMO (see post #22 above). Strapping down the rim to the arms has proven to be necessary to avoid the rim and rim clamps suddenly popping upwards and off of the arms, which usually happens just as I'm starting to put force on things while trying to remove a tire. I now take the time to strap down the rim with 3 separate straps, one to each of the three arms--2 straps has proven insufficient. Without 3 straps, it is too common that as I lift/pry off the old tire one of the rim clamps will pop out. :banghead: A significant design improvement can be made on this 'issue' IMO.
4) The only dowell provided with the changer which fits through the bearing inner races on ST rims is too sloppy (the dowell is inserted through the axle hole in the rim to 'center' the rim while it is clamped down, and it is also what you pull the nomar tire iron against as you pull off or put on a bead). I hope to get a larger diameter dowell (one which is slightly smaller than the ST's axle bolts) and I would like to add a shoulder onto that dowell. The shoulder will be used to rest the tire iron against as I lever it around the circle. I've had several instances when I'm levering the tire iron around the circle (pulling off a bead) and I realized that the tire iron has slid down on the dowell and the disc brake rotor is holding up the tire iron.
: So a shoulder needs added to the dowell so that the tire iron can't drop onto the disc rotor. (Make sense? If not, I'll add a sketch later)5) The sloppy bead breaker joint (see post #8 above) turns out not to be an issue. The bead breaker is used for only a short time and its slopiness is inconsequential.
6) The original delrin tip on the tire iron remains in service, but is weakening & stretched where it mounts into the metal. The package came with a spare, but I haven't had to use it yet.
7) A safety observation: The dowell should NOT be in the center of the rim as a new tire is being pushed onto the rim (that first bead usually can be pressed down over the rim with hand force). If the dowell is installed, while pushing that tire down it is easy to push your torso, head, or neck onto the dowell! So, keep the dowell out of the way while pushing the tire's first bead down onto the rim.
Would I buy another one? Yes. It remains a good purchase and I'm happy to have it, but could use some fixes to the design.
Thanks for the update. I ordered the big package a few weeks ago but have not had the time to put it to work! I did order the new arm that goes in place of the dowel. The strap trick is good info to know. I will do this and not mess around.
Time to go and change a rear tire!
Time to go and change a rear tire!
Hmmm,, I have a HF changer and couldn't keep the tire bead in the center of the rim when mounting because of wrist issues. I ended up placing it on 2x4's on the floor so I could keep my knees on the tire as I worked the other side on. Not sure if a better tire changer would help me.:nuts1: Any tricks to keeping the bead in the center of the rim?
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I own a Cycle Hill tire changer and have mounted more than 40 tires in a 1 1/2 years----tube and tubeless. I use two Motion Pro bead buddies:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/trail-bead-buddy/p2011354.jcwx?skuId=353265&TID=8014524FT4&zmam=15972153&zmas=21&zmac=141&zmap=279254
on most tires to keep the bead down and to keep the tire from walking around the rim. They work great, are well made, and worth the $25.00 I spent on two of them. I also use the "yellow thing third hand" that No Mar sells, but it does not work good on the wider spoked BMW rims. Some tire's sidewalls are so stiff that it is a challenge to keep them in the wheel well..other tires can almost be mounted by hand with no tools or effort.
FYI
Tom Mac 04a
Site Supporter
You can try these... for $40 from No Mar for set of 3.
OR... cut up a bunch wooden blocks to set under the bead above tire
OR... cut up a bunch wooden blocks to set under the bead above tire
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
Wow, I didn't know about this new Deluxe Upper Arm, thanks! It looks like it should help with the sloppy center dowell problem and potentially also keep the rim pressed down into the rim clamps.
I also use the 'yellow thing' and the 'Xtra hand clamp' ... they help to a degree... I'll take a look at those 'bead buddies', thanks.
Papa, that is a challenge for me as well. I count on having others around to keep that bead 'down in the valley'.
I have read somewhere of using flexible hose for that purpose (I haven't tried it myself). The idea is to get a somewhat stiff hose of proper size that you wedge it between the bead and the rim so that it keeps the bead pressed down in the valley. As you work to get more bead over the the rim, continue to work in more length of that hose into the gap. 