We have already established that a home tire machine can quickly prove it’s worth. Some accessories can come in handy… but some are essential. 

Hopefully any machine you purchase will have all it’s original parts…. specific arms, clamps, etc. If they are missing, some of them can be surprisingly expensive. Make sure they are included or that the lack of them is reflected in the price.

You don’t need to go crazy or spend hundreds on accessories, but some may also be worth their weight in gold.

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ESSENTIAL items: –

Without these, you aren’t getting the job done.

11) Some sort of tire lube – Hairspray, Soapy Water (dismount), or legit tire mount lube.

There are several commercial tire lubricants available on the internet, they work well…

Getting a commercial lube is on my list, but so far I’ve had success with simply using Hairspray. It gives you some time to install the tire, but dries tacky and actually helps prevent the tire from spinning on the rim slightly during braking.

For tire removal, a drop or two of dish soap in a cheap water spray bottle works just fine.

10) Schrader valve removal tool – Often forgotten until the last minute, removing the tire valves is necessary for dismounting tires. The little multi-tool in some bicycle tire repair kits can work, but a screwdriver-style one is much nicer to use. Pro-tip: buy a few because these things somehow disappear for weeks on end.

Awpeye 4 Pack Valve Core Remover Tool, Dual Single Head Tire Repair Tools

9) Valve Stem Installer – Replacing rubber valve stems often is cheap insurance against annoying leaks. Don’t forget a tire valve installing lever… Installing new valves takes like 2 seconds and is oddly satisfying with these tools.

Rubber Booted Valve Stem Puller/Installer

8) Rubber Valve Stems – Keep a stockpile of these around for obvious reasons. I change the racecar tires so often I don’t do these ever time… but you never want to be caught without any while doing a set of tires.

Black Rubber Valve Stems TR413 30mm (100 Pieces)

7) Balancing Weights – Obviously these are essential for balancing. Many modern alloy wheels aren’t designed for old style hammer-on weights so you’re basically stuck with adhesive weights.

1 Box of Wheel Weights | 1/4 Oz (0.25) | Stick-on Adhesive Tape | 144 Oz 576 Pcs

6) Wheel Weight Plier/Hammer – Even if you aren’t doing much with clip-on rim edge weights, chances are, you’ll see them occasionally. These pliers make it Significantly easier to remove and install the weights.

Wheel Weight Plier/Hammer Tool

5) Tire spoons – Your machine may come with these, but often shops hold onto old ones (Because they’re very useful). Some small ones from Amazon worked okay, but Harbor Freight carries a 24″ spoon for cheap that has been awesome.

24″ General Purpose Tire Iron – Harbor Freight

12″ Tire Iron Set (3)

4) Tire bead clamps – I started with blocks of wood, but ultimately, the shape (And lack of splinters) of these makes them worth the investment. If you aren’t sure what they do, they help depress the tire below the bead so the machine can finish pulling the tire onto the rim.

Auto Tire Bead Clamp

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Helpful items:

These may not save or ruin your day, but they’re not expensive and are nice to have around:

3) Rim protectors – The Coats2020 Tire Changing Machine that I have was designed nearly 50 years ago to replace tires on plain steel wheels. I wouldn’t necessarily call it “gentle” on modern painted aluminum wheels. Some strategically placed rim protector pieces on various components (especially the bead breaker) can prevent (or minimize?) damage to wheels… Sure they’re track wheels but you don’t want to go destroying them… not to mention I do plenty of daily driver wheels as well.

Rim Savers

2) Nylon Cone Center Post Protector – Center post machines clamp hard on the center bore of the wheels. A nylon shield may help avoid scratching and peeling paint.

Tire Changer Machine Protective Nylon Cone Cover Shield

1) wax crayon – Wax crayons are helpful all around the garage. Marking weight locations, marking tires, etc.

White Tire Marking Crayons, Box of 12

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