breaking the bead

[$$$moneyex]

ok i bought new bandits. theyre not mounted on anything inm doing it my self. does anybody no of an easy way to break the bead. i let out all the air and it sucked in to the rim in some spots. i dont have a valve remover at home but i can get one from work. would that help getting it off easier?
thanks

[redrider ex]

you will need to remove the valve core and you need a bead breaker i made my own i copied of the jL bead breaker , but a guy i know takes a wedge like you use for busting fire wood and puts it against the rim and hits it nocking the bead off.

[Leo]

if they are the stock tires, on the stock rims.. save yourself some aggrevation (and scrapes, and bruises) and take them in and at the very least have them take the old tires off the rims for you..

Leo

[RiPPiNiTuP7]

I have a rather larger vice I stuck my rims/tires in, and just tightened the tire up in it, and they always popped off (with no damage to anything), but if you don't have access to a vice, I'd say take them in to a shop.

[bakerboyz]

I used the ford explorer method.

Put a pad or carpet on the driveway to protect the rims.

Let as much air out as possible.

Drive over the tire (not rim) with a ford explorer ( other models may work as well).

Rotate tire 45 degrees and run over agian.

Repeat until bead is broken.

Flip and repeat for other side.

You should have the core removed when you set the bead so the excess air pressure can release quickly.

Good luck

[nuttynewt]

Here's something you should consider that makes the job a WHOLE LOT easier. If you're tires are totally shot, just take a good sharp utility knife and cut them off. Cut across the tire, getting both the inner and outer bead and the tire slips right off the rim.

[CranMan]

Um as for the Ford Explorer idea, A friend once tried to break the bead on some atv tires with a backhoe, and no matter which way he tried it it didn't work. Personally I head straight for the tire shop, it's not worth the trouble. By the way I'm a CAT mechanic, and know my way around tools and a shop, but the people who do tire work gotta make a living too:D

[JabberJaw]

Originally posted by $$$moneyex
i dont have a valve remover at home but i can get one from work. would that help getting it off easier?
thanks

You better get one... or the only bead you will be breaking is the sweat on your forehead!

[tprender]

About 12 or so years ago I got a bead breaker from JC Whitney for about $35 and it was the best money every spent. They still have the same one for about $50-60 today. Afew tire changes and it is paid for.
I would like to know how you cut the steel beads with the utility knift? At the shop about every other month someone comes in with a tire all cut upwanting us to finish the job.
Take it to the shop and have them just dismount the tires if you want to do it yourself.

[bakerboyz]

The Honda dealer near me wants $30 per tire. Most of the tire shops are the same. It took my explorer, my nine year old and myself no more that 15 Min to break the two beads.

They went in the garbage the next day so I guess nuttynewt's idea of cutting them off would have been a better way. Pretty clever newt.

[Guy400]

$30 a tire to break a tire down? My local Suzuki dealership will do it for $7.

[sandslinger101]

hey, talking about busting beads on atv wheels, last sat. while riding at little sahara state park in ok i had a flat on rear tire due to another atv hitting me. when i got home on sunday tried to hammer down bead, didnt work. looked over and saw my bead buster made for 14-15 inch wheels sold thru like speedway motors in lincon nebraska. put it on the wheel and marked where a large washer would make it fit the 10 inch wheel and welded it on the bead buster about in the middle and presto, the tool pushed the bead off the rim easily. cost of tool 34.95 and now works on auto 14-15 wheels and atv wheels also.speedway motors # 402-323-3200 fax 800-736-3733. there service is the best, every time i have ordered parts from them it is recieved in 2 days. also you might not look quite like a red neck using proper tools.:D no offence to any other post. just rember the easiest way is usually the fastest way.

[timewass]

You can cut the tire off with a sharp knife, but not the bead. There are steel cables in the bead and they are hard to cut even with wire cutters. Take them to a shop.

[nuttynewt]

timewass, you are right. some tires do have steel running along the bead. that totally slipped my mind when i made my previous post. but, all you have to do (because I had to do this on one set) is take a dremel or die grinder and zip each side off. it takes a total of about 2 minutes. by the way, i learned the cutting tires trick from a friend who works at none other than a tire shop. when they get atv tires that are a pain for them, they use the same procedure.

[timewass]

lol. usually it's the easiest method.
I have a 400 ex with White Brothers rear wheels and they are almost impossible to get tires off/on.