Any tricks for loosening a stuck tire bead?

kylemorley · Nov 20, 2015

II'm trying to get a rear tire off a badly rusted hat rim. The bead is completely frozen on and resists all attacks with the irons. Making things worse, since one side of the rim is almost completely rusted away it is hard to get resistance to pry against.

Are there any tricks I might use that might soften the bond between the bead and the rim? Penetrating oil, soap, rubber lube acid, heat, or ????

Dean · Nov 20, 2015

Slide hammer.

Works every time.

Dean

Tiger Joe · Nov 20, 2015

x2 on slide hammer.

I suck at using it, but my dad has never NOT broken a tire with a slide hammer

R Geiger · Nov 20, 2015

Make your life a lot easier, take it to a tire shop.

old · Nov 20, 2015

NO oil it softens the rubber and make it bind even more. Lots of water and dish soap mix and let it sit a while then add more. Then the big thing is the type of bead breaker you use. Me it is does not break down with my hammer I use my air powered truck tire bead breaker but your not likely to have one of those. A slide hammer also works well if your not one who can handle a tire hammer well. Also with a hammer you start in one place then slowly work your way all the way around the tire/rim. Watch for a place that seems to be moving down some then stay in that area and work an area about a foot wide

Dean · Nov 20, 2015

It's in the technique.

Direct the slide hammer betwen the tire and the rim rather than downward as might seem intuitively obvious.

Once the head is against the rim, move it 6" or so to eiher side and repeat.

Next 6" or so to the opposite side and repeat.

Usually, you can now diect the hammer force downward to break the bead. If not, repeat the first steps a couple more times.

I've never found one that I cannot break within 10 or 15 minutes and my slide hammer is a $50 ($100 regular price) NT Chinese repop.

Dean

rd 2N in mo · Nov 20, 2015

I take the front tire off the n and put the tire bead under the edge of the steel hub, drop the wheel hub on the tire and go inside for the day. next morning it has worked loose.

JMOR · Nov 20, 2015

(quoted from post at 15:31:28 11/20/15)
Make your life a lot easier, take it to a tire shop.

ep, tire man gotta eat, too and he is more hungry than I am.

Bob Harvey · Nov 20, 2015

If you are trying to save the tire - tire shop and a few $$. If not, a sawzall works wonders. HTH

gajack · Nov 20, 2015

Put a 4x4 up on the side of the tire. Drive your pickup up onto the 4x4. Tire will separate from the rim. Turn it over and do it again. Has worked many times for me. Good luck.

BigDanT · Nov 20, 2015

Do you or anyone you know have a frond end loader on a tractor? With tire off laying on ground, I place a 2x4 on tire next to edge of rim and press down with FEL...has worked every time for me. Dan

showcrop · Nov 20, 2015

Hat rim means it is very old. It could be the second set that the tractor has ever had. Are you sure that the tire is worth saving?

Tracy Brown · Nov 20, 2015

Tire man here uses gasoline to soften the rubber and help it turn loose. They do it for a living. I would think they've tried it all. They keep a AF jug with a hole in the top and spurt it around the tire on or off the tractor. Seen them do it many times.

Tom N MS · Nov 20, 2015

MY vote as well..Ain't a gonna wrestle with a tire--

rossow (mn) · Nov 20, 2015

I've often used a Hi-Lift type of farm jack (7,000-pound "widow maker") to break beads. You have to have something high and heavy enough to slide the tire and jack under. Set the jack base on the tire close to the rim and jack away. I always use a good dose of dish soap to help the bead slide down the rim.

Ultradog MN · Nov 20, 2015

Tire shop??
Bunch of old ladies here.
You gotta be smarter than the tire.
Then it will come off.

Royse · Nov 20, 2015

"You gotta be smarter than the tire."

Dang, guess I'm headed for the tire shop! LOL
How's the leg doing?

Ultradog MN · Nov 20, 2015

Still using my getaway sticks. (crutches)
Thanks for asking Royse.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 20, 2015

(quoted from post at 04:07:41 11/21/15) Still using my getaway sticks. (crutches)
Thanks for asking Royse.

ot smart enough to save a leg, huh?

Royse · Nov 20, 2015

(quoted from post at 23:16:10 11/20/15)

(quoted from post at 04:07:41 11/21/15) Still using my getaway sticks. (crutches)
Thanks for asking Royse.

Click to expand...

ot smart enough to save a leg, huh?

Wow, that is not at all where I was going with that question.
I may not be smarter than a tire, but I had genuine concern for
how his leg was doing after his fall.

hd6gtom · Nov 21, 2015

I owned a farm tire shop for 22 years. I'm not bragging but it just upsets me to see these tire repair wanto bees giving out very dangerous information. These guys are trying to get you hurt. #I a slide hammer is a JOKE for trying to break down a rear tractor tire. I know -- I used to buy rears buy the full semi load. Most of them I put on myself for farmers in a 5 county area. Gas and any type of oil on a tire bead is a sure fire way to destroy a tire. Leave the rim bolted to the tractor and take the whole thing to a reliable farm tire shop. It will probably take them less than 30 minutes to remove your tire from the rim. As far as dish soap to lube a tire forget it -- it isn't slick enough.

R Geiger · Nov 21, 2015

(quoted from post at 11:42:58 11/21/15) Tire shop??
Bunch of old ladies here.
You gotta be smarter than the tire.
Then it will come off.

At 50 I would have done it, at 71 I am smart enough to let the tire shop do it and they come to me.

ericlb · Nov 21, 2015

ive used a hi lift jack between the tire bead and a 10,000 lb truck, jack just enough to push the tire bead away from the rim a little and spray with pb blaster, let sit overnite, if that doesnt turn it loose, its time for the tire shop to come out and do it for you, beyond that it gets too spooky vs the chances of serious injury, the tire man is dirt cheap compared to the dr or hospital visit

Ultradog MN · Nov 21, 2015

Depends on what you consider dirt cheap.
About a month ago I was going to use my friend's loader tractor to back fill around our new foundation but it had a flat tire on the rear.
Because I'm still on crutches I called Pomps - our local tire service and they quoted me $250 to come out and do it.
We did it ourselves by using the technique I have suggested here many times before - drive along the edge of the rim with a 3/4 ton pickup. Rav4s and other light vehicles will not do.
I would have backfilled the foundation with one leg and a shovel before I would pay $250.

R Geiger · Nov 21, 2015

(quoted from post at 02:58:42 11/22/15) Depends on what you consider dirt cheap.
About a month ago I was going to use my friend's loader tractor to back fill around our new foundation but it had a flat tire on the rear.
Because I'm still on crutches I called Pomps - our local tire service and they quoted me $250 to come out and do it.
We did it ourselves by using the technique I have suggested here many times before - drive along the edge of the rim with a 3/4 ton pickup. Rav4s and other light vehicles will not do.
I would have backfilled the foundation with one leg and a shovel before I would pay $250.

How long did it take you to do the job? What price would you consider reasonable for someone to come to your place to do the job?

Ultradog MN · Nov 21, 2015

My pal Kenny who owns the tractor was there
already. The tire was quite low and was
missing the screw-on ring on the valve
stem.
When I moved the tractor to reach it with
the air hose the valve stem slipped into
the rim.
I'm pretty helpless on crutches so he did
most of it and I helped as I could.
The problem was in the schrader valve.
We did not have to take the tire off the
rim or patch the tube. Just break both
beads, reach in and get the stem pulled
back out and replace the valve.
Took both of us - 3/4 + 1/2 men about an
hour. Kenny will be 80 in a few months.
He still does all his own tire work - buys
and sells a few tractors a year and
switches tires, etc frequently.
I see him almost every day when he comes
for coffee and tries to gyp me out of one
thing or another.
I will read him this thread and he will
laugh at you guys who take them in.
I might have been willing to pay $100 or
even $150 because of my leg.
But $250??
No bloody way.

R Geiger · Nov 21, 2015

More power to your pal, Hope I am that active when I am 80.

souNdguy · Nov 23, 2015

yabeat me to it. I use 4x6, but same deal..

Any tricks for loosening a stuck tire bead?

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