Hand truck - aid 4 mounting tires (1 Viewer)

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80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
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Not sure if anyone else has tried this, but it works so well for me I thought I'd share the idea. The older we get, the harder it is to get some things done that we used to not even think twice about doing. And I'm sure that upgrading from the original 31" tires to 35" tires, since they're heavier, made my problem worse. One thing that was getting extremely tough to do was while rotating tires, was lifting the tire the 4" or so from the ground to the axle. So one time, for some reason that I can't remember, I had my hand truck outside by where I was mounting the tires, I got the idea to see if it would help to accomplish this task. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised! It makes it so easy and it takes all the strain off my back.
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Here's how I do it: First, have the hand truck within easy reach. Then, place the tire you are mounting with the back of the wheel touching the end of the axle. Look through the holes in the wheel to make sure the wheel is lined up and all you have to do is raise it up to get it on the axle. Place the hand truck with the lifting blade about an inch in depth, under the tire. (Don't try to get the whole blade under the tire - all you need is an inch) Jam your foot on the hand truck's axle, between it's tires so it can't move backward. With one hand pull the top of the hand truck outwards, lifting the tire and with the other hand guide the tire you are mounting onto the end of your vehicle's axle. The back of the wheel will be guided by the end of the axle, so there is very little effort needed to pop the wheel onto the end of the axle. Front axles and full floating rears make it easy just to get it on the hub, then you can jockey it around to line up the lugs and push it the rest of the way on to start your lug nuts. But even if it's a semi float axle, you can rotate the wheel before you lift it so lug holes in the wheel will line up with the axle studs and when you lift it up you can just push the wheel onto the studs. This has made the job for me, so much easier. One thing that you will need, though is room around your rig, so you can tilt the hand truck when you're lifting the tires. Might not be able to do this in a tight garage or crowded driveway or parking lot. Hope this makes your tire mounting chores easier :cheers:
 
Another crazy trick is to just jack it perfectly, then you don't have to lift at all. Just slides on.
Whatever floats your boat. I prefer to lift the tire so it seats squarely & is centered for lug tightening- it's the way I was taught. Sure, you can slide it on and then jack it up a few notches, but then you're running back & forth. To each their own :cheers:
 
The tire shop guys use long spoon bars. But as you say, as we get older..
I could never do it the way they could. Good idea with the hand truck, have to see
how it works.
 
The tire shop guys use long spoon bars. But as you say, as we get older..
I could never do it the way they could. Good idea with the hand truck, have to see
how it works.
As we get older, we're supposed to get smarter or wiser.🧐 And this is just a matter of leverage. To lift the tire a few inches - the hand truck, although it's designed for a different purpose, does the job adequately. The heavier the tire, the more you'll appreciate not having to strain your back. Don't overthink it, all you're doing is lifting the tire onto the axle. Placing the tire close, with the wheel touching the end of the axle, guides it as you're lifting it along with your free hand and it actually just pops on to the end of the axle. Final alignment for the lugs is accomplished by rotating the wheel until you see the studs through the holes and then just push it on to the studs. Also, don't concern yourself with trying to get the whole depth of the hand truck's blade under the tire. All that's needed is an inch or so - enough to raise it. The axle will prevent the tire from scooting away from you. And with your foot, you keep the bottom of the hand truck from moving out or away from the rig. The hand truck pivots off your foot as you pull the top away from the rig. The 1st time I did it, I was surprised it was so easy.
 
Picture just because I did actually use it. Super easy and eliminated the lift-and-rotate-with-toes technique that my back does not enjoy.....
Glad it helped! Now I just have to figure an easier way to lift the spare back on to the swing arm, which is as hard or worse than mounting one on an axle.:hmm:
 

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