How to modify a Harbor Freight Tire Changer to work amazing!!! Follow this DIY guide!!

On this episode of Mad Ginger Customs we take an ordinary Harbor Freight / Amazon / Princess Auto manual tire changer and make it actually work incredible!!! You will no longer scratch or damage your wheels!! Follow along as we build this money saving setup that is so easy to use my wife can mount a tire! Do it yourself and save!!!
Check out the balancer video here: • How to balance your ti...
If you link our content you can buy us a coffee here!
bmc.link/madgingerc7
Manual Tire Changer amzn.to/3qN69FU
Duck Head amzn.to/3NAZy9n
Centering cone small amzn.to/3MQIuMa
Centering cone large amzn.to/3CbgZrw
Valve stem puller and stems amzn.to/3CgnIkd
.625 large valve stems amzn.to/3Ng7Apf
Wheel weight pliers/hammer amzn.to/3WTySoE
Clip on wheel weights amzn.to/45Q3BGY
Want to buy this thing all assembled with the cone ready to go?? Check out Lucid Autowerks here:
lucidautowerks.com/collection...
Evolution 15 inch Metal Saw amzn.to/43rG7qi
Additional materials:
2" electrical conduit 12 inch piece
2" square tubing 12 inch piece
2" Receiver tube cut down amzn.to/3OXDFmS
12" piece of round tubing
3" piece of Round or Square tubing for vertical slide

[@madgingercustoms]

Watch the follow up video here!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGLRlKiufK2Wf8Usi=P_qW-Tq3UXcR3scR

[@charlestinder9421]

Easy 'er wet always wet your bead

[@charlestinder9421]

I bought one of those

[@charlestinder9421]

I bought one of those two from

[@SR-gt350]

I had that issue with my Lincoln mig. It was the liner in the gun/hose. As it gets old, wire arcs and doesn't contact and slide properly thru it. I found the aftermarket 10' gun/hose on Amazon . Works great again 👍 👌

[@madgingercustoms]

@@SR-gt350 I replaced the entire hose and gun a short time before this video. I've since had a few welders shipped in because we review them. I haven't gotten back to trying to fix the old Lincoln.

[@antoniohuertas8909]

I'm totally saving this video for when I buy one of those tire changers! People like you keep the world turning! 👍🏽

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching us!

[@MechanicWelder94]

The world, as well as wheels!!

[@victorbunch7725]

No No no, Loving keeps the whole world turning but money greases the wheel!!! Its a song you might wanna look it up, lol

[@advantageous1]

Nice mod work! Will be getting a HF changer soon! Thanks for taking the time to post this great information. Cruise on...

[@wilfredoortiz3150]

Good job being descriptive

[@PepperLewisAndCo]

Handy tip: Before you attempt mounting a tire, soap or lube the bead. It makes things so much easier.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!

[@masoncampos7043]

It helps to get in on and to set the bead when inflating for sure!

[@DILLIGAF1177]

Definitely. Amazon to the rescue.

[@walterandrews3077]

A solution of Murphy’s Oil Soap works well and you may have some already.

[@ufeelinme]

What a great mod to a obviously lacking tire changer,Nice work man!

[@madgingercustoms]

Yeah it really takes the strain out of it.

[@jensenwilliam5434]

She is a good sport!!! My wife would go back in the house.

[@MadGingerJess]

😂😂😂😂

[@madgingercustoms]

She's a good egg.

[@martinphilips6091]

Great video. I used to do a lot of tire changes at the golf course where I worked. I worked for a county government and our main mechanic shop was always swamped with work. We almost never got the same tire/wheel that we sent out, so the golf section got their own tire changers. My friend worked at Vehicle Maintenance and one day, he was inflating a small tire. He had it on a bench and he was talking with another mechanic. The tire/rim exploded and took off the top half of his head. It took them months to find all of the flesh, bone and brains and clean and reopen the shop. They make a cage to put the tire in or you could make one. I would highly recommend it. I still remember being told the story by the guy who was talking to him when that happened. They guy who was killed had owned a service station, retired, and got a job with the county. He didn't need the job and it was tragic the way he died. I hope you take my advice and start using a cage. Ever since that happened, I never stand in front of the wheel when I inflate it on my vehicle. There is more power in compressed air than you'd think. Laugh and call me names if you want, but I'm talking to all of you. You don't want your family having to deal with that.

[@madgingercustoms]

I'd never laugh at that. Thank you for your concern!!

[@martinphilips6091]

@@madgingercustoms I'm sorry. I don't think YOU would laugh. But, there may be someone who scoffs and says it'll never happen to them. I hope nobody says thàt.

[@Driven_Dragon]

@@martinphilips6091 Great story!! Not laughing.

[@stubaker1737]

Sorry for the dude, but it was probably a split 2 piece rim that came apart, on a car rim there really isn't anything that could go flying .

[@Flussig1]

Split rim all the way, that's what the cage is for, not for a standard wheel like this.

[@MY50CC]

Well done !!!! With these mods , you inspire us to take a device that is mediocre at best and make it much , much better !!! You explained why you wanted to do these mountings yourself and then went ahead and accomplished mounting all four tires !!! This is exactly why I enjoy your approach. You inspire !!! Thanks !!!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching!

[@waynespyker5731]

December 1965 the local body shop gave me a 'deal' on a pair of Good Year Surbanittes for my Mustang 2 + 2 if I mounted them myself. No problem as I had watched their technician change many a tire on their manual Coates tire changer. Until I put the first Styled wheel over the post, the center hole was too small! Shortly the proprietor appeared with an empty large cardboard carton to cover the cement floor, 2 tire iron paddles, a large rubber mallet and a can of hand cleaner to lube and seal the bead transitions. With instruction I (proudly) got the first tire off it's wheel in short time. Returning to his office I started the second that proceeded even faster until something seemed wrong. I had gotten the wheel inside both beads! Your modification upgrades to the changer duplicate the functions of the Coates changer, they also had a duckbill bar. Many times when airing up using your knee, floor and wall to form a 3 point pressure point to seal both beads.

[@bobschwarz9184]

I can definitely appreciate your modifications because I did my tires with much difficulty with the standard harbor freight tire machine and balanced with old bubble balancer that was given to me and so far I've driven over 3,000 miles, thanks for the video 👍 great job.

[@dubmob151]

​​​@@VooDoo_BlueI didn't know what that meant at first but then realized the tire was fully wrapped around the outside of the rim 😅 If the wheel is installed onto the tire rather than the tire onto the wheel I could see how that was done-

[@dabgod5948]

Love the old truck and information that those of us who aren't able to figure out on our own for any reason to have available

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@mysterydude1]

As a person who also likes to do everything themselves, I own this exact tire changer. I've had mine for about 4 years now. I've always used it as is, without any modifications other than using towels to prevent damaging the wheel. It does work but it is definitely a pain to use. Especially since the towels always slip or get caught up and you have to keep readjusting. I've saved a lot of money by using this tire changer but it has cost me a lot of time. After all the hours I've spent struggling with this thing, I now know what I'm doing this weekend! Your modification is pure genius. It's definitely going to continue to save me money and now time as well. Thanks!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching and check back in on this post and let me know what you think!!

[@slim56]

I scrapped my harbor freight tire changer. I wish I would have seen this video before. Great job! Harbor freight should make them like this to begin with.

[@madgingercustoms]

It's decent with the modifications.

[@jondoe3179]

Why don't you make a modification kit and sell them? Not everyone is brave enough to learn to weld.

[@aguywithwood9293]

I appreciate you both and find you entertaining and informative. Today I learned I'm going to keep tossing money to the tire store.

[@madgingercustoms]

I can see both sides of that, yes.

[@tomyount8363]

​@@madgingercustoms p plus😢😮

[@normanconnors95]

Our welder was doing the same thing until I lubed up the spool holder, ours was binding up and now the welder works beautifully. Thanks for taking the time to show us the extras need to make this thing work better.

[@madgingercustoms]

I'll be checking the welder out this week. Thanks for your suggestion! I'll look into the spool holder dragging.

[@RalfyCustoms]

Lube, it's what separates us from the Animals 😂

[@rileychu4489]

@@madgingercustoms check your ground clamp and connection. the teeth on the clamp are usually brass and they get dirty easily. also sometimes can get corrosion where ground wire meets box

[@hosslane320]

If you don't have felt to clamp on the wire before it goes through the rollers , get some , a sm . Clamp or clothes pin to hold it . Work with it for lite pressure . Bless ya'll

[@Outlaw1492]

@@madgingercustoms FYI, replace your inside liner for your wire feed as that wears out after a while from the welding wire running through it and will cause the intermitant surge of the wire. Also keep your liner laid out straight as much as possible and not curled up on the floor while in use, as this will help it from wearing prematurely. My Lincoln welder is over twenty-five years old and have had to replace the liner multiple times. It's a cheap and easy fix, everyone always overlooks. Hope this helps! Thanks for the video.

[@shartne]

Nice job fixing that tire machine.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!

[@Andrew4181975]

That was pretty cool esp with your modifications that probably made it work about 100 times better using that standard duck head part. A little slower than a nice modern tire changer machine,but totally practical for a home garage. Ingenious

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!

[@1crazypj]

Plus about $ 2,500 cheaper than a modern tyre machine

[@brudug713]

Dude. I’m freaking impressed. I’ve seen other videos on modifying the Harbor Freight tire changer. And I wasn’t impressed. You impressed me great ingenuity. The only thing I’d change is the pin to lock the tire in place. I took mine out and use a bolt and nut.

[@madgingercustoms]

Yeah we ended up drilling ours and using a bolt as well.

[@dennisoakley1256]

You got a lot of projects going well but I enjoy your podcast

[@madgingercustoms]

We appreciate you watching!

[@billcostello7769]

Seriously, the tool alone does work, and saved me $. You anchored it well, even the bead breaker pad. As always, the devil is in the details!

[@pauledmundson8132]

Good job! You made a cheap tool functional. The fact that it didn't damage the paint on the wheel is impressive.

[@madgingercustoms]

That plastic duck head is the key I believe! Thanks for watching.

[@jonathanmiddleton1141]

I’ve never taken the valve stem out, I just use a ratchet strap, and, put it around the tire, and, tighten it up until the beads on both sides are tight, then shoot some air to it, then I release the strap, and,air it up to the suggested pressure. Works like a charm!!

[@madgingercustoms]

The ratchet strap was going to be employed if I couldn't get it started. I used them on motorcycle tires!

[@jonathanmiddleton1141]

@@madgingercustoms Them thangs work good, don’t they?!! 😉

[@jasonmorehouse3756]

You don't take the valve stem out. You take the valve core out of the stem. This allows more air to enter the tire faster. No need for a strap.

[@MFGus-fb6up]

Saw a guy get hit in the peas once when the ratchet strap broke/came loose unexpectedly. It gets real tight real fast when tire starts taking air.😂

[@glopez9140]

Always lube the bead, so you don't mar the bead if you have to use excessive force to get it on, link on low profile tires. Good job on your first tire, a lot of apprentices don't do it as well😂. I have one of those but never used it. Yet. Great video on the mods. Def watching the bubble balancer video amd gave you a follow.

[@DavidRobinson-mx6cl]

Looks like you're modified changer is working like they should !!!!! Great job 👍

[@madgingercustoms]

We use it a lot. Working great.

[@michaelg7456]

Great job on the mods! The proper alignment of the duckhead is 1/8" above the rim and 1/8" clearance at the head and tail. It's also designed to move head first. In your design, you should rotate clockwise around the rim for a more effective job. Especially when you have stiffer sidewalls. Lube is your friend!! Use more soap percentage than water. Lube both beads before installing so you can wipe excess water from inside. The excess causes balance problems. Use caution when leaning over the center pipe in case you slip so you don't injure yourself. Never exceed 45psi when seating the bead for safety reasons! 💣🦺

[@madgingercustoms]

All solid info!! Thanks for the comment!

[@motov8-garage832]

Curious with a setup like this how would anyone be able to control an 8th inch of play in that duckbill. Theres an 8th of play or more in the arm that's holding the duckbill. Just a thought here

[@madgingercustoms]

@@motov8-garage832 Why would you need to?

[@motov8-garage832]

@@madgingercustoms I'm not sure,was hoping the O.P up top would elaborate. What I'm thinking is this 1/8 inch of clearance is so the duckbill doesnt bind up or rub tight on the rim. On a manual or "homemade" modified tire machine I dont see how you could control an 1/8" of play. I say just eye ball it, make sure it's not to tight and make it work lol👍

[@Lordskeep]

My dad has had one of these for over 30 years and it's still going strong. The only mod he has is making the bead breaker stronger. I'll have to make this modification for him. Thanks for the video!

[@madgingercustoms]

I feel it's a worthwhile mod!

[@DonaldGMyers]

I welded a piece of flat plate between the arms on the bead breaker to strengthen it. And it helped greatly

[@GenderSkins]

Little tip for mounting tires. You can use Gojo, and a cotton brush to lube the wheel. And some shops use just plain old Dawn dish washing soap, without water and sometimes a small amount of water. It’s hard to explain what the cotton brush looks like, but it’s like a larger version of the brush you see in PVC glue for welding PVC. I’ve seen some just make a brush out of a coat hanger twisted around a couple of old shop rags. I always just used Gojo, as the tire lube. Another little trick is to mount a peddle valve to the base of your tire mounting machine that allows you to use your foot, to inflate the tire while lifting the tire up with your hands.

[@mac4boys541]

I use wash and wax car wash, has some anti corrosion properties, found that dishwash can cause problems

[@RaysLaughsAndLyrics]

It's called a dish mop

[@grandam]

I use tire dressing. Armor All, Black Magic, Meguiars,etc.

[@mustangman8517]

Yeah I use a spray bottle with a little soapy water, spray the bead down on both sides inside and out, never had an issue, also makes it easy to see if the bead has sealed as the soapy water will bubble up if the bead is leaking while you are putting air in.

[@marktaylor9975]

That or you can buy the “mounting juice” from O’reillys I think we got ours from. Helps seat, “glue” and slip on. If aluminum rims you can add tire bead sealer as well, to help keep air in on the brisk mornings or temp changes.

[@ralphchristopherson782]

Finally, you have the energy to make junk better! Proud of you for experimenting with harbor freight tools. Good ole USA initiative 😅

[@madgingercustoms]

I'm revamping my Harbor Freight sheet metal brake currently.

[@billhawkins2674]

I use Bull Snot from Amazon to lube the rubber when mounting and dismounting your tires. Makes it a huge difference. Good Luck.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thank you for the suggestion. I will order it up!

[@joncable4045]

Spray bottle of dawn dish soap, lube the edges of the tire before seating it works wonders.

[@madgingercustoms]

There is dish soap in the spray bottle.

[@joncable4045]

@@madgingercustoms Yes I seen that, I was watching and posted too early. I was a tire jockey many years ago. Soap was not only good for lubrication, but helped get off the black stuff!!

[@joncable4045]

Thank you for taking the plunge. Building my retirement shop, so this helps.

[@rockymntain]

Hey Boss. The wire sticking in your MIG torch can be from several things. It can be: 1.) The copper tip of the torch has melted and the wire is sticking in the outfeed hole. Replace with a new tip. 2.) The wire feed wheel is not clamped tight enough onto the wire as it feeds. 3.) The wire feed rollers are dirty. The wire that feeds through has left impurities and causes it to be slick. Spray some brake cleaner/carb cleaner on the wheels and wipe off. 4.) Last and most costly is that the liner for the wire to the torch is worn or dirty and needs to be replaced. Hope this helps.

[@madgingercustoms]

I'll certainly look into it and thanks for the suggestions!

[@ThisyoungTony]

I've also had some cheap wires like blue demon be oversized and scrape the torch liner causing lots of buildup. Switched to a name brand wire and has been problem free since. This was also on a Lincoln mig welder.

[@jacksmith2315]

Also, not sure which lincoln welder you have, but once the wire is feeding properly, if you're not getting a good consist arc, replace the capacitor in the welder. May cheaper welders have benefited greatly doing this. Even the lincoln 110 flux core welders that were brand new.

[@Isadore123L]

Lots of valid suggestions for MIG arc sputtering. I saw one KZbin channel explain that the letters for MIG stand for Anybody Can Weld. First letter of each word is silent.

[@aaronhardway343]

This rockymntain guy is right.... Those mig welders are very moody. There are so many things going on at once for the wire to actually come out the end of your gun that the slightest little irregularity can often cause catastrophic failure with your welds. It has been my experience on most occasions that the tip has wallowed out from the constant friction and heat of the wire sliding thru it and you aren't getting the continuity of electricity between your tip and your ground so you get the result you hilariously animated at the beginning of this video. That made my day! and the little feeder wheels inside the machine do get dirty and when that happens they will just sit there and spin on the wire and occasionally catch long enough to give you a BB sized weld bead for a moment. I have used mig welders for many years and they are indeed nice machines to have.... Kind of like Gravely tractors. When they are running right they cannot be beaten but there are so many opportunities for something trivial to go wrong that it can at times be a real fight to get anything out of them but aggravation and a headache........

[@thewyattfletcher]

Casually found this video while looking for something else, and found it engaging enough to subscribe. Good ol' fashioned common sense, DIY ingenuity, garage engineering, and git'r'dun attitude. How could I not?

[@MadGingerJess]

Awesome!! 😊

[@danobrien3109]

Love the comment to Jess it ain’t oil for your taint. I almost croaked when you said that. She a great gal with a great sense of humor. Trust me buddy she had a better idea for that bar than putting that tire on. Content of your channel is entertaining Mad Ginger. Thanks for sharing your struggles😂😂 with us. 👍👍🇨🇦

[@MadGingerJess]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@samising9339]

The pop sound that you were looking for, only happens when you have modern safety rims! The 'safety bead' was developed in the late 50s and adopted as an SAE design in the early 60s, but wasn't 'required' until the late 70s, although it was adopted by pretty much every manufacturer by the late 60s.

[@madgingercustoms]

Yeah others have said similar. They seated well and haven't leaked so I think they will do fine. Thanks for watching!

[@maxironpaw]

Def worth it if only to eliminate the need for trips to the tire shop and the endless waiting that accompanies. Subbed.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for the sub!

[@bobbell5928]

Wife is a good sport. She gets a subscriber

[@buffdelcampo]

I have one of these changers. It never worked well. Now I know how to fix it. Thanks!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!

[@johngersna3263]

I really liked your modifications to the tire changer. That is something that I will need to do to my HF tire changer. I took the bead breaker off of the side and cut some square tubing (it's what i had at the time) and welded the 2 flat fins on it so that i could use the bead breaker on top. I'm old with some back problems so it is much easier to use it standing up instead of being stooped over and trying to maneuver the tire around. I did however need to slip a piece of flat bar in the top to keep it from slipping up over the center spindle. Just an idea. 👍👍

[@madgingercustoms]

That's a great idea!

[@1jimjiminy]

I like using the manual tire changer it's a good workout of muscles you don't use all the time you'll find You're going to be a little sore then your buddies can come over and do their tires too and they can get a workout plus and can spend some quality time with them and have a good times make memories living in the moment

[@madgingercustoms]

I've spent many hours hanging out in garages. It's good times!

[@1jimjiminy]

@@madgingercustoms it definitely is a good times hanging Was the guys and the gals I know women that are better wrenches on some men then most men thank you for the vid have a great day keep up a good work

[@petersack5074]

Hello, Mr Ginger. I am in process, of constructing one of these tire changers. Plan to use 2 - 3 foot railway rails, for a base, in a V formation. Weld the V's together. Weld a vertical upright, either 2 in square tubing, or 2 inch round heavy wall oilfield pipe onto flat plate, welded to rails at V point. Now pursuing other ideas ; looking around for examples, and take the best of each. Your creative inventions, at 9 - 10 time, very good. Soapy water sprayed onto the tire / bead would help reduce friction. Anyway, gathering ideas. Thanks too much ! Good luck, bro ! ( from east central Alberta )

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@job38four10]

I been meaning to do this on my Northern Tool tire changer the past couple years but money was tight and never was sure on what parts to get, your links are a big help...... I really like your wife's answer when you ask her what she needed to mount the tire, she said "hammer", that was hilarious made me laugh 🤣🤣good video thanks for posting......

[@MadGingerJess]

He uses a hammer a lot that's why I said it! 😂😂

[@JeremyStyninger]

The first old tire that you demostrated breaking the bead on had an interesting tread pattern. One I'd never seen before.

[@madgingercustoms]

Those were on my 1950 Ford Custom. They could be 60+ years old I suppose.

[@seanseoltoir]

That looks so much easier than my experience using the HF tire changer on a 275-65-20 without the "duck head" tool...

[@madgingercustoms]

Yeah I imagine this would help!

[@walter2990]

Glad that I found your video! Thank you! Now I'll be able to modify the HF tire changer to get the most out of it. I'm a Ginger, too! Loved that you involved your Ginger wife in showing us how easy it was to use! I'm now a new subscriber for your channel. Stay well, and stay thirsty my new friends!

[@madgingercustoms]

We have another video of Jess running this thing for her car tires. Its funny.

[@albyz7623]

A suggestion to help preventing the bar/ pipe used for rotating the duck head module from slipping off during use, would be: to attach a piece of flat bar or rod that's hook shaped to the end of the rotation bar, cupping around the vertical pipe section of the duck head module. There's a coloured dot on new tyres, it is positioned with the valve stem.

[@madgingercustoms]

These tires have no dots on either side. We checked all 4 of them. I thought it was odd.

[@barrygina98]

I been changing truck tires on my semi for years I just found out about the colored dot about six month ago that how you balance the tire on a big truck tire line it up and it balances the tires every time. My car tires dont have a colored dots on them.

[@JeremiG2001]

If there isn't a colored dot there will usually be a molded "dot". Typically some kind of indication to note the light point on the tire.

[@freeinwy1]

And there are dimples on rims, most times anyway. Those dimples are meant to match the dots on the tires. It’s supposed to be industry standard but they aren’t always there.

[@JeremiG2001]

@johnburton705 yeah. Typically you put the heavy point of the tire opposite the air valve on the rim as that will typically be the heavy point on the rim

[@jamesstanley5503]

Welding some plate to the bead breaker is a great idea. I've been fighting with those arms bending to holy hell the older my tire changer gets. 😍

[@madgingercustoms]

Seems much better now to be honest!

[@circuitmonkey6653]

I am also a large mammal and approve the outdoor fan method.

[@madgingercustoms]

It's needed. I'm husky.

[@repairfreak]

I honestly didn’t think I would enjoy this video as much as I did. However I found your Positive-Every-Day-Joe type personality most infectious. Your explanation of what you were doing and why was spot on. Your comic relief busted my gut on more than one occasion lol ! I could relate to, and hang with someone like you for hours messing around on crap in & around the barn. Problem is we probably would spend more time laughing and goofing off than actually getting anything productive accomplished.🤣😂 Great job man… thanks for the video. One more subscriber your way. 😎👍

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for the kind words and you're exactly right and that's why when I'm with the boys we BS more than we work!!

[@stanleyshostak2737]

The red rims with the trim ring and center cap are classic. That will look great!

[@hookedoutfitters4153]

If you mix some dish detergent and water, put it around the bead of the tire, it will help it break loose and also go back on easier lubrication that works. My daddy taught me this trick.

[@madgingercustoms]

We had dish soap in that spray bottle. Thank you for checking out the video!

[@coletrickle-km7cl]

You go gurl!!!! The more you know how to fix your own car, The more automotive and $$$$monetary$$$ freedom you have.

[@MadGingerJess]

I do learn a lot from him!!

[@MadGingerJess]

Btw, I loved you in Days of Thunder!

[@coletrickle-km7cl]

@@MadGingerJess um, everybody's got a alias on line nowadays...not my real name...unless you were joking there. I did get to sit behind the wheel of one of the nascar race car used in the movie back in the 1990's.

[@MadGingerJess]

@@coletrickle-km7cl yes I was being sarcastic 🤣🤣🤣. But I do love that movie!

[@coletrickle-km7cl]

@@MadGingerJess I've used my "omish" harbor freight pole tire changer to mount nascar goodyear eagle racing tires onto the real deal racing Areo brand black steel wheels they use in nascar.... (Joking, kind of quoting the movie):And don't hit the pace car.....😆😄

[@bobcatsmith246]

I love the F100's you have. I've had 3 different 1965 F100's back in the 1980s.

[@madgingercustoms]

Should we do more videos with them?

[@timothyhoover2121]

I bought my changer about 20 years ago and countless tires later using the tool that came with it and tire spoon. This is a slick set up. Thanks for sharing!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@bobsbarnworkshop7542]

Dude!!!! I got a hobo fright tire balancer for Christmas and haven’t messed with it until today! I saw your video a while back and watched it again today. I used a nice sharp 1/4” drill bit and drilled a little and tested over and over until the balancer wobbles almost forever! I have a set of old 5 slot aluminum mags so I can mount tires and balance and save a bunch of $$$$$! Thanks for your great balancer hack!!!!

[@madgingercustoms]

Glad it helps out!! Thanks for watching our video!

[@bobsbarnworkshop7542]

@@madgingercustoms my most popular video is using a threaded rod, some blocks of wood and my impact to break beads and mount tires! You never know what people wanna see!

[@rosalynclarke]

for people that cant fabricate Harbor Freight now sells the addition you made.Im like you I'd rather make my own I use mine for both car and motorcycle,le tires .In my area $25 a wheel .Great job !

[@madgingercustoms]

Wait really?? That's awesome!

[@madgingercustoms]

Do you have a link for that?

[@JeffreyFeyh-rb4xk]

For the bead break I would use bolts as you suggested. You could also weld a steel spacer inside. Great ideas and craftsmanship. Keep up the great work.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!!

[@geraldsmith7401]

Another note. The claw that is supposed to hold the rim to the changer. I just cut a tire sidewall into two pieces and put it between the wheel and the claw. It will prevent the claw from damaging the wheel and will hold it secure while still using the pin that came with the changer.

[@noway7476]

Nice Kimmel cameo . Strong appearing welds. Boy jove, I think he's got it. Nuff said.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@karlginn8051]

When it comes to balancing your own tires a trick I learned from the old timers when I was a professional tire man is to put 3 golf balls inside the tire when you mount it. Works like equal powder balance but better.

[@madgingercustoms]

I've never heard that ever!!! We should try it!!

[@karlginn8051]

@@madgingercustoms I don't recommend using golf balls in tires that have the pressure sensor in them, especially plus low profile tires because they may possibly damage the sensor if they repeatedly hit it. Older model/regular tire n wheel setups are fine, nothing they could possibly damage there. Remove any led weights when using this trick.

[@still-DJ]

Good job! and when you have your own equipment YOUR tire store is always open. No covid appointments needed. Weld some rod on top of your lockbolts so you can tighten bolt by hand (1 less tool to go find). I use a ratchet strap to help seat the bead on new and old tires. Again, great job.

[@madgingercustoms]

I should have welded the bolts up with some handles prior to the video but I was excited like a little kid to use it! Lol.

[@still-DJ]

@@madgingercustoms R & D does get exciting to see if it works. Awesome!

[@jeffwilliamson1134]

I’ve been looking for this particular video for years since I bought my tire changer. I’m going to do what you did to mine and finally get it back out of storage and to good use again!

[@madgingercustoms]

That's awesome! Hope it helps.

[@joey6119]

Those tire changers from harbor freight are worth there weight in gold they work so good once you learn how to use

[@yvairguy]

I was going in this direction and then found an old Coates machine for 100 dollars, 4 minute tire changes for the win!

[@madgingercustoms]

That's a win!

[@wintermachine]

I watched this a year ago. I came back to it to relearn what it is I forgot. The duckhead and cone been waiting a year lol! I also told others about this mod! This is an excellent mod. I use airsoft beads in my non-TPMS tires to balance them. They are black and the heaviest I could find.

[@madgingercustoms]

Nice!!

[@mywaymanufacturing2817]

That really does work well, I may build that

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!!

[@SvdSinner]

Quite surprised you didn't build a bigger and more stable base for it. That was the first modification I did to mine.

[@madgingercustoms]

I think the smaller foot print is fine for what I'm using it for. I can toss it in the corner of the barn.

[@jasonmorehouse3756]

You don't need a larger base when you have it bolted to concrete like he does.

[@blly8325]

Scotty Kilmer needs to watch this ! 😎

[@madgingercustoms]

He already has and commented lol.

[@josephbowles4995]

You are becoming a bona fide professional Emmanuel tire replacer

[@madgingercustoms]

Si

[@oldgeezer3269]

Great job on upgrading the tire changer it works well and thanks for sharing Jess is awesome cya on next one 👍👍

[@madgingercustoms]

Jess is awesome. Yup. Thanks for watching.

[@oldgeezer3269]

@@madgingercustoms You are very welcome 🙏

[@joncable4045]

Great ideas. One thought rather than a wrench weld a T on those nuts, just a suggestion. Like what you did here.

[@madgingercustoms]

I'll weld some Ts on those for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@KO-og9sm]

I'm impressed I've been in been a mechanic for 35 years and almost looks like you know what you're doing good job.

[@madgingercustoms]

I've seen some things lol. Thanks for watching!

[@MdmTribe]

Yeah I got the same set up from Amazon with bubble balancer I just cut a old nylon cutting board to make pieces that slide along the edge of the rim works awesome.

[@madgingercustoms]

Great idea!!

[@duane3897]

I bought a tire mounter from HF and was wondering how well it would work. Thanks to you and your video it’s looking like a good investment. Nice job!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching it!

[@damonrice8469]

She did a good job.

[@MadGingerJess]

Thank you!

[@cereus57]

Awesome mod to make a so-so unit, something that is truly user friendly! Nice work!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for checking out the video!

[@curtissheppard1996]

I have that whole set up. I'm glad I did. Absolutely love it. The balancer works great. Save so so much money on tires getting them online.

[@madgingercustoms]

The bubble balancer I just modified. Works way better now! Next video.

[@ronmurphy9819]

If you don’t try you’ll never know. I like your mods &ingenuity. Go crazy and have fun at it.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!

[@Steve-qt9ce]

Hey I watched scottie kilmer kill one of those;So it's great to see your easy mods get it up to functional. I live 70 miles from Anywhere and I need one like yours Yesterday❗ thanks brother👍🇺🇸

[@madgingercustoms]

Scotty actually commented on this video on his experience with the one he got. This mod makes it so very easy to use.

[@Steve-qt9ce]

@@madgingercustoms I vaguely remember him mentioning a video from elsewhere, but honestly I just stumbled on your feed this morning drinking coffee. Now I'm a subscribed fan! Thanks again👍🇺🇸

[@rotironwerks]

I had a Coats manual tire machine for many years. Always hated using the bar to remove or set the tire on the wheel. Your modification is a stroke of genius. Subbed and liked.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for checking out our video!

[@cynthiaharris8559]

The bubble balancer is very accurate. I used to do trooper wheels because they said that they could drive over 100 mph without vibration.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@tkalus5736]

A bubble balancer does 95% of the balance. The other 5% is to pay for the spin balancer 😂

[@dantemontoya8159]

Sully’s edit got my thumbs up 😂

[@madgingercustoms]

Thank you!

[@mikeelliott9067]

Well done Jess! Oh, and you too dad.

[@madgingercustoms]

She's 46 years old. I'm 47. Lol

[@MadGingerJess]

He's my husband! 😂😂😂

[@cayminlast]

You did a fantastic job explaining the modifications for the HF tire changer and demonstrating how it works, excellent video, thnk you.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for checking out our video!

[@solarguy6043]

The duckhead is a game changer. I catch myself telling old geezer stories lately. Back in the day when you bought a set of tires, the mounting and balancing was an extra 4 or 5 bucks a tire. These days, 20 bucks a tire is common. 30 or 40 bucks a tire is not rare. The machine pays for itself the first time you use it pretty much. Plus, you can do your tire work on your schedule.

[@mrmotofy]

I can't find a place under $40/tire if I bring them in

[@TheWillingCoyote]

Only quarter into your video yesterday and I clicked the subscribe and paused it when I free to watch. In Litchfield County, myself. I bought the HB about 2 yrs ago for fixing a JD tractor front rim that wouldn't hold air. Bolted the unit to the garage floor and wrestle with that 10-ply tire for a long time. I thought I was either going to get hurt or break the thing. Took two half days to dismount, grind, paint, and mount with a new valve. Realized the shortcomings I put the cone and duck head in my amzn list. Then last year I was able to buy a complete set of used wheels & tires with good rubber for it . Soon I could be using it for my cars, but first must get these mods done. Maybe this will push me to finally buy a welder. Hope to finish watching tonight. Enjoy the beautiful day.

[@madgingercustoms]

Well you can do this with plumbing fittings that screw together if needed and then use u clamps or muffler clamps for the vertical adjustment if you don't want to weld it.

[@tstephens128]

Glad that I found your video! 😉😋

[@madgingercustoms]

I'm glad you did too! Thanks for watching it!

[@loydheckenlively5168]

I think it's an excellent idea what you've modified. I am watching it right now and I think you're doing a wonderful job. Keep up the good work the modifications look like they're really going to work out well

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!!

[@thebanjoman1963]

Love the mods to the tire changer. I've used nothing but 'soapy wooder' to put the tires on the rims. You'll get good enough to 'throw' the tire on the rim for one side. I also loved the 'Safety Shoes" at the beginning of the clip. In my 30 years of Marriage my wife has never come to help me in the shop. Her idea of 'helping' is to hit panic button on the truck when I am laying under it changing the oil. Keep up the vids..

[@madgingercustoms]

That's hilarious!! And we did have dish soap in the spray bottle.

[@dwaynenoon6643]

Very entertaining, your instruction were OK, everybody that is invested in a vehicles that you own, you need to learn this set up. It will save you big $$$ in the end, plus a piece of mind that you , didn't scatch your paint job. Cause I have an notion that if some other guy did the work, they would scatch the paint, I just know it, it happened to my rims twice. Look forward to more from your channel 👍 Oh ...one more thing, say hi to Jess.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching and Jess says hi!

[@MadGingerJess]

Hi there! 😊

[@the1khronohs40]

I will build this! The whole thing, I guess. Save the duck head. 👍

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@m.rogers5846]

Elegant design overall. I think it would benefit from the handles you mentioned. I have the basic tire changer and some tires are just a bear to mount and dismount. Your mods would help a lot I think.

[@madgingercustoms]

Hope it helps you out. Thanks for watching.

[@larrycourtney9117]

Sand them down then put the tires on then paint afterwards. Run a little bit of tape around the outside of the rim. Don't have to worry about scratching them. I bought mine to do motorcycle tires the attachment that comes with it don't work with the motorcycle rims and tires either needs modified also. You did give me some ideas I do appreciate it!

[@brentmcgillis]

I love the parts where you are like, "Oh damn, jeez that actually works!" Great video, you do an excellent job of explaining your motives, methods and your hands on testing really shows the newbies how to put your plans into action. Nicely done, and the magicians assistant helping at the end is just icing on the backyard DIY Tire changer. Looks like I'm goin' to Harbor Freight.

[@MadGingerJess]

I like that! Magician's assistant! 😂😂

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for checking out our video!

[@dubmob151]

If the Harbor Freighticians were to add this attachment to their offerings, they would have a silk purse for sure.

[@jeffcamp481]

That was a heck of a good modification! Great job!

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for watching!

[@briananderson3620]

My buddy cemented a reciver tube into his garage floor and mounts his tire changer in it. Also uses it for his vice and small welding table

[@madgingercustoms]

Well that's a solid idea.

[@ffggxfhhvgffhgdtygxyggeyhgfhfg]

I dont know if this whole build is for me but your definitely a smart guy good job. Worked out very well

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks for checking out the video!

[@ffggxfhhvgffhgdtygxyggeyhgfhfg]

@@madgingercustoms first time watching your videos new subscriber. Thank you

[@digitalldreamer]

Nice work! Love this little tire changer super cool thanks for showing us the mods.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks! Braaaapppp

[@RenegadesGarage]

Mad Ginger Customs.. Just found your channel, new sub here. Nice modification to the manual tire changer. Now Harbor Freight needs to pay $$$ you for the design and have it in store to sell it as an upgrade to the tire changer and also start selling the new tire changers with it and charge a little extra for it.

[@madgingercustoms]

I didn't come up with this design. This has been floating around for years. This is just my version of it. Cheap and effective. Thanks for watching!!

[@glentreasure2466]

Back in the day we take a floor jack for the bumper the bottom stand fit perfectly around the rim. You put it your tire behind the bumper you put the Jack stand on top of the tire and tap it in with the hammer between the tire and the rimeject the car up and pop the tire loose after you take the valves them out that’s crazy to both sides. It’s easy and quick to.😅

[@madgingercustoms]

Solid info!! Thanks!

[@vphathom]

i think its great your wife helps you.

[@madgingercustoms]

She's a good sport.

[@tonyhoerter852]

Great idea. Just so you know you can use the duck bill for the first half of the install as well it should spin right on instead of having to wrestle it.

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks!

[@ummagowa]

Can’t wait to watch more of your stuff!

[@pawsnazzy01]

You should have had her pull on the bar instead of pushing, if the bar slips she is going to go face first into the ground or the changer. Also with the soft pliable sidewalls of the new radial tires you can just about push them on to the rims, or at least next time grab hold of the tire and spin it around and on to the rim. If you go and get a bubble balancer try splitting the weight into 2 small ones and spilt the difference, instead of a 2 oz weight in one spot use 2 -1 oz. ,one on the front and one on the backside of the rim. It worked very well in the 60's when I was young.

[@madgingercustoms]

I have the bubble balancer and I'm currently doing the video. I modified it to work amazing.

[@sheeshalready]

"You know all about this" LMAO!!! I have owned one of these for over 20 years. Used predominantly for motorcycle tires. Your mods are awesome and necessary if you want to do car wheels. Going rate in my area is $20 for mount and spin. Nice job all around 🙂

[@madgingercustoms]

Thanks checking out the video!

[@eCitizen1]

This is the best modification to the HF tire mount I've seen. BTW: There is supposed to be an alignment dot on the tire that you match up with the valve stem. This is intended to minimize the amount of balancing needed after mounting.

[@samcripes3046]

After years of balancing tires I've found those red and yellow dots to be totally useless. Always took more weight and time to balance out then it was to just ignore them and put the tire on. The end result was always the same with a smooth ride.

[@madgingercustoms]

These tires had not dots. I checked both sides. I thought it was odd.

[@eCitizen1]

@@madgingercustoms Hehe, some manufactures don't help you at all. Their attitude is for you to mount the tire and if it has a balance problem, rotate the tire 180 degrees. It's a ludicrous attitude that is simply a cost cutting measure for them. Usually red dots take priority, yellow marks the light point, red marks the runout point. It's incredibly rare to find a tire that's already well balanced or for that matter, perfectly round. I use my bubble balancer to take a stab at the balance, but if I notice vibrations on a perfectly smooth stretch of highway, I get it high-speed balanced. There is a tire balancing system that literally shaves off rubber to get a perfectly round tire (no runout), but in my opinion, it also shaves off too many miles from the life of the tire.

[@eCitizen1]

BTW: when you were walking the duck head around the tire, I expected you would put your bar into the horizontal square piece for leverage. But, perhaps there are better forces exerted down low nearer to the duck head as you are doing.

[@samcripes3046]

@@eCitizen1 thank you sir. I've seen this done and had no idea why they rotate the tire. My experience is in electrical systems and will learn more!

[@QUIX4U]

8:00 Strongly suggest pushing the tire bead down into the inner section of the rim, to allow the section you are forcing over the rim, to have as much freedom to stretch as possible, which will also save tearing the bead as you work. That's why all rims, have a middle section MUCH SMALLER than the main rim edges. Long time ago, I learnt that simple trick when changing bicycle & motorcycle tires, (with a couple of tire levers (or screwdrivers) as there was no way to rip the bead over the rim, without moving the rest of the bead, into the inner rim concave area. When I saw you doing the initial removal, it was extremely difficult as the bead was NOT in the inner (looser) area, but close to the main bead rim, hence why it seemed tight at first. Oh that and the fact that you pulled it the WRONG WAY with the red bar. You lifted the bead up above the duckbill with the silver bar this side, which meant the duckbill would have kept lifting the bead if you had placed the red bar THIS SIDE of the center and pulled the wheel around the other way. Talk about making things hard on yourself Trev. Yes it will eventually rip the bead up & over the wrong way around, with the rest of the bead HIGH up on the rim's inner surfaces. It would have been far easier, with the red bar on this side "pulling", allowing the duckbill to do the lifting, with the entire tire (halfway) down at the middle of the rim, allowing the bead to slip up & over correctly. Try it next time and wonder why you didn't read the instructions - eh?

[@madgingercustoms]

Amazing how it worked at all!

[@dustymojave]

That smaller diameter in the middle of older rims is called the "drop center". And it is there specifically for installing and removing tires.