Portable Off-Highway Manual Tire Changing!

For decades we have sublet tire service. We ended that with Gaither Tool Company products. Manual tools and equipment now enable us to change tires at our shop. We can even perform tire service by the side of a remote trail.

Our first Gaither Tool Company product was a Winntec Tire Dolly. Searching for a way to rotate and move our 102 pound Raceline wheels with a Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT 37″x12.5″x17″ tires. This was a cost effective solution that makes moving and installing tires simpler and safer.

Hand service tools are available for passenger car, van, truck and powersports tires. With basic fabrication work, we transformed a Gaither 12772 Manual Tire Changer into portable equipment for dismounting and mounting tires in the back country, at a motocross race pit or even a roadside rest.

*The Moore-Safe® air-over-hydraulic 20-ton jack became the next Gaither addition to our shop. These jacks are portable and able to support a 4×4 beam axle in a sturdier, safer way.*

*For dismounting and mounting tires at your shop, Gaither offers the 12772 Manual Tire Changer. This package includes a well engineered, adjustable clamping rack for powersports tires.*

These components are part of the Gaither 12772 Manual Tire Changer. Our how-to coverage includes details and steps for using this equipment. Ideal for motorcycle, ATV, UTV, passenger car and smaller utility tires, the Gaither 12772 Manual Tire Changer stand was able to support our Jeep® XJ Cherokee’s oversized 32.8″ inch, light truck Load Range E (LRE) tires.

This tire rack (at left) is perfect for motorcycle rims and tires! The rack will also handle light utility wheels and tires. We clamped the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX™ LT255/85R16 tires directly to the 12772 Manual Tire Changer post.

Our band saw, MIG welder and 1/2-inch drill motor went to work here. We modified the Gaither 12772 Manual Tire Changer to work at a remote site. The changer can be anchored to a shop floor or, with the fabrication/modifications we illustrate, this equipment can be attached to a receiver hitch.

We modified the Gaither 12772 Manual Tire Changer for portable use. The components break down quickly, optimal for toting the tire changer to a 4×4 off-road event, hare-and-hound race or the motocross pits. For light tires and use as intended, this machine works very well. We pushed the 12772 Manual Tire Changer to its limit while changing out our 10-ply, Load Range E rated tires!

In the instructional video coverage, see how Gaither’s manual and air operated equipment has enhanced our shop’s capability and independence. We can stow these tools in an off-road utility trailer, ready to service tires at a remote campsite or along an overland trail. If a 4×4 has sufficient on-board air capacity, these shop tools can create a portable tire shop in the field.

This unique tool is the Gaither Pneumatic Bead Breaker. Able to break beads on steel commercial truck rims, agricultural wheels and off-highway equipment, the portable Bead Breaker makes quick work of this tire service chore!

Wheels with a rolled outer flange lip, typical of steel wheels, are easier to grip. These alloy wheels have a slight roll-up lip on the inner casting, and this helps. The front face of the rim, however, is flat with a thin edge. Pushing the thick, seated Load Range E sidewalls downward enough for the tool’s beak to dive under the rim’s thin flange lip proved challenging.

*Here we mount the new tire, continually wetting the bead and rim with Gaither’s Slick ‘Em. In our coverage, you will see how traditional hand tire irons can get the job done.*

Gaither Tool Company supplies equipment to the commercial truck tire industry. Gaither tools also work well for automobile and light truck service shops. These tools are cost effective and can meet the needs of serious DIY techs and 4×4 enthusiasts.

The Gaither Bead Bazooka® makes simple work of tire bead seating. In seconds, this tool’s blast of air can expand and seat stiff truck tire beads! For details, watch how our shop put the Bead Bazooka® 9-liter unit to work. We seated tire beads on five tires in minutes…Seeing is believing!

This is the Gaither GT12-1US Manual Spin Balancer. For highway tires, service always includes wheel and tire balancing. The blue Bead Locks are also a Gaither Tool exclusive, a pair of clamping devices that make manual tire changing a one-person task!

Note: See the GT12-1US in operation at: https://4wdmechanix.com/how-to-gaither-gt12-1us-precision-tire-balancing/

*Our Jeep® XJ Cherokee’s latest test is* *on- and off-highway* Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX™ Load Range E tires. (Click for tire details at the official Cooper Tires website. Also see our complete Discoverer® S/T MAXX™ tire test coverage at the magazine.) For our XJ Cherokee and its 6-inch long arm chassis lift, we chose the LT255/85R16 size with 32.8-inch diameter. Accurate tire testing demands proper mounting and balancing on straight, correct width rims. The Jeep’s wheel alignment and air pressures will be monitored to provide a valid tire evaluation.

In our next how-to video coverage, we demonstrate the versatile and portable Gaither GT12-1US manual tire balancer. The accuracy of this hand-spin, computer based tire balancer is optimal for testing tires. For our shop’s in-house tire service, manual spin balancing is a sensible alternative. The compact GT12-1US balancer stores neatly between uses.

For information on the full line of Gaither tire service tools and shop equipment visit:

https://www.gaithertool.com

See the precision balancing of these tires in the HD video coverage of our Gaither GT12-1US Manual Spin Tire Balancer! When tests are complete, expect a detailed, thorough evaluation of the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX™ tires.

Bead Bazooka Cooper Tires dismounting tires DIY Gaither 12772 Gaither Bead Breaker Gaither Tool HD video how-to manual tire changer mounting tires Pneumatic Bead Breaker S/T MAXX tire irons tire service video welding and fabrication

Change Tires at Your Shop or a Remote Site

Portable Off-Highway Manual Tire Changing!

For information on the full line of Gaither tire service tools and shop equipment visit:

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