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Old 01-19-2021, 05:32 PM   #1
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Bad backs and tire changing.

Worst case scenario. You have a flat on a rear tire (or any tire) and your only option is to change it yourself. To reach the lug nuts on a dual wheel set up, you need an extension for your lug socket and an impact wrench or breaker bar. For purposes of this discussion, you do not have an operational impact wrench. So how can you stabilize the breaker bar end of the extension so you can loosen and retighten the lug nuts? I have seen a number of approaches to this problem here on iRV2. Some of them are real works of art made out of wood or metal with notches and very nicely finished. I have none of the skills needed to make one of those so I fabricated an erector set model.
I used box tubing with punched holes from Lowes and a pin set from Harbor Freight. The two sizes of box tubing are 1 1/2" and 1 1/4". The pins are 5/16". These are all off the shelf items and just happen to work well with each other. The combination of holes and pins give me height flexibility to keep the extension horizontal with the lug nuts. The base gives me stability forward and rear with some flex for positioning. The top of the vertical piece is non-scratching and can be leaned against the rig if needed.
Disclaimer: I have 19.5 10 lug wheels/tires on my rig. 140/150 ft. lbs. of torque needed to tighten. I would not attempt to change a larger spare without help.
I carry a mounted spare that I can lever down to the ground courtesy of Road Master, and then roll the spare to its new assignment.
Again, my first choice would be to call in road service. But sometimes.........
Thoughts and suggestions?
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Old 01-19-2021, 05:44 PM   #2
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Looks like a good rig. The only possible suggestion would be to put hooks instead of the straight pins to help eliminate the extension slipping, but I really don't think it would be necessary. Just make sure you are turning the top of the extension into the upright and I think you will be fine. Neat tool.
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Old 01-19-2021, 06:01 PM   #3
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Very creative and nicely done. I carry a huge metal pipe and breaker bar and torque multiplier and a Milwaukee 3/4 impact and 2 truck tire irons and a huge tire hammer along with a non mounted spare. I'm ready if I can't get help.
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Old 01-19-2021, 06:18 PM   #4
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Nice job. I carry a selection of 2x6's for under the tires to level the RV out that will double as an extension stabilizer if the occasion arises. At home, I just use my jack stand.
My 19.5 10 lugs require 145 ft lbs initial, then finished off at 175 ft lbs. Wonder why the difference?
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Old 01-19-2021, 06:34 PM   #5
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Well, I remove the 22.5 inch tires on my coach using a torque multiplier and a tire dolly. Lugs are torqued at 450 ft-lbs and tires weigh in at over 200 pounds. The tire dolly makes easy work out of removing and installing there tires.
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Old 01-19-2021, 06:39 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Iron View Post
Worst case scenario. You have a flat on a rear tire (or any tire) and your only option is to change it yourself. To reach the lug nuts on a dual wheel set up, you need an extension for your lug socket and an impact wrench or breaker bar. For purposes of this discussion, you do not have an operational impact wrench. So how can you stabilize the breaker bar end of the extension so you can loosen and retighten the lug nuts? I have seen a number of approaches to this problem here on iRV2. Some of them are real works of art made out of wood or metal with notches and very nicely finished. I have none of the skills needed to make one of those so I fabricated an erector set model.
I used box tubing with punched holes from Lowes and a pin set from Harbor Freight. The two sizes of box tubing are 1 1/2" and 1 1/4". The pins are 5/16". These are all off the shelf items and just happen to work well with each other. The combination of holes and pins give me height flexibility to keep the extension horizontal with the lug nuts. The base gives me stability forward and rear with some flex for positioning. The top of the vertical piece is non-scratching and can be leaned against the rig if needed.
Disclaimer: I have 19.5 10 lug wheels/tires on my rig. 140/150 ft. lbs. of torque needed to tighten. I would not attempt to change a larger spare without help.
I carry a mounted spare that I can lever down to the ground courtesy of Road Master, and then roll the spare to its new assignment.
Again, my first choice would be to call in road service. But sometimes.........
Thoughts and suggestions?
Well Sir,
Not bad, not bad at all. As you, and more than likely everyone reading here already know, there's probably around what, maybe less than 1% of the diesel RV pilots out there and oh, maybe less than even 5% of the gas RV pilots that not only are willing to change a tire on the road, but, have the proper tools to do such a task. Way over the majority will open the wallet and flip out a credit card for this job to be done or, if they're lucky, they've got a rescue plan for such a thing, already in place.

I don't plan on changing any or repairing any of our 22.5" wheels and tires while out on the road. But, at home, that's a different story. I have one of the infamous torque multipliers that make removing the 450 ft. lb. lug nuts, childs play. Heck, even the wife sat down and did it with one arm. Once all the lug nuts are off, I use a tire dolly to handle removing (and re-installing) the 140 lb. tires and wheels off the coach.

Now, when it comes time to tighten the lugs, well, I created something very similar but, a bit on the smaller scale. Yours is metal, mine is wood but, they both accomplish the same goal, to support the extension of either a breaker bar or torque wrench. I took into account, the lowest level-line lug nut, and the highest level-line lug nut on my wheels and, basically cut support slots to accommodate everything in between those measurements. As you cans see, the slots on the left side are not in the same horizontal plane as the ones on the right. The wood is Alder and of course, is a hard wood.

Even though it's a hard wood, I still decided to cut the slots at different heights, on opposite sides of the tower, so that there was enough *meat* (wood) to support the tremendous load of a 4' long click type torque wrench, applying 450 ft. lbs. of torque on the extension. So, no matter what height an individual lug nut is at above the floor, ONE of those slots is gonna be lined up with it to support my 3/4" x 15" extension. Below are pics of my truck tire dolly, my torque multiplier and my wooden invention.
Scott

https://www.vevor.com/products/tire-...20group%20%231
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Old 01-19-2021, 06:42 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by US1 View Post
Nice job. I carry a selection of 2x6's for under the tires to level the RV out that will double as an extension stabilizer if the occasion arises. At home, I just use my jack stand.
My 19.5 10 lugs require 145 ft lbs initial, then finished off at 175 ft lbs. Wonder why the difference?
I have not seen the 175 number before. Interested in where it came from. Highest I've seen is 150.
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Old 01-19-2021, 07:24 PM   #8
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Well Scott, yours doesn't count. Obviously you are using a brand new very shinny scale plastic model of a tire in your pictures. I mean, who has tires and tools that are that shinny in real life???? Shoot I don't even see any scratches! My Daddy always said "you can tell a good mechanic my the number of scratches and dings on his tools. If you see nothing but fabulous new looking tools he ain't doing much wrench turning". Is that true?

BTW, my tire dolly is the same as yours, but it is all beat up and used looking! Dad bought it for me back in 2000 for $26.99 when I bought my first diesel pusher. He was watching me remove a tire so I could clean the S Cam and he said "you are working too hard. Come with me to the Northern store and let me show you something.
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Old 01-20-2021, 12:18 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Iron View Post
Worst case scenario. You have a flat on a rear tire (or any tire) and your only option is to change it yourself. To reach the lug nuts on a dual wheel set up, you need an extension for your lug socket and an impact wrench or breaker bar. For purposes of this discussion, you do not have an operational impact wrench. So how can you stabilize the breaker bar end of the extension so you can loosen and retighten the lug nuts? I have seen a number of approaches to this problem here on iRV2. Some of them are real works of art made out of wood or metal with notches and very nicely finished. I have none of the skills needed to make one of those so I fabricated an erector set model.
(text deleted for brevity)
Thoughts and suggestions?
Watched youtube the OTHER DAY (75# ORIENTAL FEMALE) CHANGE 18-WHEELER TIRE?) w/ 1-inch pneumatic impact and a 5-ft+/- prybar to lift/ manipulate/ position the wheel/ tire assembly?
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Old 01-20-2021, 12:50 AM   #10
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Interesting thread, but I think I will stick with my impact wrench
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Old 01-20-2021, 06:21 AM   #11
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OP, good thing it’s a 19.5 as the handle is to short and the extension to long for a 22.5.
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Old 01-20-2021, 06:32 AM   #12
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Very nice setup! I always appreciate innovative “home made” solutions to problems. My back is still OK so all I need is a 1/2” drive x 16” flex handle to remove or install my 19.5” wheels but at some point that could change. A tire dolly looks great but perhaps would only work well if your tire went flat on smooth and level concrete. I carry a 12” flat pry bar and a few wood blocks to rotate the tire into lug alignment position. I can steady the tire with both hands and use my foot to “inch” the tire CW or CCW using the pry bar and appropriately sized block. I carry a mounted spare tire on a Roadmaster hitch mounted carrier.
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Old 01-20-2021, 07:20 AM   #13
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Well Sir,
Not bad, not bad at all. As you, and more than likely everyone reading here already know, there's probably around what, maybe less than 1% of the diesel RV pilots out there and oh, maybe less than even 5% of the gas RV pilots that not only are willing to change a tire on the road, but, have the proper tools to do such a task. Way over the majority will open the wallet and flip out a credit card for this job to be done or, if they're lucky, they've got a rescue plan for such a thing, already in place.

I don't plan on changing any or repairing any of our 22.5" wheels and tires while out on the road. But, at home, that's a different story. I have one of the infamous torque multipliers that make removing the 450 ft. lb. lug nuts, childs play. Heck, even the wife sat down and did it with one arm. Once all the lug nuts are off, I use a tire dolly to handle removing (and re-installing) the 140 lb. tires and wheels off the coach.

Now, when it comes time to tighten the lugs, well, I created something very similar but, a bit on the smaller scale. Yours is metal, mine is wood but, they both accomplish the same goal, to support the extension of either a breaker bar or torque wrench. I took into account, the lowest level-line lug nut, and the highest level-line lug nut on my wheels and, basically cut support slots to accommodate everything in between those measurements. As you cans see, the slots on the left side are not in the same horizontal plane as the ones on the right. The wood is Alder and of course, is a hard wood.

Even though it's a hard wood, I still decided to cut the slots at different heights, on opposite sides of the tower, so that there was enough *meat* (wood) to support the tremendous load of a 4' long click type torque wrench, applying 450 ft. lbs. of torque on the extension. So, no matter what height an individual lug nut is at above the floor, ONE of those slots is gonna be lined up with it to support my 3/4" x 15" extension. Below are pics of my truck tire dolly, my torque multiplier and my wooden invention.
Scott

https://www.vevor.com/products/tire-...20group%20%231
After seeing your wooden arrow head ivvention for wrench support i made one had to use it a couple month ago it worked great couple hrs and cheap.
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Old 01-20-2021, 09:52 AM   #14
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Well Scott, yours doesn't count. Obviously you are using a brand new very shinny scale plastic model of a tire in your pictures. I mean, who has tires and tools that are that shinny in real life???? Shoot I don't even see any scratches! My Daddy always said "you can tell a good mechanic my the number of scratches and dings on his tools. If you see nothing but fabulous new looking tools he ain't doing much wrench turning". Is that true?

BTW, my tire dolly is the same as yours, but it is all beat up and used looking! Dad bought it for me back in 2000 for $26.99 when I bought my first diesel pusher. He was watching me remove a tire so I could clean the S Cam and he said "you are working too hard. Come with me to the Northern store and let me show you something.
Hey Pete,
Well, yeah, a couple of my tools are "shiny" but, the rest, like your dads, have been through the war. That 3/4" drive stuff you see, gets used oh, maybe once or twice a year, depending on how energetic I am. And, when it does involve 3/4" drive stuff, I'm NOT very energetic! As for the tire dolly, a buddy and I both bought the only two of those, at one of those super cheap Chinese tool sales places in Quartzsite, during the RV event, several years ago. We got them for $29 each!

Since then, other than the link I posted, it's very tough to find those for under a hundred bucks. Both my buddies and mine were/are adjustable for various situations. I knew I'd only be using it on the large, heavy tires and wheels of the coach so, I adjusted it for those and then, welded all the joints and repainted it where it was welded.

Knowing how well those truck tire dollies work, if I didn't have one and planned on doing this kind of work, I'd pay a hundred in a heartbeat. In case anyone looking at these didn't notice, there are ROLLERS on each side that support the tire. And those rollers allow for you to rotate the tire, clockwise or counter clockwise to align the lug nuts. That coupled with the ease at which it is to actually use one arm to lift a 150 lb tire and wheel, makes owning one of these dollies a must!

Of course you can jury-rig something to assist in that chore but, having a tool that's made for that, and makes life REAL EASY, is to me, the only way to go.
Scott
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