Replacing tires without replacing rims

Question

I have a 2003 Ford Mustang with 225/55R16 tires and the original rims. All of the tires are very bald so I bought new 225/55R16 tires (with no rims). I'd like to install the new tires on the old rims. I'm being told that this can only be done at a shop; is there any way to do it from home?

tlhIngan · Accepted Answer

Mounting tires from home is not something that can be done safely, for 2 reasons:

Tires need to be stretched to get on and off the rim, there's a special tool to do this without damaging the tire.
Once the tire is on the rim, you need to balance the wheel and tire. This involves adding lead weights in the proper place, and you need a machine to spin the wheel and tire and tell you WHERE to put these weights. An unbalanced tire will cause dangerous vibrations that will affect the safe driving of the car and can damage suspension components.

Most shops can do this for $40 per tire or less.

blacksmith37 · Answer

It is possible for SOME . But a very bad idea for nearly everyone.

Replacing tires without replacing rims

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