Tire spoons / irons

mkirsch

Well-known Member
Gotta drain the calcium out of the rears on my Super A, break them down, and replace the tubes. Looks like I'm going to have to finally break down and buy a pair of tire irons.

I've only ever used the straight smooth flat style, but I see that you can also get a curved spoon, and spoons with a little "hoop-de-doo" that looks like it hooks over the edge of the rim to give you a secure bite for prying the tire on/off.

So what's the most useful shape? Straight, curved, or hoop-de-do? Should I get two of the same type, or a combination?
 
I would get one with the hoop de do and one straight but get the long ones Ken tool is a good brand they are pricey but will last an individual a lifetime
 
I have several Ken Tool spoons. I recently purchased a pair with the little nipple that hooks on the rim however I have not used them to date. The curved ones seem to work better for reaching inside and catching the tire bead to remove, especially the second bead. The straight ones seem to work okay for installation. If you poke around the Ken Tools site there are some videos on how to use the tools which was helful to me. Overall I find there are all kinds of tire spoons and very little information as to just what is best for which.

The best money I spent was on the hammer tool (works like a fence post driver) to break the bead.
 
I have all three types. Use the straight one the least. The
curved ones are the handiest, but the hoop-de-doo ones
come out when the going gets a little tougher.

Glenn
 
I have all three types and use the straight one the most.

I find my slide hammer even more useful.

Dean
 
I've got several Ken-Tool 36" tubeless bars. I use the straight end the most but the curved spoon in nice for getting the first bead hooked. Very effective on tough tires. Just make sure you don't pinch the tube... I also grind the nub on the straight end so I can get a good bite.

Rod
 
The Hoop de Do or lip model # is Ken-Tool T-45A You really need a pair of them to remove the inside bead , or you could buy a spoon of similar length and heat it to form that lip and then quench it to regain the temper.
 
One long with the nub
One med flat spoon
One short flat spoon

I called the local tire dealer and asked him what he would use. He actually called their equipment supplier and told him what to bring me. It was around $100.
 

The correct tool is always the best, but before I owned the correct tire tools, I resorted a couple of times to a carpenters wrecking bar. It worked, but I sure do not recommend that method.

In any event, if you find yourself FIGHTING that tire, you need to just stop and think about what you might be doing wrong. I'm not saying it is easy, but doing it right makes it a whole lot easier, and the tire will suffer less.
 
Dad had at least 3 flat tire irons about 2 inches wide and 16 inches long, with a slight curve on one end and rounded edges so they didn't damage the tire. We used those a lot; my brother still has them. Don't think we ever had to use anything else, except we had a home-made bead breaker.
 
Harbor Freight.. sells some I use..I bought two...been using for couple years both sides of bar have different ends to help you with tires on/off. Ive done tractor, skidloader, along with vehicles.
 
I second the Ken-tool 36" bars, you can get them in tube or tubeless variety. I have about a dozen or 2 tire irons, the long ones do the bulk of the work!
 
The round ones from HF are decent, the flat ones are too soft. Got some from Northern tool that are first rate.
 

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