Thread: Bead Breaker

Just drive over the tyre....

I think I'm a reasonably capable handyman/bush mechanic but before heading off around Oz I thought I might try and remove a tyre from the LR rim in my driveway. Failed at every turn. Used a jack under the tow hitch (not with the adapter you show), tyre pliers and driving on top of it. No luck. I won't say it's not possible but if you're on the side of a bush track with no one in sight, I know I would much rather have a complete spare(s) with me.

Originally Posted by rocket rod

I think I'm a reasonably capable handyman/bush mechanic but before heading off around Oz I thought I might try and remove a tyre from the LR rim in my driveway. Failed at every turn. Used a jack under the tow hitch (not with the adapter you show), tyre pliers and driving on top of it. No luck. I won't say it's not possible but if you're on the side of a bush track with no one in sight, I know I would much rather have a complete spare(s) with me.

Where around the wheel did you try to initially break the bead?

It’s a trade off, carrying extra weight (spares) often leads to the failure in the first place. Travel as light as possible is one of the keys to vehicle/tyres holding up.

Originally Posted by Briar

I came across this image on the Caravaners Forum (thanks for image to whoever posted it there). It's an aluminium bead breaker that goes beneath bottle jack. Obviously allows force to be concentrated near bead of tyre. Would this work on a D4 rim??? Looked like an interesting idea.Most of time when travelling any distance I carry a spare carcass. For more remote travel I carry a full second spare on a rim. I'm always mindful of weight. I have broken beads of tyres on track and pulled off tyres with levers. Hard work, but I know that breaking the bead is biggest battle. Thoughts? I carry the 2 tonne Omega bottle jack. Would this exert enough force with this attachment or would it still be just too hard.bead breaker.jpg

File it under gadgets and leave it there. Carry two spares.
.W..

Originally Posted by Tombie

Where around the wheel did you try to initially break the bead?

It’s a trade off, carrying extra weight (spares) often leads to the failure in the first place. Travel as light as possible is one of the keys to vehicle/tyres holding up.

Can't actually remember as it was quite a while ago, but without any research and if I was to try it today I'd start opposite the valve as a guess.

I'm about to change from tubed 5.5 inch rims on my Defender to tubeless 7 inch Disco rims, so this business of breaking the bead on tubeless tyres becomes an issue for the first time for me.

So a question : Does the difficulty of breaking the bead decrease as the profile percentage increases? Naively I think it might but can anyone advise?

Michael

Originally Posted by rocket rod

Can't actually remember as it was quite a while ago, but without any research and if I was to try it today I'd start opposite the valve as a guess.

Have a look next time a rim is stripped of its tyre.

There’s a point on it (iirc at the valve) where the bead is reduced. This is the point to break first.

The longer the rubber has been on the wheel often the harder it is to remove as the rubber and wheel tend to stick.

When I would do long trips I’d often take the vehicle to tyre shop, pop the beads and reseat with plenty of soap, my wheels before I left. Makes removing them much easier.

Don't forget, you have to reseat the tyre too.
.W