Tire removal

Lew · Dec 30, 2001

I put a new rear tube in my son's 200 this weekend, and boy what a difference from a bicycle tire:think . Anyway I purchased a $15.00 tire spanner from my local Kawi shop and off I went. The spanner lasted for the first 5 seconds of the process,:uh: . Then I carefully used my $1.98 screw driver. Got the tube changed and the son is riding again. Does anybody have some tips or tricks for removing the tire? Thanks for the assistance..
Lew

PS - what tire pressures are you guys using for typical trail/woods riding?

zilla · Dec 30, 2001

I'll give ya a few of my tips

First, get yerself some good tire spoons, either from an automotive shop or a MC shop or mail order. The longer the better. I have zip tied two milk crates together and place the wheel in that sprocket side down. Remove the valvestem, loosen the rimlock and then break the bead. Push the tire into the middle of the rim opposite the rimlock and then start removing at the rimlock using your tire spoon. I use a solution of dish soap and water to lubricate the tire. If I am totally removing the tire, I then remove the tube, flip the wheel/tire over and repeat this process on the other side of the rim.. This will leave the rim in the center of the tire. The rim will come out rather easily now, just grab rotate and pull or kick it a good one. Check your rim strip and replace if necessary. I now remove the rim lock to ease re-installation of the new tire. To remount, I just lay the new tire on the rim and start right in.. You don't have to re-install the same as you took it off (putting the rim in the middle of the tire) The trick is to make sure the opposite side of the tire is in the middle part of the rim, which allows the tire to stretch over the rim on the other side. After getting one side of the tire on the rim, install the rimlock. Then the tube. Some people put baby powder in the tire before the tube to help the tube unfold. I put a little air in the tube and straighten it out as best I can. I then start on the side oppposite the rimlock and begin working the tire onto the rim. Once again soap and water help. work the tire around the rim toward the rimlock being careful not to pinch the tube. An extra set of hands is a big help here. The last 7-8 inches is the hardest, just keep pushing the opposite side of the tire into the rim to gain loosness. Eventually you'll get the tire remounted. I then inflate the tire till the bead seats, then I install the valve core after allowing the air to completely escape. Iinflate to proper pressure, The Don't forget to tighten the rimlock. One last trick, the warmer the tire the easier to mount.. As far as pressure, the woods guys I know run around ten pounds or so..

fatty_k · Dec 30, 2001

Re: I'll give ya a few of my tips

Originally posted by zilla
One last trick, the warmer the tire the easier to mount..

Yes, leave the wheel out in the sun to heat the tire up so it is easier to remove. It works well for me, but I still end up pinching the tube everytime. :(

Lew · Dec 30, 2001

I did get lucky and not pinch the tube, but I see how the fact that the temp was in the low 40's made the project more difficult. I will try the warming and soap trick next time.
Lew

rcers · Dec 30, 2001

I've did many a tire in my days,and there is no magic or hidden secrets.All of the above hints,elbow grease and a full vocabulary of profanity.
GOOG LUCK

Lew · Jan 1, 2002

Originally posted by rcers
and a full vocabulary of profanity.

I have that part down like a pro....:)

WoodsRider · Jan 2, 2002

Patience is the key

To completely remove the tire from the rim I only use levers to get half of one bead over the rim. At that point I can pull the rest of the bead over by hand, remove the tube and then pull the other bead off by hand.

To mount a new tire, remove the silly rim strip and run two strips of duct tape around the rim. Poke two holes for the valve stem and rim lock. Install the rimlock and cinch it down. Using a mixture of 70% dishsoap/30% water lube both tire beads and the rim. The first bead can be installed by hand. Once it is on, force the tire down over the rimlock, loosen the nut (don't take it off) and push the rimlock into the tire. Sprinkle the tube with talcum powder, insert the valve stem into the hole (this is the hardest part) and install the tube into the tire. About half of the second bead can be installed on the rim by hand. Use tire irons for the last little section. I prefer taking small bites (three inches or less) until the tire is mounted. Inflate tube, seat the bead and tighten the rimlock.

canyncarvr · Jan 2, 2002

woodsrider said:

I prefer taking small bites

This is important. It is NOT true that taking a bigger 'bite' gets you done sooner. There is a place you can feel that the tire tool will fit...go too far along the bead and the tool insertion gets harder.

Having several extra tools helps, too. You can insert an extra one against the rim a couple 'bites' down from where you're working. That way you won't have to worry about scratching the rim whilst squeezing the iron in place.

re: temperature

Oh yeah. Changing a paddle tire (short, stiff sidewall) in the garage @ 40º is a REAL good time to expand that vocabulary!!

Having the opposite bead NOT in the center of the rim will help adding to the vocab, too!!

12psi front and rear. Maybe a bit much...but gives a bit of protection in rocks.

DVO · Jan 6, 2002

Do'in it yerself

I recently got a new rear but didn't get it mounted. I went to buy some tire irons at the local shop but the owner talked me out of it saying that I would mark up my rims doing it myself. A couple of scratches wouldn't bother me but gouges might. What can I expect by doing it myself and is there some sort of rim protector that can be used/improvised? I want to stud a tire for winter but don't want to keep paying for mounting with the changing seasons. Thanx for any input guys. DVO

Lew · Jan 7, 2002

DVO

I was just very cautious and took my time. Didn't hurt the rim at all. If you use the procedures the others have described here you should even have an easier go than I did.
Lew

WoodsRider · Jan 7, 2002

Re: Do'in it yerself

Originally posted by DVO
I went to buy some tire irons at the local shop but the owner talked me out of it saying that I would mark up my rims doing it myself.

You can't be serious. And how much was the dealer going to charge you for mounting new tires? If I owned a $25k Harley with custom alloy wheels, sure, I'd be concerned about scratches. But we are talking about a dirtbike. Scratches and dings add character. I've been changing tires by myself for 14 years and have yet to seriously damage a rim.

DVO · Jan 7, 2002

:o The guy wanted $10-13 US I estimate. I'm pretty ignorant of this stuff and took his word for it. I'd persoally rather buy the tools and be able to do it when and where I want. Thanks guys, you've helped me make up my mind. Don't know what I'd do without this site...besides go broke:D. DVO

iainross · Jan 7, 2002

In the UK you can buy plastic rim protectors which clip on over the edge of the wheel to protect them from the tyre levers. But as you say it's a dirt bike and I didn't bother with them. To break the bead you can either stand on the tyre or, if it is stiff, squeaze the tyre in a vice. It shouldn't be too hard though because it's not tubeless, they can be a pig to do. Have fun.
Iain

WoodsRider · Jan 7, 2002

DVO - FWIW, the first time I ever bought new tires for a dirtbike I had the shop install them. They charged me $30 and failed to install the rimlocks. I promptly went out and tore the valve stem off the rear tube. Since then I've always been a DIY tire changer.

Lew · Jan 7, 2002

DVO -

Make sure you get GOOD tire spoons. Not like the one I bought:mad: which I mentioned in my first post. It was made from cheap pot metal. I think I will try something from Napa auto parts next time

SixthSide · Jan 7, 2002

As said above, I always use soap..

DVO · Jan 7, 2002

Can someone tell me how the bead locks work? I haven't seen any diagrams or whatever and the book doesn't say diddley. Thanx...DVO

canyncarvr · Jan 8, 2002

Well.....

...uh, they 'lock' the 'bead'?

Does that explain it??

Look at your wheel. The stud sticking out from the rim a few inches away from the inner tube stem is the bead lock. Physically, it consists of a rubber coated metal block that sits between the tube and the rim. This block has gripper devices, or 'teeth' that, when the stud is tightened, clamp the bead of the tire to the wheel rim.

Dirt bike tires take a lot of abuse...at low tire pressures to boot. That creates a lot of stress on the bead to stay where it's mounted. The outcome of NOT having a rim lock is the tire slips taking the tube with it...and 'presto' a flat due to having the tube stem ripped out.

Not all bikes have bead locks. Some wheels have MORE than one!

The hassle (kinda) with them in changing tires is that they get in the way. You need to ensure that the bead lock is not pinched between the tire bead and the rim...it's the BEAD that's pinched between the bead lock and the rim. Getting the tire bead over the bead lock (or rim lock) isn't necessarily HARD..it's just something you have to be aware of when you're changing tires.

Zilla's comments are good. He mentions putting in the tube starting opposite the rim lock. I prefer starting AT the valve stem (next to the rim lock)..that way it's easier to reposition the tube if need be to align the stem.

zilla · Jan 8, 2002

I did?

I always install the stem in the rim first, when installing a tube. It's the easiest way, to get the stem in the hole.. One more tip. When installing the stem, I use a very small screwdriver, putting it through the hole in the rim and then putting the end of the screwdriver part way into the stem. You can then use the screwdriver to guide the stem into the rimhole.. Then I install the nut onto the stem to keep things in place.. Later after the tire is installed and infarted, I remove the nut, because if the tube and tire slip in the rim the stem can pull into the tire a ways instead of breaking..

canyncarvr · Jan 8, 2002

No, you didn't

I put the 'put the tube in' with the FIRST part of the next sentence...'I start opposite the rim lock...' to come up with 'put the tube in starting opposite the rim lock.

My injudicious editing..din't read well 'tall. I din't pass the heln ready sped redin coarse, neither.

Sorry bout that.

zilla · Jan 8, 2002

Thanx

I was just lookin fer an excuse to go off on another tire/tube rant..
And that reminds of another stupid dealer remark. Last summer I went into the local Kawi/Suzook/Yammy shop and asked about tires.. The counter guy says, "What Kind of Bike" I told him KTM, and he says, "we don't carry KTM tires" . Ok, I leave, and make a mental note to avoid this shop at all costs in the future.

DVO · Jan 8, 2002

Canyncarvr
...uh, they 'lock' the 'bead'?
Does that explain it??

Good one, knew I could count on ya;)

By the way, don't the two wheel bearings seat against the hub? And if so what's the spacer for? Can we do without it?
DVO

Tire removal

Lew

zilla

fatty_k

Lew

rcers

Lew

WoodsRider

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canyncarvr

DVO

Lew

WoodsRider

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DVO

iainross

WoodsRider

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Lew

SixthSide

DVO

canyncarvr

zilla

canyncarvr

zilla

DVO

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Tire removal

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