Tractor tyres off the rims without damage?

[Welderpaul]

I need to get the tyres off the rims this xmas - rear wheels. They are around 1200 diameter and been on for a good few years. I'm going to refurb the rims and when the time is right get someone else to put new tyres on but i'd rather not wreck the rims using a 5' bar to prise them off. Is there any tips of the trade to get them off?
The front ones were a mare to get off. I admit i ended up sawing one of the tyres in half to get it off!

 

[octo0072000]

friendly tyre fitter will save you a lot of grief ask a local farmer who he use's
or a 4inch bit of thick angle iron and a sledge hammer to knock the tyre off the bead
use the angle vee up so you are knocking it into between the tyre and the rim you will need a few 3 ft tyre levers as well

 

[Welderpaul]

Whats the bead?

 

[octo0072000]

Whats the bead?

sorry tyre talk bead is edge of tyre that's next to the rim with the wire in the tyre
you need to knock the tyre bead into the centre of the rim all the way round then you hold the bead in the centre by standing on the rim and start levering from the opposite side il send you a pm

 

[Bill Edwards]

You may be lucky. I fit/repair tractor tyres...
Now, if you were nicely placed in Scarborough, rather than Leeds, I could come and make things easy!

I'm working on a lengthy reply, give me time!

 

[octo0072000]

sent you a pm to ring me a lot to explain

 

[premmington]

friendly tyre fitter will save you a lot of grief ask a local farmer who he use's
or a 4inch bit of thick angle iron and a sledge hammer to knock the tyre off the bead
use the angle vee up so you are knocking it into between the tyre and the rim you will need a few 3 ft tyre levers as well

Yep... Sledge hammer and angle iron. Tyre levers! Nasty job!

Lorry wheels are easy compared to this old tractor rims!

 

[octo0072000]

You may be lucky. I fit/repair tractor tyres...
Now, if you were nicely placed in Scarborough, rather than Leeds, I could come and make things easy!

I'm working on a lengthy reply, give me time!

that's why i asked him to ring me takes a lot of explaining

 

[Bill Edwards]

Sod it, I'm already half way through I'll keep going now!

 

[octo0072000]

here you are paul this will give you an idea

 

[Spark plug]

Whats the bead?

The bead is the lip of the tyre that locks into a recess in the rim. As said use a pice of angle and a big hammer to push the tyre back off the bead, on both sides of the rim so the tyre is loose within the rim.

Next using 2 tyre leavers start to prise the tyre off from the back of the rim, the easiest way is to put 1 leaver in and stand on it holding it down on the rim with your foot then use the other to leaver the tyre off either side of the one your standing on. Take little bites or it will become hard work, also use your other foot to push the tyre down opposite the point your leavering.

Now you can remove the tube, this can be harder than it sounds as they tend to get rusted to the rim. Just keep pulling it away all the way round and it'll come out.

Next lift the tyre up with the rim on the floor and prise the front side of the tyre over the back of the rim as you done with the first side.

It sounds harder than it is, once you figure it out it's not that bad, don't forget to use plenty washing up liquid.

 

[Gareth J]

Drive on them with another tractor to break the beads or bounce a heavy steel bar around close to the rim (mind the rim!)

Once bead is off, its just like a normal tyre except everything you need to do is scaled up.

Fitting new tyres is relatively easy

 

[octo0072000]

and another also it's easier to do them on the tractor rather than the floor

 

[octo0072000]

with old tractors it has been known to have to cut the tyre off the rim due to the rim rusting
as Paul found out on one of the fronts

 

[Bill Edwards]

Before you do anything I suggest you crack off the wheelnuts while it's sat on the ground, so once you have removed the tyre the rim will be easy.
Jack the thing up, obviously, and let the air out of the tyres. The valve will be like the type normally used on cars, however there is also a larger size which you can unscrew (might need a pair of pliers/vice grips if it's tight), easier and quicker than removing the valve core.


Once the air is out it's worth squirting some soapy water where the tyre meets the rim, it'll make it easier. There will be a ring at the base of the valve stem, usually plastic though some are metal. Unscrew this and then push the valve stem into the rim. If you don't it may get damaged later (though you'll probably fit tubeless tyres anyway, and even if you don't run them tubeless you'll probably stick new tubes in anyway). Once you've pushed it inside you'll be committed to getting the tyre off as you won't have a way of pumping it up again.

Then take a piece of 2/3 inch angle iron about 3 inches long and take the sharp corners off so you don't cut the tyre.
Then, with the biggest sledge hammer you can find you have to drive the angle iron between the tyre and the wheel rim. You won't damage the rim provided you don't have a bad aim. It'll usually take a few goes, plenty of soapy water as you do it.
What you are doing is pushing the tyre away from the edge of the rim so it drops down into the 'well' of the wheel, you'll know when it's there. It'll probably require you to position the angle iron in a couple of new places once the tyre moves.

Then the harder part, you have to do the same at the other side of the tyre, but it's less easy because access to swing the hammer is restricted by the arms, mudguards, roll bar etc.
Chances are that by the time you've done all this you will be cursing and wishing you'd never started. Well, there are tools to do it an easier way - but many pro tyre fitters do use this method as their primary choice, there may be a bit of a knack to it though.

Once both beads are broken you can pry the tyre off the rim.
You need two bars, ideal length is about 36 ish inches long (not critical or anything, just as a guide you DON'T want a 5ft bar, and an 18" bar isn't good either!).
You stick the bars in between the tyre and rim probably around 6" apart and pry the bead of the tyre over the rim. It's easy to pinch the tube that'll be inside though. Also, you must have the tyre dropped into the well opposite where you are prying - I usually start at the top, so kick it in at the bottom while you pry on the bars.
Once you have it over the rim remove one bar and place it a couple of inches over and pry that over the rim, and keep working round taking very small bites at a time. Finally you'll get it off and you can pull the tyre towards you, lean in and pull out the innertube.

Then you just have to remove the tyre completely by sticking in a bar and pulling it off, or sometimes a good pull on the tyre can do it without tools. Don't let it land on you though, they can be heavy.

They shouldn't be a hard size to do, small tyres are actually harder but they won't be so big that it's hard work. Last rear tractor tyre I did I can stand inside to repair it!
The talk of holding tyres with your foot is more for small tyres on the ground, not mounted to the tractor. Don't take the whole thing off and try to do it flat, they're dangerously heavy when the wheel rim is attached and it'll be hard. No need to drive over your tyres, big hammer and angle iron work far better.

I'll PM my phone number so you can call at any time throughout.

 

[Bill Edwards]

with old tractors it has been known to have to cut the tyre off the rim due to the rim rusting
as Paul found out on one of the fronts

To be honest I've never encountered a tractor one that has ever needed that treatment, it's down to technique.
I have one trailer tyre that may receive it, but that's a 3 piece rim and a rather special case, not like simply breaking a bead and prying it over the rim.

 

[octo0072000]

this is a better video

 

[Bill Edwards]

Was just posting that up!!!!!!
He uses a different bead breaker but you'll get the idea for the rest of it. Obviously, he knows what he is doing and the tyre being removed is new which is far easier but you'll get some tips.

 

[Bill Edwards]

These may be very helpful, showing a tyre fitter and he actually explains what he is doing as well:

There are some real amateurs showing tyre fitting on YouTube - fine when they do it the hard way, but it'll put you off and make your life hard if you copy some of their methods.

However you do it I wouldn't be surprised if you do a lot of cursing and swear never to attempt another tyre again. I did! Then ended it doing it as part of earning a living!

 

[octo0072000]

Was just posting that up!!!!!!
He uses a different bead breaker but you'll get the idea for the rest of it. Obviously, he knows what he is doing and the tyre being removed is new which is far easier but you'll get some tips.

come on bill you haven't said anything about the bit of outlawed angle iron that was one of the best bits of tyre fitters kit