Please help if possible, I have a replacement tyre for a burst one on my LET Scraper box. 1600 X 20. I have removed the old tyre OK.

The replacement is on a wheel that is not LET. It is stuck very hard on the wheel rim. I have removed the spring rim and rim but the tyre is still extremely stuck.

I must not damage the bead of the tyre. Does anyone know of a substance or liquid that will ease the tyre from the rusty steel of the wheel. I tried soapy water but that seemed to tighten the tyre on the rim. Or any other hints and help.

Thanks in hope,

D8catlover

In Lincolnshire, England

I would try Muratic acid around the bead to disolve the rust some. Muratic is 20% HCl I believe and is commonly sold for brick and masonry cleaning etc.

I feel your pain! Been there, done that too many times. Makes a new tire price seem more reasonable, but I guess that's a last resort. Hope the tire is worth all the bother.

Hi D8catlover,
have removed stubborn tyres before from rims, which we did not need to save, by relieving the rim by cutting almost through in several places with a cutoff wheel in an angle grinder. Go slowly so as to avoid heat damage to the bead or cool with water as you go--be careful mixing electricity with water though!!!
Otherwise it sounds like a trip to the local earthmover tyre place to get it pressed off in their tyre press. We did make up a press for such a job at my Dads for 24" truck tyres once, not everyone has such luxuries.
CCJ's suggestion if you have time on your side sounds OK to me too. I think the tyre fitters use a soft soap and water mix to fit the tyres so some injected into the casing may help lube the removal path for the bead once it has been broken away from the rim. As the tyre beads adhere and seal themselves to the rim it is pretty hard to get some lube between them.
Good luck with it,
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Thanks to you both very much.

I will try the Muratic acid and I have got the spring retaining ring off by cutting it through with an angle grinder. The tyre is not stuck too much but as its now got no air in, the rubber is too flexible to push off with a frame I made out of 'I' section steel girder 12" X 6" I used a 15 ton jack in the centre of the wheel.

The trouble is the side walls are too soft to overcome the tension from the huge inner bead to the wheel. I hope the Muratic Acid does the trick.

I had the loan of an air/hydraulic tool that would push on the tyre near the bead but it flew off 4 tines and nearly hit me as the air clamping claws slipped out of their grip. The whole tool weighing about 50 lbs slipped where it was clamped on the wheel inner edge of the rim where the spring rim was removed.

I had the tyre people down to see it and they thought it was possible to remove. I have two of these wheels with as new, 1600 X 20 Goodyear diamond patten on. They were not cheap at about $1400 US, equivalent in £'s UK. I hate to give up on anything.

Thanks again,

Alan

PS I have heard about the idea of blowing the tyre off but this is very risky and you can blow the tube very easily so do not want to do that way.

Hi again D8catlover,
my experience of tyre removal in the press requires pressing as close to the bead and rim as possible. To achieve this with your press you will need to sit the rim on the press base and push down on the bead, split rim side first to move it 1/2" or so, until the tyre bead moves then rotate the unit and press the next section a little bit at a time. Next flip the unit over and start on the other bead. Once you get the two beads together space up the rim and continue. Sounds easy but is a lot of hard work.
Hmm, sounds like the jaw grips are shot on the tyre bead tool, pity as it would make life easy, most of the tyre mobs here use those to save dismounting the wheels from the machines.
Good luck,
Eddie B.

That's the key to making the bead move instead of just the sidewall, press at the base of the bead right next to the rim.

My experience with our old worn out hydraulic bead breaker is that it has to be completely seated in the crack between bead and rim before cautiously pushing a little. Push what you can without it flying off and then release and reseat the tool deeper in the crack.

We usually have to start with hammers and breaking irons to make a space and get the hydraulic gadget in there to start with. then we tap it down in the groove with the sledge before we ever push. Ours has the clamp mechanism operated by the pushing cylinder so it grips the rim as it begins to push. If it's held at the correct angle, it pushes correctly and maintains it grip on the rim. If it isn't seated correctly and held where it pushes down in toward the rim instead of riding up the sidewall, it will come off and or scuff the sidewall.

Once you get a good push, then move sideways a little and push again. work along a ways and then go back to the middle of the pushed off section and you can usually do something big on a drop center rim. You may have to keep going around the whole bead to break it loose. Your problem is the tool is quickly going to run out of travel on that flat base rim. On a drop center one piece rim, the bead will quicly drop into the groove and be loose enough to knock on off.

You may want to inflate the tube enough to push off the bead next to where the lock ring was before you break down the other side. Doing it that way is dangerous unless you can use a clip on air line and remotely control the air. When it pops loose, it will only move a few inches, but will break your hand if it is in that few inches:D You may have to sacrifice the tube to do this and I would probably say use a new one anyway when you mount them.

I would make sure to rinse any muratic acid away with water before you work with the rim after it has a chance to soak.

forgot to say, you may be able to do some good with a backhoe or loader bucket.

We have had good results by heating up the rim a little where the bead is seated.
Not red hot but good warm to a temerature the rubber will not burn.
If you can do it whilts having a downward pressure on the bead, ik might break loose.
I hope this helps.
Nico

Find safe place to lay tire and rim on side, then fill the bead to rim contact area with gasoline- let set overnight. Puddle this right in the grove and replace as evaporates. I have used this method on many large truck and tractor tires, the gas penetrates the rust as well as softening the rubber slightly making the bead less likly to tear

When Ive done tyre work in my plant days I used a back hoe on a Ford 4550 with the bucket removed.Great for breaking beads and to use as a big clamp.You best and maybe safest bet is to use a tyre specilist.Tyres can be dangerous if not fitted and inflated correctly.I have seen a tyre jump of its rim when being inflated,it ripped the guys overalls off and made his eyes bleed
Good luck