Rear tire change on a lift / Safety ?

[motorhogman]

I have been changing bike tires on frame lifts for decades. I now have a HF lift, and two wide deck scissor jacks.  I changed the front tire last summer on the lift without any issue. Easiest wheel R&R ever.   Used 1 scissor jack and used the old HF tire chock to stabilize the rear wheel with the front jacked up.

I'm a little concerned about doing the rear. Seems the rear will have to be jacked up pretty high to remove the wheel ? I have a good front chock ( clamps the front wheel). Titan brand I think.

I have an array of ratcheting tie downs. Maybe use them to stabilize the front of the bike once jacked up ?

Considered using both scissor jacks and jacking up the front and rear ? 

The lift does have a drop out plate but I don't see me using that method by myself.

Any advise would be appreciated.


 

[Fugawee]

Funny You should ask...

A Buddy of Mine's 2012 FLTR was just here yesterday for a Service, and a Rear Tire replacement.
I have Frame Lifts, and a Handy Table Lift without a Drop Out Panel.
I can't speak for a HF Table Lift.
His Bike was on the Table Lift with the Front Wheel in the Vice, as well as secured up front with Ratchet Belts.
I have a Scissor Jack from a Ford F-650 that I had a piece of Flat Steel welded to the top of it, with a Rubber Pad on the flat part for sitting under the Frame.
That Jack will extend upward to 21".  Not that I hardly ever stretch it out that far.
So, I use the Table Lift set up like I mentioned, then raise the Rear with the Scissor Jack.
The Bike goes nowhere.  Once the Bike is at the desired level, I use two additional Ratchet Belts going from the Rear Passenger Footboard/Pegs Mounts for Safety reasons going to the Table Lift.
That way the Bike doesn't get too "Squirrely" when muscling the Wheel around.
I also find it easier to remove the Right-Side Muffler so You can somewhat pivot the Wheel/Tire off and on the Bike with some additional clearance.
I also remove the Rear Brake Caliper and just move it out of the way for the same reason.
If His Bike hadn't already been on the Table Lift...I would have used a Frame Lift.
I'm not saying that My way is the right way...but it works for Me.
Good Luck.

I'm not bad mouthing a HF Table Lift, but the ones that I have seen appear to have a narrower stance to them compared to other Table Lifts that I have seen.  Stance meaning the footprint of the Lift that are on the floor.  I might get a little nervous about the movement of the Bike and the Lift while moving the Wheel/Tire around.   In other words...top heavy.
But it's Your Lift, and I'm sure that You know better than Me.

[Tom H]

Do what Fugawee wrote. I do the rear mostly the same way on a lift.

Tom

[fleetmechanic]

  You also don't need to remove the belt guard. There is enough slack once the axle is out to let the sprocket come off the belt.

[Hossamania]

I pull the axle with the scissor jack under the bike, wheel on the table, then slowly jack the bike while working the wheel out. The '12 is a lot of wheel compared to the '01.
No dropout, so old school.

[Leed]

I've pulled the rear tire a few times on my lift without any problems. I do have the drop out plate and had to move the front wheel clamp back so the rear tire was centered over the plate. I used an old scissor Jack to support the bike. It really wasn't too hard to do by myself but if you have a buddy to help you lower the wheel and lift it back up so you can put the plate back in it would be easier.

[lilchief]

I changed the tires on my Evo fatboy last summer. Used a scissor jack while the bike was in the ground to do the front, then put the bike on the HF table lift & used the scissor jack to lift the ass end of the bike up, & I carefully lowered the wheel thru the drop out plate on the lift, and put it back on using the same method. IIRC, I had to angle the wheel to get it out thru the plate opening,  and the same going back in.

[Fugawee]

A Buddy of Mine re-engineered a Dirt Bike Lift for Wheel Removal.
He has a Newer Handy Table Lift with the Drop-out Panel.
He mounted an Old FLH Front Fender on the Lift upside down.  Then took 2 pieces of Flat Steel Stock and went end to end on each side of the Fender making like 2 rails to hold the Wheel/Tire in place, as well as 2 small pieces across the width of the Fender so the Fender won't bend and reinforced the inside of the Fender where it mounts on the Lift with some Flat Steel.

Now You just remove the Drop-out Panel and raise the Lift with Your foot placing it underneath the Wheel.
Remove the Axle, drop the Wheel onto His contraption, and lower to the Floor, which saves Your back and any other un-necessary aggravation without killing Yourself.
Then just do the same in reverse for Installation.  It makes removing, lining up and installing the Axle a lot easier.

Yours Truly gave Him the Front Fender.  At first, I thought He was Nuts, but after seeing what He had done with it all painted up and Professional looking...I was pretty impressed.  And it works.
The Dirt Bike lift raises up to about 3 feet, so there's plenty of working height.
I told Him He should patent it.
He made up a diagram/print of it and mailed it to Himself and has yet to open it the last I heard.
According to Him by doing that He can legally get a piece of the cash action if somebody steals His idea.
How true that is...beats Me.

[Ohio HD]

Actually without a utility or design patent, he has no recourse if I make one tomorrow. Even with a patent, he has to pay the legal fees to go after me, and maybe not win. As well he may not even get a patent if he tries to get one.

I was involved with two design patents when I worked for Ingersoll Rand. We would have called it a transmission jack with an adapter for odd shaped transmissions. It just happens to work for MC tires too.   

[Fugawee]

Like I said earlier...I thought He was Nuts.  I still do think He is Nuts.  And so do many others.
A Great Guy...but Nuts.  But Nuts in a Good Way if that makes any sense.

[Fugawee]

Now You've got Me wondering...
Seeing that You have a Table Lift with a Drop-out Panel, if You make all of the necessary preparations for the Wheel/Tire removal such as putting the Scissor Lift under it, as well as other stuff, except for pulling out the Axle.
If You then remove the Panel and lower the Table Lift until the Wheel is on the Ground.  You may have to lower the Scissor Jack a little.  Then pull the Axle, and again raise the Table Lift and hopefully the Wheel will be sitting on the floor.
I have done that with Craftsman type of Frame Bike Lifts.  I don't use those type of Lifts much anymore except for Storing and Moving Bikes around on.
I don't know if that is possible with a Table Lift with a Drop-out Panel.
But if I did have a Drop-out Panel...I just might give it a try.
Just a thought...

[motorhogman]

Thanks all for the replies. Taking all in for consideration. Not sure when I will get to this. Maybe this week. Health issues have me slowed to a Southern snail pace.

[Fugawee]

Good Luck!  I hope that You feel better.

[motorhogman]

Thanks again for all the replies. Everything went very well. Used 2 scissor jacks and 2 ratchet straps.. One jack toward the rear and one just as a stabilizer toward the front. Ratchet straps around the frame above the engine guard and down to the lift. Rock Solid. Bike is actually up a bit higher than needed. Wheel came right out with just a little angle.

[motorhogman]

Couple of pics..

You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.

[Tom H]

Nice job getting the wheel out. But....

I would not put a jack towards the front of the bike, only where you have the rear one. The front one will be trying to pull up on the front end and tie downs. If the tie downs fail, it could flip the bike backward depending on how much the jack is under load.

Tom

[fleetmechanic]

  Any lifting on the front end will strain the clamp on the front wheel.  Just lifting the rear should
make the front clamp more secure.

[fbn ent]

I have a Handy lift w/o the drop out. I have never used tie downs when doing a rear. Hope I haven't jinxed myself now.

[motorhogman]

Nice job getting the wheel out. But....

I would not put a jack towards the front of the bike, only where you have the rear one. The front one will be trying to pull up on the front end and tie downs. If the tie downs fail, it could flip the bike backward depending on how much the jack is under load.

Tom

No pressure on the front scissor jack. Just up enough to touch the frame. The ratchet straps are secured the same way. just snugged, no real tension. The front tire is clamped securely. The straps and the front scissor jack are just there for "just in case".  The bike doesn't move a bit and neither does the lift. My biggest concern was how high I would have to lift the back end to get the wheel out. When I thought it was close to my amazement it was already a few inches higher than it needed to be.. 

[Tom H]

Ahh...Got it. Just had me worried a bit.

Tom

[Fugawee]

Seeing that You are a Pro at it now...look at all the extra $$$ You can bring in replacing other Peoples Wheels/Tires.
Just a thought...

[motorhogman]

Seeing that You are a Pro at it now...look at all the extra $$$ You can bring in replacing other Peoples Wheels/Tires.
Just a thought...

That would be a BIG No.. lol  Removing the wheels is a piece of cake, the NO is for using tire spoons and my frankenstiened tire changer. 72 yo in July ( if I make it that far) and health issues makes that part of the job feel like I'm wrestling with an alligator..