I have been looking for manual tire changing equipement and have only found one used in the Australian outback which is likely to kill your rims.

Locally (NY), people are charging too much to mount tires, especially if you buy them from the Tire Rack. It pisses them off that you did not buy from them, so they get their markups on the mounting/balance. I just got raped hopefully for the last time. They did, however, successfully balance my tires this time.

Anywho, any ideas?

I also swear they go out of their way not to balance tire correctly so you can wear your tires faster. I had gone back to a local Mavis several times and the tires just never balanced. I got one of the JC Whiney "specials" and balanced them myself and the no more balance issue. I would rather high speed balancing, but I was sick of going back.

Tx in advance

 

Before there were pneumatic or hydraulic systems, there were manual systems.. There are a bunch of wheel changers up to 16.5" Of course, most of us have 17 and 18s. It maybe that the bead on a new tires is more trouble than its worth. I don't know. But I am sick of paying premiums because I ordered tires online. It is about as bad as not being able to find anyone to resurface rotors for you anymore. To put it in perspective, do you remember before there were cell phones, or tone phones er...rotary dial. Same thing ;-) So there has to be and alternative to having someone do it for you for $$$$$.

In so far as balancing, look for a Bubble Balancer. It is old school, but it works. http://www.menintools.com/images/balancera.jpg.

If mounting and balancing cost as much as a tire, there is something wrong with the picture. While we like to think technology is the end all and be all, you will find that low tech is the foundation and the packaging is high tech. If you look at a lot of things sold as high tech, the technology has been around for decades. Enough of the sermon. My mission is to find the low tech solution so that I do it myself or find a friend in the auto repair business.