I'm tired of tires
 

There is one job working on my cubs that has me cussin' up a storm. It's changing tires-dismounting or mounting new tires on wheels. When I try to use a tube, I manage to pinch and puncture the tube about half the time, or I can't get the tire to hold air enough to seat the bead if I go tubeless. Or, it takes 50 or 60 psi to seat the beads. I'm afraid I'll blow myself up. I've resorted to propane to seat the beads in tubeless situations. I bought a nice set of tire spoons/irons. They are better than the big screwdrivers I was using, but don't really help all that much. It took me over two hours to remove and replace a pair of 23-8.50-12 tires. I need to find a tire shop that will do this reasonably. Do you do your own tires or farm that out? How do you break the bead when dismounting a tire? I'm using my woodworking bench vise to squeeze the tire to break the bead.

I change 10-20 tires a month at times when really into it. Cars, trucks, mowers, all the same concept. Just break the bead on both sides and push one side into the inner part of the rim and take the opposite side first and work around it. After a few it gets easier. I can break a bead with a screwdriver and hammer if you do it right and it isn't rusted without hurting the tire or rim. the much easier method is a harbor freight bead breaker at 45 dollars tops. Good investment if you do a lot of tires.
Also, the bigger thing my grandpa ever preached on tires and I never forget it. "watch the tube with the tire spoons. Don't pinch it"
I'd argue the most annoying part is getting old used tires that are being contrary to reseat. I just refuse to use carb cleaner and a match and make it "blow out" onto the rim like I see and hear some people do.

Most of the time I take them to Blue Ridge Tire here in Galax. With tubes I put just enough air in them to fill them up but not get pinched, sort of an art to it.

Something my son and I do is break the bead by removing the valve insert and get a 2X6 about 4 feet long. Lay the tire in the driveway and lay one end of the 2X6 over just the tire but next to the rim. We then drive my pickup up the ramp and most times that breaks the bead, if not a little push with a tire iron will do it. When we mount the tire if a tube goes in we put some baby powder inside the tire and rub the tube with it. We also coat the bead with a little liquid dish detergent and that makes the rib slip much better. When we insert the tube we position the stem through the hole and secure it with a valve removal tool. When we get the tire mounted we pull the stem as far out as it will go and clamp it with vise grips and inflate till the tire seats and then let out the air and insert the valve stem and refill to pressure.

I've got a manual bead breaker that ivevused for years dad bought it somewhere a long time ago I've noticed harbor freight has one pretty close to what I have that seems to work well just as well from reviews I havnt had a tire I couldn't get loose yet. And I use dawn dish soap mixed with water to help slip them on

Looking at the Harbor Freight mini-tire changer. Seems like that would be a big help. It says it handles up to 12 inch rims. Anyone use one?

A narrow front Farmall tractor or a pickup front wheel works great for breaking beads on bigger tires. :biggrin2: otherwise for small tires a tire iron and a big hammer.

I use my wood splitter and a short piece of 2x6. Just make sure the grain of the wood and the splitter are oppossite and they break easy. I also use the method PaulS talked about. There are some good tips on Utube also.

If your looking at the 50 dollar one at harbor freight its.like the one I have it says 12 inch but with.a.well placed pipe or 2x4 under it you can do larger I did the 33x12.50r17s on my ram

tires
 

I use a bumper jack. Tire on solid ground,base of jack on tire edge,jack up the bumper of my 8n. Works pretty good. Mike