MTFCA Forum

. . . or Harvey either !

Much has been posted to the forum on tips and tricks for mounting tires, but
I don't recall reading anything about difficulties encountered when removing clincher tires, other than some reported having had to cut off ancient, rock-hard tires.

It's time to change my worn out T-drivers that have been on the car for a dozen years and never dismounted. The bead has grown to the rim so tightly it would have been impossible to make a roadside repair ! I'm having an awful time trying to pry the bead from the rim on the outside edge, and can't forsee any way to wrestle with it on the inside. I suppose it would mean removing the wheels from the car.

Does anyone have wisdom to share that may help ? The tires are pliable with no weather-checking, so I'm loth to cut them off if they could be reasonably dismounted.

I should note these are non-demountable rims on my '13.

You need a bead breaker. If they wont break with a C clamp or similar hand tool, you, worst case, have to remove each wheel & use a floor style bead breaker. Use some lube. Soapy water or I prefer WD-40. Since the tires are not rock hard, cutting would an unnecessary waste of tubes.

If a bead breaker and/or a C-clamp doesn't succeed, I recommend a masonry (brick) chisel BLUNTED to a rounded smooth end. Do NOT use a sharp chisel unless you plan on disposing the tires.

Use a C-Clamp or bead breaker to apply pressure to the bead and keep pressure applied. Use the BLUNTED brick chisel close to the rim, close to the C-clamp or bead breaker, and give the chisel a good whack with a hammer to break the bead loose. Once you have started the separation, a bead breaker or C-clamp might work the separation around the rim. Rinse and Repeat on the opposite side and next wheel. You may have to use the hammer and chisel if the bead breaker or C-clamp fails to progress the separating. This process may result in little or no damage to the tire bead. It all will depend on how severely the bead is bonded to the rim.

While tires are expensive, Rims are more expensive. You'll have to choose which you destroy if the bead puts up a fight.

Good Luck

Old friend who mounted & de-mounted Harley tires on real spoke wheels, swore by using Windex on the beads prior to removal - helps lube & dries quite fast.

I had to get some old tires off that had grown into the rims. I cut the first two off because I was having a hard time and was very frustrated. I took the other two rims off the car and laid them on a big piece of cardboard. I sprayed a bunch of soapy water along the bead and after giving them a few minutes I squeezed the tires with a C-Clamp and sprayed more soapy water and let them sit a few more minutes. With the help of my new tire irons I was able to peel the tires right off the rims. I also sanded and painted the rims while they off the car. Lubrication and moisture can work miracles.

I don't know how the weather is where you are, but they will come off easier on a warm day out in the sun. You might try taking the wheels off and placing them in a heated room until they warm up. Then use the c clamp. More than one clamp would be even better, but keep the clamps within a few inches of each other so they will work together. You could even use a vice but be sure it is on the tire and not the rim. Once you get part of the bead off the rim it will be easier to work with a tire iron all the way around.
Norm

I saw your location in Idaho. Might need to take a trip south or wait a few months before you try this!
Norm

Thanks Norm, in Idaho, if we waited for warm weather, not much would get done. Fortunately, I got Lizzie in the "bunkhouse" and the heat cranked up to 65 ! Bout as warm as it will get (maybe?) come June, but Lizzie will have to have her new shoes on 'way before then !

The cattle need to be fed regardless what the weather is like !

Throw another log in the pot belly.

Do you have the wheels on the car or on the floor? I can usually walk the beads loose if the wheels are on the floor. You might have to gain a few pounds for it to work like mine do. If it was Summer, you could drive the car around with low pressure to loosen them.
C-clamps and 2x4s also have worked for me too. I did have to chisel the Bus tires off. 36"x6" but yours haven't been mounted that long.
Rich

I have used a bead breaker that my son had. It is called beadbuster 455. It did the job on tires like you have. Look it up on Amazon.

If you don't have one, the company that makes everything under the Vise Grips brand makes a clamping tool, that is commonly used in the welding trade for clamping metal together when welding. The jaws open wide and are very deep, so they might help you.

My grandfather taught my dad, and my dad taught me. Don't force it, get a bigger hammer. Yes, fully equipped tire shops have a long-handled sledge hammer with a particular broad edge to one end of the hammer. These are used for removing big old truck tires. Obviously, the wheel has to come off the car but the brute force of the full-size tire hammer will quickly break the bead. Done carefully, the tire remains usable.

There is also a tool with a foot made like the tire hammer and a sliding sleeve. With the wheel on the ground, secured and blocked, if necessary, you place the tool's foot on the bead, then raise the sleeve and slam it down to deliver a hammer blow. It avoids the chance of hitting the rim. (Ken-Tool, KEN-35924, 175.00)

Use WD40 liberally on both sides of the tie beads and let it sit if necessary. As stated above use a large truck tie bead breaker hammer on one side and the the other. Of course being careful not to damage the rim when using the hammer. It will move the beads just enough to when you spray in WD-40 it helps with lubing the bead. Depending on how hard the tires are this usually works to get the beads to start moving. It may take a few times but it usually works so you can get the tire spoons under the bead and work it.

If you have a large enough vise you can get the beads to start moving that way also so you can get the lube into the beads and rim. Without lubrication on old stiff tire beads its nearly impossible to get them of with damaging the stiff tire.

OR - you can purchase one of these - has a bead breaker too !

Thanks for the responses, I believe things are now responding to treatment !