Changing the tyres

Flippin' eck. Had to change 2 tyres today, and it took all day. I'm talking about changing the actual tyres on the rims, not just swapping the wheels around, and I've not done it before. I thought I'd better get some practise sharpish, so rather than pop down Bagshot Tyres & Exhausts, I did it myself. The tyres are tubed crossplys, so you have to break the bead both sides, lever one end of the tyre off the rim, get the tube out, get the other end away from the rim, and pop it off. Sounds straightforward, but you just try it! Breaking the bead was actually quite easy (I used the bottle jack under a spring hanger to jack the weight of the truck onto the side of the tyre), getting the outer edge of the tyre off the wheel was very hard, and getting the other edge away from the rim was also pretty tricky.

Thanks to Maurice next door for helpful advice (washing up liquid was an inspiration), moral support and wielding a tyre lever. The second one was much easier than the first, so at least now I think I'll be able to cope with it in the heat of the desert if I have to.

2 more new tyres are arriving next week. But now I've proved the point, I might just ask Bagshot Tyres if they'll do it for me!