[dcpppf]

What are you trying to use currently? Just curious.

You can get real creative with a floor or bottle jack in a pinch. I contemplated trying a bottle jack on the rubber but under the truck hitch, but never did give it a shot. I know a lot of folks will use a 6' 2x4 and wedge it under a truck frame and use that to push a shorter 18" section of 2x4 to break the bead. But that usually takes a friend and is pretty sketchy.

I wish I had pics of what I fab'd up handy because I can't find the link that inspired it. I went to home depot and bought some square steel tube and a short el bracket. Ended up cutting/drilling and mounting my wedge to a stud in my shed and it works like a charm. Breaking the beads on the FZ used to be an utter nightmare.

I was thinking that the lip of the tire sat on one of the "legs" of the HFT changer when you used the bead breaker though. Will it not "pinch" from both sides or does it just push against the floor?

this one looked pretty cut and dry haha.

 

[dcpppf]

Yeah i tried clamps too on my first go around... no luck for me either. and yup that video is what i was trying to explain with the 6' long 2x4 haha. much more elegant than balancing it on top of a shorter piece of wood though lol. Nice and simple!

You're definitely on the right track with heat though. if you aren't dousing with soapy water I'd suggest that too. it's never worked well for me mounting a tire, but seems to help out for breaking the bead.

 

[dcpppf]

I use the motion pro bead breaker. Just go around the tire a few times and it breaks lose if you wet the tire really well. Sometimes you can't always get it to break in one spot and have to move a little and try again. I've also used a few 2x4's in the past to break the bead under the bottom of a car by using the car bottom as a platform (not driving or anything). Haven't had to do that with the correct tools. I did use the HF tire changer and IMO that thing is junk, so much easier to do it with the tire on the ground.

You watch your tone sir... Jk. with a few small upgrades (that cost double or triple the cost of the changer itself) I have had great luck with mine!