Changing tires on the big truck

About 8 years ago a friend of mine gave me a set of 6 tires on Dayton rims for my old Dodge truck. Tires have been in the barn ever sense gathering dust and being I got caught back up I thought today would be a good day to change them. The 4 back tires were new full cap recaps and 2 new steer tires. Now the last time I had 2 tires but on one side was 1993 and the other side and front was 1990 all done at the tire shop (closed up 8 years ago). No tire shop for 25 miles so I have to take them off the old way, By hand. The 1/2" impact did nothing so I get the 3/4" braker bar out and 4' pipe and an hour later I had one side loose. Left the nuts on and tapped the wedges and they came loose no problem and changed the tires out and snugged them up. Went to the other side and 3 hours later I had the lugs loose, Man they were tight real tight! I did the same thing and left the nuts on and started to tap on the wedges and nothing moved. Hummmm. Did them again and still nothing moved. Got the sledge hammer and hit the outside of the rim and BOOM. If I had not left the nut on the wedges that rim and tire would have shot off the truck. This is one of the reasons the tire place closed up. The last tires I had put on the truck they did it with a 1" impact and tighten them till the wedges bottomed out flat on the axel.

Got them off the truck and put the new ones on only to find that I needed a new spacer ring because it had been crushed, Now they wont tighten up. Those rings are not easy to find now like they use to be. Got lucky I found one in the crib and used it. My cousin stopped by with his dump truck and his big impact to tighten and check to make sure the wheels were true and strait. Once I got everything put up I realized how tired I was and the fact the it had been 8 hours sense I started this little project. My cousin asked me if I was going to come down to his place tomorrow and help him put 4 tires on the grain trailer, I guess if I can move in the morning. He LOL and said just kidding, I have the tire guy come out to do it. He said he couldn't believe I was doing this at home, I said I cant afford the tire man coming out to change mine that's why I'm doing it myself as I have more time than money. Tomorrow morning I will wish I had called the tire guy, But I am not afraid to work like this but it's getting harder the older I get. Oh the things we do to save some money. Bandit

Now you will need to spend some at the chiropractor. LOL

Remember to tighten those Dayton wheels up after you drive them awhile. They really do not need to be no way near as tight as the last tire guy had them.

I hope you have good luck with those recaps. I have been having trouble on recapped tires that are not used often. I ran them on the semis when we ran them everyday and I had very few issues. Now that the trucks set for weeks/months at a time, just about all of the recaps have separated.
I have just started watching the salvage yards for good used tries. I can usually buy a set of 11rx22.5 for $150-175 for a tire with 50% or more life left.

20inch tires are getting hard to find out here. Nothing but container trailers use them much any more.



An yes, you will "feel" those tire changes in the morning. Better load up on pain pills tonight.

22.5's will fit right on those hubs. I've done it many times. not on just my trucks but on others too. That Dayton wheel will carry more weight than Budds will all week long.
JD is right they don't nned to be that tight.
The trick to getting them straight is to not tighten them up one at a time but as a unit. Start with a top one or 2 depending on what is there then move to an opposite one As you tighten them up. Also set something beside the edge of the tread and turn them.
Good looking tires.

This is one of those trucks that dose not see all that much time on the road, Last year I would bet it didn't get 400 miles on it or less. I would like to put 22.5 on it but when you have a set sitting there its hard not to use them. This truck still had 8.25x20 on it and the tires I put on the back are 9.00x20 so no real difference there. The old tires still had plenty of tread but they are dry routed from sitting I guess. I have a manure spreader that needs 2 tires so I guess I'll use them on it, They should work good for that.

Felt good this morning, Not to sore till I sneezed and my back popped now I am stiff and stowed up. Must be going to rain today by the way it feels now, This getting old is for the birds! Bandit

I changed my own tires when I had my own truck. Now I probably do one a day now. I found the full caps would run hotter than the top caps. This was running at speed loaded to the max. I think you'll dry rot those before you run them out too.