Break down a tire.

marvintj

New User
I have a rear tractor tire off of a small compact that has had a leaky valve stem or tube for some time and now the wheel is getting bad. (My dad in his old age let this go) Took it to the local tire shop and they would not touch it until I got a new wheel. This compact has an 18x 8 which is a non common size or at least not very available.
I have thought about breaking the tire down myself to see if I could save the wheel and put a new tube in the tire myself. I know that tires can be very tempermental and requiire a great deal of energy and the right tools to get the tire over the lip of the wheel. I do not have the correct sledge hammer or a set of tires tools.
What have you done to deal with a situation like this?
 
I used a skidsteer bucket and it worked well. Some folks drive up on them putting the tire of the truck as close to the bead of the ag tire as possible. Gotta get all the air out first, though.

Aaron
 
Take the handi-man jack and lay tire under the tractor drawbar and break the bead. turn it over and break the other bead. Wipe some hand lotion around both beads, grab a couple large screw drivers and pry it off. It's no different than fixing the flat on your bicycle when you were a kid.
 
Well, me giving advice on this is about the same as the blind leading the blind, as I've done a scant few of these in my life, but here goes.

Once deflated, the pain in the arse part seems to be breaking the bead from the rim. The next thing that will be a pain (and you must have pair of them) is using the tire spoons to work the bead over the edge of the rim. I've watched tire repairmen do it and it seems effortless, for the rest of us who don't do this everyday, not as easy. You want to use those spoons to your advantage, take small sections at a time and work them gently over the rim, you can nick or tear that leading edge of the tire if you take too much, just feel your way through it, if it don't feel right, it ain't as I see it, take less of a bite and work what you can, it's all in the way you use those tools, seems easy for experienced hands. Another must is some lube, you want to make that bead slippery, something like rim glyde from Napa or similar, some use soapy water, I like the rim glyde from napa, does the job and does not make a mess. I stand to be corrected here, but last fall I tackled a CACL loaded 13.6 x 28 tire with no problem at all, I used the bucket on the same tractor that was stablized with counterweight on the back and blocked up safely, a short piece of 4x4 lumber to press down on the tire and break the bead, I put a sheet of plywood under it to keep it out of the crushed stone driveway. TSC has the spoons, I got one regular and one for a drop rim, latter has a bend like kind of like an S in it, not knowing which one I would have liked a pair of having not done this before, next time I will get one more of those for a drop rim or whatever you call it, the one with the bend in the working end, seems to work nice on regular rims, shape seems to be just right, and does not seem it can pinch a tube if you use care.

Thinking back, the methods in which you use the pair of spoons is really the key to the whole thing, breaking the bead is easy enough if you have the means, loader, tool, or something without having to pound on it. Placement of the spoons where you pry from, on each other, sometimes I used a 3 lb hammer to hit em on the side to work em in, same action as a tire machine sliding around the rim, I'll go out on a limb and say knowing how to use a pair of those spoons is really the secret to it all, it was the most time consuming part of the job for me as I recall. Gemplers has a pictorial view of changing a tractor tire on their site, check that out, it's on a 2 cyl. JD tractor.

Take a look at Gemplers web site, they will also have everything you need, they also have a material that lubes and keeps the tire from bonding to the rim, all sorts of tire spoons, even a bead breaking tool, may cost you, but you'll most likely need something to break that bead that you don't have, hard to pound one off sometimes, you need that down pressure and weight as I see it, the loader was real handy for this and did the job quickly, just have to carefully apply the down pressure, don't over do it, it squashes down and 1x-2x of this did the trick on each side. When you re-mount the tire, you need to use those spoons again though the first bead is easy, then you put in the tube, Gemplers has spoons that won't pinch the tube, just use care when doing that, once you work the 2nd bead over, inflate, then deflate to work out any wrinkles in the tube, that is about as best I can describe my very limited experience with it, I asked here just like you, then did it, but was proud that I completed the task myself, it did save me some money, and I realized that it's easier done then said.

Other than something along those lines and if you don't want to get involved with the above, take it to an ag tire shop, will at least save the road service call, and you won't have to buy the tools or source a loader or similar to break the bead, (though you could use another wheeled tractor or maybe a truck to do it by running over the edge, not sure if that can damage anything in the tire) tire shop most likely won't damage the tire, and it will be done by experienced hands.
 
I use the trailer ramps from my trailer and my truck. Put the ramp all the up by the rim on the bead of the tire and drive the left front wheel of the truck up on the ramp. Always worked for me!
 
If and after you get the tire off the rim, buy and rub some Dow Corning Silicone (small tube) on the bead and you will be amazed how it helps the bead slip back down on the rim. This also helps if you ever have to remove it from the rim again. I do this on all big tractor tires when I have to do tube repair. Makes the job three times easier. Works great for new tire installation on rims to.
 
Find a heavy vehicle and use a bumper jack sitting the base of the jack on the tire and try to lift the heavy vehicle. Use some dish detergent to lube the bead when removing the tire from the rim. It beats using a sledge hammer. Hal
 
The secret is to get the bead into the lowest point of the rim [center of wheel]on the side opposite of where you are prying with the tire irons.The gives you the most slack to get it off.Then there is a little cable tool to retreive the stem through the hole from most auto parts stores.When putting back on also place side opposite one you are working into center of rim giving your side the most slack once again.
 
as to the wheel repair
drill a new hole for the valve stem in part of the rim that is in great condition
patch the rim where it is eaten up
Ron
 
I have a tire changer, that every once in a while it will not break the tire down. I take it to the local tire shop, and ask them to just break the bead loose. They usually do it. stan
 
If you've got any number of tires to do just buy the tire maul and 2 36" bars. It'll cost you roughly the price of one repair...
2 or 3 well placed blows with the maul will knock down just about any tire. The other trick is a bottle with mabey 1/4 dish soap and 3/4 water. Soak the beads with that and they break down and work off easily.
Inflation of tubless tires can be done with ether...
It's not hard work. Just work.
Other than that, just take the tire to a different shop. Somebody will break it down. If it's really bad you best replace the wheel anyway or you'll soon be fixing it again.

Rod
 
I forgot about that little bugger, TSC has those too, definitely need one of those to put a tube in and get the valve stem out the hole again ! I got one of those and the valve tool, but the little cable ended tool I think does the same as the valve tool, I remember noticing something like that whereas I only needed the cable ended one as it has the valve tool in the pull handle.
 
Myers Tire Supply has a product in an aerosol can that is supposed to be able to break loose the rust bond between the tire and wheel. They claim it is supposed to make breaking the bead loose much easier. I haven't tried it yet though. I have a pair of tires to do on a D17 one of these days.
I heard of cutting a piece from another junk wheel about the same size for a preformed patch material. Then drill another hole else where for the valve stem.
 

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