beadbreakers

[JohnF]

Breaking the beads on these AATV tires can be a real workout due to the beadlocks, uh, locking, uh, the beads.

In this post I explain my experience with the Harbor Freight mini bead breaker; not a good experience.
I tried the "drive on a board that is on the tire" trick to no avail. Perhaps my F250 isn't heavy enough.
I tried jumping on the tire around the bead. Why, if the other didn't work? Frustration?
Also bottle jack on tire under truck bumper. I couldn't keep the bottle jack near the bead; even with valve stem in and a little pressure.

So, I went and did some internet'n to find options. I ended up with an Esco slide hammer bead breaker. This works, even on AATV tires that have been glued on with bead sealer, but it is still a bit of a workout. I stand on the tire to put pressure on the bead and BANG - circle - BANG - circle ... until it pops. I have to put a block under the wheel because the sidewall sits below the wheel and acts like a spring.

It is kind of big to carry but not more than a long handled shovel.

I had to replace the valve stems on my trailer tires and this worked great.

I considered a jaw type breaker and a Tyrepliers type breaker also but had to finally just pick one. From my reading the slide hammer is what people pick up when nothing else works. That or a raging bonfire...

The other two look easier to carry along.

I would love to hear of other methods and experiences with all of the above.

[spookum]

I hear you! the trick is to put even pressure on bolth sideds of the bead, so your pressure dosent fall off. This bead breaker only cost 15 bucks!


bead breaker.jpg

if i have to use it out in the sticks, i think i can recreate it with a tree or two, and then chain one end of my lever to the base of a tree

[msafi65]

Ive used a friends that is similar to the tyreplires. It came from Dennis Kirk and wont reach 12 inch wheels withour mods. I thought it worked great and have broken dozens of tires with it.

[Rock Doctor]

My limited experience with breaking beads out in the bush has not been good, so I've found that packing a "spare" works best for me. A spare is a bit of a space hog though.
One time, in particular, we made a press out of trees and ratchet straps, that worked along the same lines as the pic that Spookum posted. It did get us out of a jam, but was a lot of effort.

RD

[tattooman]

I just bought a mini tier changer at harbour frieght. Changed 12 tiers with it. Worked fine. Did have it in a vise. Even pressure, beads came right apart.

[AlaskaGrizzly]

Homemade bead breaker that works good. Found the ideal on youtube. I should start mass producing these things!

[AlaskaGrizzly]

Now that I've had some sleep I'll explain how it works. Its made from 2 pry bars, square tubing, all thread and nuts.

You mount it up to the rim by pushing it into the tire with the feet under the rim edge and tighten the width until the pry bar feet are sucked up tight to the rim between the tire and the rim. Then you screw the pusher foot into the tire and it pushes the bead off the rim. Works great.

As I said I found the ideal on youtube one day as I was fighting chaging out a set of 8 Argo tires. After I saw the video (which I could not locate easy this morning) I went straight to the store and bought the pry bars.

Homemade bead breaker that works good. Found the ideal on youtube. I should start mass producing these things!



One nut sucks the tool together so it clamps onto the rim under the lip of the rim. The other nut pushes the foot down into the tire pushing the bead off.









See the pry bar feet.

Pusher foot removed.

[msafi65]

Griz, I saw this last nite and was headed to the store to look for small crow bars. I think this would work on the vehicle for getting timber and rocks out of the beads. Where are you located?

[Rock Doctor]

THAT is very cool Grizz, Thanks for posting


RD

[msafi65]

Thanks Griz, this was the best cold day project in years. Found the 12 inch pry bars at local hardware store for $3.79 each. had everything else in the scrap piles. This works!!!! Already did some 8 inch tires and one 12 inch.

[LarryW]

AlaskaGrizzly.
That is a very cool looking setup! Awesome idea. Looks relativity easy to make and looks like it will work awesome! Thanks for posting it! If I get a chance I may build one too.

I made a ramp type set up probably like 10 years ago actually. It has always worked for me but sometimes I have to spin the tire on the ground slightly and work around it. Sometimes drive fast up the ramp and hit the breaks hard or while parked on it hit the bead with a big sledge, pipe or foot, what ever is handy.

[moos-a-boo]

Now that I've had some sleep I'll explain how it works. Its made from 2 pry bars, square tubing, all thread and nuts.

You mount it up to the rim by pushing it into the tire with the feet under the rim edge and tighten the width until the pry bar feet are sucked up tight to the rim between the tire and the rim. Then you screw the pusher foot into the tire and it pushes the bead off the rim. Works great.

As I said I found the ideal on youtube one day as I was fighting chaging out a set of 8 Argo tires. After I saw the video (which I could not locate easy this morning) I went straight to the store and bought the pry bars.




Pusher foot removed.

Alaskagriz, could you post some quick drawings with measurements, prybar size, tubing size, please. You may have just solved a "BACK COUNTRY" PROBLEM. THANKS for the post!

[MarshallEpp]

When i was a kid we used to use the old style bumper jacks you could work the base plate into the bead and break the tire down.

[MIteyMT]

have a little phone video of this, hope it uploads ok

[MIteyMT]

This thing is fast!

http://youtu.be/bFpenWaAHfw Some off these tires may not have been off since 1990!