breaking down tires at home

[K5dreamer]

Hey all, i gotta replace the valve stems on my rims on the blazer, and ive wanted to rotate the tires around so the white lettering shows for a while now, and i was gonna do it at work, but they just told me that i dont have lift access because im in sales.... which annoys me, but anyway.

i was wondering if yall thought it was worth trying to break down the tires myself kinda in the driveway. its 33 goodyear MTR's on the factory 15in steelies. I cant imagine it would be that hard, just need some big pry bars. Ive got an air compressor for filling em back up, setting the bead might be kind of a bitch, but i think i can handle it. really just has to do with weather or not i can realistically get the bead off, and back on. ill pay to have them balanced afterwords.

 

[dyeager535]

If you've got tire equipment at work, take the tires/wheels off your truck, borrow someone elses vehicle, and do them there.

 

[K5dreamer]

oh i would, but im in sales now, and i dont think the shop forman believes i was a tech before. shop guys tend not to want sales guys to screw around with the things in the back. not to mention i think they just want me to have to pay them to do it.

but should i assume that means i shouldnt try to do them at home??? having worked on tires before, i really wouldnt imagine it would be that hard with these tires and rims.

 

[dyeager535]

I guess it depends on the tires...I know a friend of mine did his at home. Don't think it's a safety issue, just the effort/time vs. paying someone else to do it I suppose.

 

[toomany]

I do them all the time at home. I even built a tool to use in my press for breaking beads. The easiest way to break the bead is by driving over it, or setting the vehicle down on it. If you use the rotor it will focus the presure onto the bead area. To get the tire off the rim, I use a set (3) of 12" tire irons. Getting the first bead off is the hardest. Pry it up and over the rim and leave the iron in there. Put another about 3-4" away from the other and pry it up...this may take some muscle. Either place a screwdriver (if you don't have 3 irons) in place of the first one or use another iron about 3-4" on the other side of the first. After you pry the third time, it should be fairly easy to walk it around. If you have problems, try taking smaller bites. The other bead is easy. Put an iron in from the back and pry the tire over. It is important to keep the bead centerd in the rim...this is a step that most people overlook. Once the first one is in, use another to get a little more rim out of the tire. You should be able to grab the rim and pull it out after the second, you may need a third though.

To install. The bottom bead is easy. Set the tire on the rim and push your body weight onto it. It should fall most of the way on...if not all the way. If it doesn't go all the way, use an iron to work it over. The top bead is a tiny bit harder. Use your weight again to get the bead started. Put an iron in to hold it in place, and use another to work it around...smaller bites help. The last couple inches is the hardest. Rember to keep the top bead centered in the rim...this allows the steel cords to slip over the rim easily. I find that a coating of Wd40 or simliar lube can help a ton.

I've got this method down to a science. It takes me less than five minutes from the time the bead is broken.

 

[fishinnutt]

When I need to break the beads down on a tire at home, I take a high lift jack and stick the lifting end in my trucks receiver hitch and put a 2x6 between the tire and the base of the jack. As I start jacking, the truck begins to raise a little until the bead yields to the weight.

 

[imiceman44]

Hey all, i gotta replace the valve stems on my rims on the blazer, and ive wanted to rotate the tires around so the white lettering shows for a while now, and i was gonna do it at work, but they just told me that i dont have lift access because im in sales.... which annoys me, but anyway.

i was wondering if yall thought it was worth trying to break down the tires myself kinda in the driveway. its 33 goodyear MTR's on the factory 15in steelies. I cant imagine it would be that hard, just need some big pry bars. Ive got an air compressor for filling em back up, setting the bead might be kind of a bitch, but i think i can handle it. really just has to do with weather or not i can realistically get the bead off, and back on. ill pay to have them balanced afterwords.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34542

I got this one the first time I wanted to put some tires on my truck, it cost me less than I was gonna pay some to do 4 wheels, and I did 100 tires the first year on it.
Now after 6 years it still works great, about 5 minutes per tire for car tires and about 10 minutes for the bigger so far I did 38" tires.
Not bad for $39

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

I bought a couple tire spoons from Harbor Freight a ways back (they were ~$3 a piece, normally more like $10) and that's how I've mounted and dismounted tires since.

Some tires are easier than others, my 37" MT/R's were a huge PITA, interestingly enough my current 42" IROK's were MUCH easier to mount and dismount.

 

[imiceman44]

I bought a couple tire spoons from Harbor Freight a ways back (they were ~$3 a piece, normally more like $10) and that's how I've mounted and dismounted tires since.

Some tires are easier than others, my 37" MT/R's were a huge PITA, interestingly enough my current 42" IROK's were MUCH easier to mount and dismount.

This is much easier than a spoon, it is as fast as any tires shop machine if you get the right lube, and I did finally, but I used soap until now.
It breaks the bead, and mounts the tires all in one amazing tool for only $39.
Mine is starting to show age so I am thinking of buying a new one and making the old one mounted on a hitch for taking with me.

 

[broncoman6524]

I've mounted 33's all the way to 40's in my yard on 15" wheels.

If you have access to work, suck it up and offer to pay a tech $20 to do it, much easier on your back, safer, and they can balance them for you.

But if you don't want, the hardest point is setting the beads, but just spray Starter fluid in the tire, and onto the outside. Stand the tire up against a pole or something, make sure the tire is on the back bead. Then light the line of fluid in the side wall.

 

[imiceman44]

I've mounted 33's all the way to 40's in my yard on 15" wheels.

If you have access to work, suck it up and offer to pay a tech $20 to do it, much easier on your back, safer, and they can balance them for you.

But if you don't want, the hardest point is setting the beads, but just spray Starter fluid in the tire, and onto the outside. Stand the tire up against a pole or something, make sure the tire is on the back bead. Then light the line of fluid in the side wall.

I really don't know why people have a problem setting beads.
It's not always easy but there are plenty of ways to do it before resorting to starting fluid or ether.
The only time I would see that necessary is if you are putting narrow tires on a wide rim which is stupid anyway since the tire will not last long.

 

[broncoman6524]

Yes, but at a typicaly home enviroment it's much harder to do it safely.

I prefer to just stick the hose on the valve stem, if yuo have large enough OD hoses, this will work great.

BTW...mounting any kind of bias tire thats set on its side for an extended amount of time and got squished is a major PITA.

 

[scooter122983]

The easiest way to set the beads requires a tool that almost all of us have some place on our rigs or in our garages, a ratchet strap. Run the strap around the circumference of the tire and tighten it just until the tread starts to dent in one spot. Then fill the tire with air, you will notice that the side walls start to move out, once you see that the beads are completely on the rim you can release the tension on the rachet strap and fill the tire to the correct pressure.

(Edit) I did this once and had a local tire shop remove and dispose of my old tires and they only charged me 7 bucks, then I used the rachet strap to set the beads. Also x2 on WD-40 but I suggest getting a gallon especially if you are a small guy like me.

 

[K5dreamer]

ratchet strap is a brilliant idea, thanks for the tip.

and i do lube the rim, just like i did at the dealership, im a fan of working smarter, not harder and im not huge, but im pretty good sized, so i can put a little leverage into the bead to get it on/off. My dad claims he has some tire spoons somewhere, ill probably wind up giving it a go this thursday. as for now, i gotta drag the compressor out and refill that tire.... again.

 

[imiceman44]

The easiest way to set the beads requires a tool that almost all of us have some place on our rigs or in our garages, a ratchet strap. Run the strap around the circumference of the tire and tighten it just until the tread starts to dent in one spot. Then fill the tire with air, you will notice that the side walls start to move out, once you see that the beads are completely on the rim you can release the tension on the rachet strap and fill the tire to the correct pressure.

(Edit) I did this once and had a local tire shop remove and dispose of my old tires and they only charged me 7 bucks, then I used the rachet strap to set the beads. Also x2 on WD-40 but I suggest getting a gallon especially if you are a small guy like me.

That is what I use some times, but most times I slam one side on the rim and get it wedged then gently hold the tire and push on the rim just enough to touch the other side, and this works 90% of the times, I never use Bias ply tires, so no issues there, and the times this doesn't work I use the ratchet.
One time a tow truck came to my house to pick up a car and on his way blew the bead off a rim 16.5" rim, he didn't want to take it off and we tried lots of things and finally we packed the gap with grease, and we aired it up.