Changing rear tire first timer

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by tyarosevich, May 28, 2018.

  1. tyarosevich

    tyarosevich New Member

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    So I sprung for a Cycle Hill tire changer after I got my 10th flat in 20k miles (pays for itself in 3 changes). I ride an '09 non ABS, and with the high underseat exhaust and SSSW, it seems like wheel removal is an absolute piece of cake for this bike. I do have two questions for those of you out here that do your own tire changes/wheel removal on a 6th gen:

    1.) Will I need to support the rear axle somehow, or will the bike be fine up on the center-stand?

    2.) How tough is it to remove those 80 ft/lb nuts? I have a fairly long torque wrench, so I'm not too concerned about installing them, but my regular socket wrench is pretty small. Is it okay to just dial the torque wrench up to 100 or so and us it for removal?

    Thanks in advance, and feel free to throw any advice my way.
     
  2. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    It will stay put just fine on the stand with the rear wheel removed.

    Unless your torque wrench specifically says it's okay, don't use it to loosen nuts and bolts. They are
    designed to be used to tighten.

    Actually the lug nuts aren't that hard to remove, I've taken mine off with the tool from the toolkit
    once. But a better thing to do is hie yourself down to HF and pick up one of their 24" breaker bars.
    Once you have it you'll be surprised how often it will com in handy.

    What are you using to balance the wheel? I recommend the Parnes Balancer. Top kit stuff.
     
  3. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    The center stand is very stable. My torque wrench can be used for both right and left hand thread fasteners, so I do use it to remove sometimes. But mine is designed to be used both ways. The other option that I would use, if it were me, is a section of pipe to extend your short socket wrench. It is 80 ft lbs for only a small part of a turn, and I have not had to use anything longer than the standard Craftsman socket wrench to remove the wheel nuts.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2019
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  4. VFR4Lee

    VFR4Lee Member

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    Yes. I use one that used to be a metal tube for a vacuum cleaner. Thinnish walls but plenty strong. So far anyway. Point is you can maybe find something laying around for a cheater bar.
     
  5. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    As mentioned, center stand works just fine. I use an 18” long breaker bar to loosen most of the high torque nuts/bolts and use the torque wrench for buttoning things up to spec. I’ve had my No-Mar/Cycle Hill changer for a few years now and it has been one of the best ROIs in my garage! I even make a few bucks on the side now and then with helping friends and forum members with their tires. Sometimes it might only cost a few IPAs!
     
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