Lay down a blanket to work on so you don't end up marring the wheels and assemble your work tools. You'll need tire irons, rim protectors, a valve core removal tool and some stuff to make sliding the tire off the wheel easier.
-027.jpg
Appropriately named, I have a bucket of "stuf" that I purchased years ago when I used to mount tires on dirt bikes. This bucket of "stuf" is most likely older than some of you on the board.
-028.jpg
This stuff is just nasty looking, but is a water based lubricant that doesn't dry out and is non caustic like detergent and other common lubricants used to mount tires. Even better, when done with the job, it washes away clean with a light scrubbing with water and a brush.
-029.jpg
The last tool you need is something to break the bead of the tire from the rim. There are many ways to do this. This is my solution... it looks like a medieval torture contraption, but it's a very old, very effective bead breaker I have used for years on motorcycle and automotive tire changes.
-030.jpg
So, lets get started. First we need to let all the air out of the tire. Using a valve core removal tool, unscrew the valve core located inside the stem.
-031.jpg -032.jpg
next, position the wheel assembly on the bead breaker being careful to protect the bottom side of the wheel and to also position the portion you will be pressing down on carefully so you don't chip or bend the rim.
-033.jpg
push down on the bead breaker handle until the bead "pops" from the wheel and slides down a few inches.
-034.jpg
Lay the wheel with the brake disc side up to prevent bending it while working and generously lubricate the tire/wheel area with the stuf.
-035.jpg
loop the rim protector strings around the hub area to prevent them from falling into the tire when you work.
-036.jpg
Line the up on the edge of the rim
-037.jpg
Then using a tire iron, slip the edge of the tool under the wheel lip and lever the tire up and over the rim.
-038.jpg
use another iron and do the same thing to the section right next to the section you just lifted.
-039.jpg
continue working in small sections around the tire as you lift more and more of it off the wheel.
-040.jpg
Sorry, no pictures here as it takes like three hands at times to work the irons and I didn't have an extra hand to snap pics as I worked my way around the tire and the other side.
Once done, you now have the the tire off the rim.
-041.jpg
Tire is off. Now to put the new one on... see next post to continue.
Are we "tired" yet?
