How to break the bead on your tire

[1990new]

I know the safest way to break the bead on your tire to change it is to use the equipment at the tire store that's made for the purpose.
If you're changing tires at home, here's a fairly safe and quick
method that I use.

What you need:
A jack
A small prybar
A few small pieces of board (Oak flooring boards used in photos).

Jack up your festiva in front an remove the wheel.
Place the wheel under the wheel hub.
Place the curved end of the pry bar under the hub in the low
point between two lug lobes.
The pointed end needs to be right on the bead at the edge of the wheel.
Place board across the tire to raise the prybar so that the prybar point is angled slightly toward the wheel at the bead.
Gently lower the car until the bead breaks.
Turn the tire over and repeat for the other side.
If you want to save the old tires, be sure to dull the sharp pry bar edges.
Works great for me.

If anyone else has a better way, I'd like to hear about it.




Here are all Pictures.

[Basement_Modder]

Looks great!

[JoDan]

Wow.... not going to lie that sounds like a bad idea all the way around. Take it to a tire place, save yourself some hurt.

[econoaddict]

Gotta do what ya gotta do.

I picked up a euro tire machine at a garage sale a couple of years back, would be very very lost now with out it.

[Occhty]

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z397/occhty/374ce5c0.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z397/occhty/5d71ae6a.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z397/occhty/8fee6b8e.jpg

Home-made Bead Buster 3000,

[Biff]

6" Record vise and some wood, squeeze till the bead pops.

[Grey Vw]

Looks safe enough. "Do what you can with what you've got"

[Gomez]

Drive over it with another car. Saw my neighbor do that the other day safely inside his car.

[htchbck]

Got a $50 manual tire changer from Tractor Supply Company. In the past couple of years I've done over a couple hundred tires on it. As long as its steel wheels you're good to go, from 12" festers, up to some 245/75R16s on an F150. Had to beef up the bead breaker a little to get the big ones to break down, but for 12s 13s 14s its a snap! I have mine bolted to a pallet so its semi-mobile.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/vehicle-maintenance-accessories/tires/vehicle-tire-repair/portable-tire-changer-1000142

[WmWatt]

I used to drive over bias ply tires but don't know what effect driving over a steel belted radial tire would have on the embedded steel belt. The pry bar method seems safer.

[getnpsi]

I should get one of those 50 dollar changers and the bubble balancer. if its good for 100mph its good for my festiva. i have 6 tires to remount.

I've driven over tires too BTW.

[DrMaxwellEdison]

reminds me what I have to do that I'm really not looking forward to tonight.

[link5186]

Shoot, my dad always busted beads by standing on the tire and walking around the rim until it gave. Of course he has a considerable weight advantage...

Sent from the bathroom via tapatalk

[1990new]

Shoot, my dad always busted beads by standing on the tire and walking around the rim until it gave. Of course he has a considerable weight advantage...

Sent from the bathroom via tapatalk

Used to take 4 big fellas playing ring around the rosy to do it that way with tractor tires.

[1990new]

Thanks everyone for posting your methods and comments.
Only replace tires about about every 4 years.
Normally have it done but since I'm retired and have the time and energy,
decided to do it myself this time at home on the alloy wheels.
Was pretty easy to get the tires off and on with just a small prybar, a long piece
of tapered oak board and a rubber hammer.
Go the yellow spot lined up with the valve stem and they all balanced with just one small weight on the inside for each tire. (Less that the last time when they mounted with the red spots at the valve stem.)