Anyone dismounted tires without a tire machine?

"Busslayer" (Busslayer) 11/06/2013 at 09:47 • Filed to: None

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I am going to have my snow tires mounted soon, but the wheels need to get cleaned up before mounting them. I'd like to dismount the junk tires I currently have on and sand and re-paint the bead area as the factory paint along the bead is chipping. I am getting slow leaks in cold weather from the bead area as the tires don't want to seat well. I'd rather not have to make two trips to the tire store.

Here is my plan. Does this sound like it will work?

1) Break the bead with a hi-lift jack under the trailer hitch on my wife's minivan and the base on the sidewall.

2) Use Sawzall to cut a few inches through the bead into the sidewall

3) Pry the tire off with miscellaneous pry bars I have around at home.

CalzoneGolem > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 09:49

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Disregard 3 and cut all the way through. This will make your life much easier. Wear gloves those steel belts will fuck up a man's manos.

jsmizira > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 09:54

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what size are your tires? if you have decent sized sidewalls you may not need #2. But i would use tons of soap to slip the tire off. and if you can find a good powder coater who can blast and re coat your rims.

dinobot666 > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 09:54

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Eh, it's going to be a lot of work for something that would take a tire tech a few minutes to accomplish. I'd just clean the wheels up as best as possible with the junk tires mounted on them, and have the tire tech dismount the tires and apply bead sealant to the edge of the rim(s) when he mounts the snow tires. Most shops usually only charge a few bucks for the sealant, but it's totally worth it for snow tires.

davedave1111 > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 09:58

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I've never done it on a car tyre, but if you don't care about ruining the tyre then it can't be hard. The only thing to worry about is protecting the rim from damage by whatever you use as a tyre lever.

If you cut the bead, the tyre ought to come right off without even needing a tyre lever, but getting the bead up enough to get some cutters on it will be the hardest part. Although come to think of it you might be able to get them in from the inside after you cut a great big hole in the tyre.

I'm not sure it's entirely because I think it's the best way, but I'd probably try cutting big holes all over the tyre and see what happens when the structure is destroyed - might come off really easily, and destruction is fun.

Of course, there's always the redneck way. Drill a hole through from one sidewall to another and thread a big bit of rope or chain through. Then secure the wheel to something immovable, and attach the rope to the back of a truck - a car would also work, but this is the Republic of Redneckia we're talking about. Drive away, jobzagooden.

Busslayer > davedave1111 11/06/2013 at 10:04

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I like your thinking - redneck destruction is the way to go. I really like the rope/chain idea. I have lots of big trees by my driveway. Even if it doesn't work, it sounds like fun.

Busslayer > dinobot666 11/06/2013 at 10:07

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I figure I can give it a shot myself. If it turns out to be a too big of a PITA, I can still go the take them in. I'm considering painting the whole wheel since they are pretty grungy all around, so I'd really like to get the tires off.

Busslayer > jsmizira 11/06/2013 at 10:14

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They have a pretty short still sidewall - 205/50/16. That's why I figured cutting might be in order.

I have a buddy that is the head "coatings" engineer at a very large military contractor. He told me he could slip in a few parts into their coating line for me as "test" pieces. They have all new equipment in the last year. Of course, I'd have to be willing to accept mil-spec khaki colored wheels.

Meatcoma > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 10:15

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Surely some local tire shop tech will dismount those tires for $20 in like 5 mins.

I get all my stuff like that done on the side. Works especially well later in the evening closer to closing time - that's when I get bearings packed, tires mounted/dismounted etc.

Slip the tech's some cash and they will do it lickity-split.

Although I have dismounted a few tires w/o a machine with my dad. He used a sledge to break the bead on the tire while I held the other end down with my foot... We then used various pry bars and pieces of 2x4's etc to remove it from the wheel.

Busslayer > CalzoneGolem 11/06/2013 at 10:16

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That is what I wanted to hear. I'm just not sure how easy sawing through the bead will be. I've heard those wires are a real bitch.

jsmizira > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 10:21

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khaki wheels sound awesome.

it sounds like youve got this figured out then just so long as you dont cut into the rim/yourself. i would still try it without the sawzall just to try to mitigate cutting rubber. enough soap to look lie elephant snot would be good .

Oh i almost forgot! make sure to break the bead all the way around on both sides! very important.

deekster_caddy > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 10:30

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Yes. It's not easy. The hard part is getting the bead off the seat. My '54 MG comes with tire spoons, and I have removed the tire to patch a tube on the side of the road before... but those beads don't seat as tight as a true tubeless bead.

Removing the bead without a bead breaking machine will be a real bitch. After you let the air out you can lay the wheel flat on it's side and try jumping on the tire, hit around the bead area with a sledgehammer (don't hit the rim!), etc. and you might be able to get the bead off. Once you get both beads off, using levers (officially "Tire Spoons") to remove the rim isn't so hard.

If you are in eastern MA I have a tire machine in my home garage and would be happy to help.

edit - your idea about breaking the bead with a high lift jack is not bad, but I'm thinking it's going to get real dangerous and tippy. It will require more push than you think.

CalzoneGolem > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 10:38

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Yep, it is not going to be easy. A die grinder or something high rpm with a cut off wheel might be better then the toothy sawzall blade.

Busslayer > CalzoneGolem 11/06/2013 at 10:45

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Oooh, good call. I forgot about the die grinder. I just used it to do some plumping work and it made short work of some cast iron pipe. Tires should be cake for it. Nom, nom, nom....

Milwagner > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 10:47

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Harbor Freight sells a lever-actuated bead breaker. Might consider hacking something like this together on your own. http://www.harborfreight.com/bead-breaker-9… Levers are your friend, as others have said breaking beads is a b*tch. If you got the jack/trailer hitch route, put the tire on the ground and use the jack between the hitch and tire.

I'd avoid using a grinder or sawzall, the risk of kicking the rim's lip outweighs DIY'ing it (better to just spend the $20 at a tire shop).

Busslayer > Milwagner 11/06/2013 at 11:27

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It is more of a time consideration than the cash. I want to get this taken care of this weekend, but I have to work all day on Saturday. By the time I'm finished working and get the wheels off the car, the tire shops won't be open. I need to get the wheels prepped and painted on Saturday night so the paint can dry and I can have the snows mounted on Sunday.

DocWalt > Busslayer 11/06/2013 at 12:08

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My brother deflated the tire then put a 2x6 on the tire and drove a truck onto the board. Tire de-beaded then he pried it off. Not easy, but it worked.