[Rob Doe]

I have been mounting and dismounting our tires by hand, using a single, padded tire spoon. The tires on our coupe, until recently, were 15 years old. I used techniques found in the Ford Model A Instruction Book to remove and replace old with new 19x4.75-550 radials.

Using two 24" pieces of wooden 4x4s placed on the floor to protect the wheel, spokes and hub cap, I've been able to stand on the tire (a hand on the work bench for balance) and break the beads free with my boots. Place the 4x4s under the outer edges of the wheel to give full support and clearance to the spokes. Some use a wooden box with a hole in the center for this. Others use a bead breaker tool, homemade or purchased, which applies leveraged pressure directly to the tire bead. The 4x4s cost little and are easily stored.