[How to Mount a Tire] - ATV Riders Forums - Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Polaris, CanAm, Arctic Cat, Kymco ATVs

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How to Mount a Tire
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Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

This thread is to hopefully save some money when things are tight or just for the do it yourselfer that likes to learn new things.

I started off with 2 brand new razr mx 20x6x10 front tires.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/94/l_1dd2c6edc60b49f8814281b1c5a69d38.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Grease up the side you are pressing on the rim so that is will slide on easier as my dad illustrates. Make sure the direction of rotation will end up the correct way NOW before going any further to prevent further headaches for yourself.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/79/l_d01444ed4ac64a07b6d4a7c990fdfafb.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Once you get the first lip of the tire on the rim it should look like this.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/77/l_8575a2907d7a4b5487933c4a26c59e53.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Then you will want to start working the outside of the tire and pushing it on the rim like so.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/112/l_0fef7cc5aaca4e9eab01073e13809167.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

At this point you will need a pair of screw drivers or tire irons what ever you have and you will need to spread the outside bead of the tire on the rim.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/94/l_c72aec0fa998461c91de2b9ca2366357.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

You will then need to move your knees around the outside to keep the tire down until you get the whole tire over the rim.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/104/l_24904bcd62094e3da1a125a764366830.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Another picture of pulling the tire bead over the rim.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/85/l_5805c26674184ce085f7dd548e7783f2.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Once you get all the way around the rim it should look like this.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/68/l_c01d25335bad4c69b172fe324887cb18.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Next you will want to get a ratchet strap and put it around the tire in the center to distribute the load.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/66/l_d6d07091218741b7a11861ccde70fa48.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Load distribution.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/99/l_fe1c9cefc6ef43da8631cec1f8388172.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

With the ratchet strap around the tire you will need to hook up an air compressor to the tire and let the tire air itself up.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/102/l_edb0572c6acf4c43b9a5720527e05e9e.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

You may need to do a little coaxing to get the tire to pop on its bead like spraying grease on the tire or something like that.

CAUTION!!!! DO NOT KEEP YOUR FINGERS NEXT TO THE BEAD WHILE AIRING IT UP!! It will take your fingers off when the bead seats.

Your end result should look like so.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/77/l_c7ff4eac54164a15845c1adf274a868a.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Here is the other tire. You will also need to adjust tire pressure as there will be about 20 lbs or so in the tire.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/110/l_7fbe747dcd7847f391ad41973333ff04.jpg

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Thats it with my write up. Hopefully it saves someone a little money when bills are tight.

Posted by: Aceman

Good write up. I use dishsoap on the beads as well to help them seat. Another trick if you have trouble getting the bead to seat is to remove the core from the valve stem. Now, take your air hose chuck(just the chuck, no tire inflator attachment) and put it on the stem. Be careful, it will air up quick. As soon as the bead seats, quickly pull the air hose off and screw the core back in the stem. Be careful or the air coming back out might shoot it across the room.

Posted by: TheFontMaster

Thats a really good write up. Thats just about everything I had to do when I was mounting my set of razr MX's. Another trick to do to get the bead to set is when you have the ratchet strap around the tire bounce the tire on the ground.

Posted by: kiesta00

how do you mount a tire on a beadlock rim? Put the inside lip onto the rim and then bolt the ring onto the front of the tire then air it up??

Posted by: JSC450

What about getting the tire off the rim? for some reason im having a hell of a time getting my klaws off.

Posted by: insaneracin2003

quote:
Originally posted by JSC450
What about getting the tire off the rim? for some reason im having a hell of a time getting my klaws off.

I dont have pics but you can try this. Please be very careful.
Lay your rim on the side and use your car to run over the edge of the tire(not running over your rim).If you have problems getting you car tire over the quad tire,add somthing under you car tire to raise it up a lil. Once the bead is broken, you should be able to work the rest around . Then flip your rim over and do the other side. Caution, be very careful when driving your car on the tire to break the bead,it can shoot out from under you car tire like a disk.Just wedge it up against something like a pole or tree. Make sure all the air is out the tire and the core is out of the valve stem BEFORE you try this.

Posted by: JSC450

Luckily, I went to a local shop to get the beads broken =] the dealer actually wanted to charge me to have the beads broken. A bud hooked me up me in 2 minutes =]

Once i got the wheels home, i sprayed the inside of the rim and the outter walls of the tires with soapy water, stood on one side of the tire, and pulled the rim though on that side. I guess i could have worked the tire off with screw drivers or something. I was so aggrivated with school and work and missing parts, i just ripped that sucker out of the tire =]

Putting the tires on my new front beadlockers was interesting... I had to do it so many times im like a certified professional at it =] I had a hard time getting the bead to the edge of one of the rims, so i spent alot of time looking for leaks (which i hope were there just because i blasted 15-20 psi into the tire), and then after finally getting the bead to the edge, i discovered i put the tire on in the wrong direction =[ Thank god the everything was still kinda soapy, didnt have much trouble getting the tire back off the rim.

Anyways, i used the "remove core, insert air valve method" and i think it turned out how it was supposed to. Thanks for the tips!

Posted by: RMpower

well, thats a great explanation, now how about one on how to get tires off?? i know most beads are hard to break. people have told me to drive a truck onto one side of the tire, but to be carefull to to bend the rim, and that'll break the bead... are there any easier ways??

Posted by: insaneracin2003

the easiest way is to bring the tires and rims to a shop and let them do it for you.well worth the 15 bones a tire.

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

Dang 15 bones a tire. Here it is only 6 a tire and they will do them in 5 minutes. That is probably the fastest and most painless ways of getting the tire off the old rim

Posted by: insaneracin2003

quote:
Originally posted by hardkoratvmxr
Dang 15 bones a tire. Here it is only 6 a tire and they will do them in 5 minutes. That is probably the fastest and most painless ways of getting the tire off the old rim

Im sorry,i forgot to mention that it was a swap(taking off old tires and installing new ones.

Posted by: polish 711

umm u got any ways on how to take over a tire? that would be great considering i need to take off the old ones to put on new tires

Posted by: GPracer2500

Breaking the beads on ATV tires is tough. I've seen several do-it-yourself methods. The most desireable is to purchase your own bead breaker. Home versions are usually manual devices that use leverage to generate force.

I own this one and would not recommend it. It bent the first time I used it. I straightened it but it is now too weak to be used for breaking beads.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/wcsstore/jcwhitney/images/imagecache/I10786.gif

Something like this might be a better choice, although I've never used this type:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/wcsstore/jcwhitney/images/imagecache/I1448.gif

The only meathods I've seen that didn't require proper tools (i.e. a manual or pnuematic tire changer) involved using the weight of a car or truck. Maybe the safest and best way is to jack a car up in the air and then slide the ATV tire/wheel underneath. You can remove one of the car's wheels and place the ATV tire under a drum/disk brake. Or place the ATV tire under the frame of the car. The placement of a 4x4 piece of wood or similar between the ATV tire and the car can help things along. You'll just have to figure out what spot and arragement will work in your situation. But the idea is to then lower the car down onto the tire to break the bead.

I've seen the weight of a car/truck used for all sorts of "how-do-we-do-this-without-the-proper-tools" situations. Pretty much any jam that requires a hydraulic press can be solved with a car and a jack. Although, it is frequently dangerous and should only be done if you don't have other options. I'm not kidding.

Posted by: idontknowwhoiam

at my old work to get tires on a wheel we used to spray around the wheel with starting fluid light it on fire and bouce it and it would pop right onto the bead

Posted by: RMpower

how the hell does that work? do you let out the air first?

Posted by: idontknowwhoiam

well ya there is no air in it cuz the bead isnt sealed...im not even sure how it works exactly but we did it with skid steer tires and other big wheels

Posted by: foxr

can you not just use some screw drivers to pop the bead? i removed several car tires off of rims with screw drivers. took about half a hour to get 1 tire completly off the rim.

Posted by: idontknowwhoiam

im talkin about puttin the tire back ON the wheel

Posted by: swva400ex

ether and a lighter and you got it. make sure the valve stem is out. i have always found it takes about 25 to 30 psi to seat the bead.

Posted by: DamageInc

quote:
Originally posted by RMpower
how the hell does that work? do you let out the air first?

You spray ether inside the tire, then spray a trail away from it, and light the trail. When the air/ether mixture ignites inside the wheel, it rapidly expands and seats the bead. I usually try all the other tricks before resorting to ether, because that heat is probably not good for a tire, and because it can be very dangerous. I once saw a guy shred a stubborn tractor tire by using too much ether. It was extremely loud and destroyed the expensive new tire, but at least he wasn't hurt.

Posted by: JJ69

that is exactly step by step how i've always done it. well done, nice how-to.

i had bought a set of cheap tires for my old 200sx and tried to get them on no-name rims... it took days.. after a few hours i finally got them pushed on the rim, then when i inflated it, it only got to the inside lip of the rim, it wouldnt come all the way out. no matter what i did, it just wouldnt.. they were only 2 ply tires so i didnt want to use too much air.. so i bolted them back on and drove the thing for 3 days, with both tires stuck halfway on the rim, holding air and everything.. still nothing, so i hooked it up to a car compressor so i didnt have to hold the air nozzle on it, and stood back. the car compressor ran for about 10 minutes (mind you there was already 20-25 lbs in it first.) and then BAM it finally popped out onto the rim.. leaving an 'ohtsu' and the size imprinted on the hood of my truck.. which was a light grey primer color.. to this day that imprint is still stained on my truck. it ended up with like 36-38 lbs in it in the end before it popped out.. from then on i decided to buy better tires.. no more cheap crap.

Posted by: SamC

i just got a pair of turf tamers 18x9.5x8 for my blaster for 120 for the pair do you think i got ripped also, i thinking bout buying the bead breaker from harbor freight does it work for atv tires? and dammmn the other day i got the tires i broke my leg before i could use them!

Posted by: brokenmike

let me add my 2 cents, another way to pop the beads is to get a peice of 2x6 peice of wood about 1.5 to 2 foot long and put it on the tire with the end of the wood almost touching the rim and have a well trusted person drive up the wood untill the bead pops making sure the wood is not contacting the rim,if it does not pop turn the tire a little and try again. When putting tires on or taking them off, put them on or take them off the short offset side it is alot easier

Posted by: brianr134

I'd suggest caution over those that are thinking about driving over the tire to pop the bead or use starting fluid to seat beads. Unless you've had practice and got it down, this is a good way to do some damage to the rim/tire, people, or anything.

Overall, hardkoratvmxr great guide you have. One thing I'd add about seating rear tires, if you are having problems with the bead popping, I broke quite a few ratchet straps on the rears. Leave the core in, lube up the beads nicely, air up to about 25psi, and then lean and push down about half way on the side wall. This is the only way I found to get my rear beads to seat.

Posted by: CDCHONDAS

I have tried alot of these methods of dismounting a tire and in the end what I have found works the best I know own its a Bead Breaker made By K&L Supply, costs several hundred dollars but makes me glad I bought it evertime I use it. I own one of the harbor freight ones, it sucks, you will be in a bad mental condition after using it. Alot of the cheap bead breakers are made for car tires and the like which to not have the rib on the rim to keep the tire on under low pressures like at atv has. Using ether is exciting, people die doing it. I have done it and do it but I have a bead cheetah that is much more effective. I know if I didnt have the equipment I do I would be paying someone else to do it.

Posted by: brokenmike

most of the time i mever have to use a cheetah bead seater,starting fluid(tire caught on fire),or a rachet strap.if needed I use a rachet strap to just make the tire hold air .DO NOT keep the strap on the tire when popping the beads,the strap can break and cause injury.I just use a little soap or WD-40 put air in it and maybe give it a well placed hit with my hand then the tire will start to hold air and i fill it slowly untill the bead pops,and i try not to go over the manuacturers max pressure.Do not lay the tire on its side while seating beads,it could jump up and hit you.BE CAREFUL

Posted by: CDCHONDAS

the strap trick isnt always enough so i use a cheetah, i have a small sized one just for atvs that i made

Posted by: jason43050

i cheat, lol i work at a company that makes tire patches and plugs. they have a tire changer thingy that will break the bead and put it on to. we got bead seater liquid that will lube it up to go on easy

Posted by: fords4life

Another word of warning when using the straps. Make sure you let the pressure out of the tire before removing it. If it has too much pressure on it when you try to release it, it WILL go flying and possibly do some serious damage......trust me, I knew I should have let the air once, and of course I didn't, so my hand got cut up pretty bad.

Posted by: NeedsaYfz

After struggling to get the bead to break for 30 minutes I took my tires down to the local tire shop and they had all 4 new tires mounted and full of air within 15 minutes FREE OF CHARGE. But we also buy 3k+ worth of tires from them every year so I guess I should've expected that.

Posted by: honda6490

Yea my friend works at an autobody shop and he mounts/dismounts tires all day long. I dont know about all this crap about hitting the tire with a 2x4 and running over your tires but its definatly worth just using the right equipment, and to set rear beads just read the max beat setting psi, as you get near that max they will set.

Posted by: bobkunkle

Has anyone used one of these from Harbor Freight: Tire Changer
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/34500-34599/34552.gif

Posted by: 86 Quad R

i generally go to local shop and pay 1.00 a beed to get them broken. once i get home, removing the old ties and installing the new is easy. to seat the beeds i simply use ether and a good ole match.

ofcourse i remove the stem valve.

Posted by: dirtrider77

i love where i live because theres a body shop like 2min from my house so i just ride up there on my quad, then i jack my atv up, take off my tire and rim, and hand my new tires and the old rims with tires on them, and we change them in like a min., and he doesnt charge me anything, ahhh....its great

Posted by: cataway

i had a tire bead give me a hard time , i could not blow enough air in fast enough to get it to seal to the rime , i use a smear of silicone on the rim and some on the tire , worked good tho i will have to take it to a tire shop to get the thing off . LOL

Posted by: cbrooks118

quote:
Originally posted by bobkunkle
Has anyone used one of these from Harbor Freight: Tire Changer
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/34500-34599/34552.gif

I made the mistake in buying one of those last week. It is really crappy. The center hole of my rims (8") were to big for the cylinder thing on the tire machine, therefore it wouldn't sit on there right to get leverage for the handle. I might have to make a jig to see if this thing really works. I used a "hand" bead breaker kit my dad had from his ATC days. Took a while and a little bit of cussing but i swapped out 4 tires....

Also i had a heck of a time mounting my haulers on the rims. it was horrible getting the first bead over the lip of the rim.. I managed to do them though without messign up the pc

Posted by: catskinner159

My preferred method for breaking down tires is to use a bumper jack under the front of my truck, with the base of the jack sitting on the tire as close to the rim as possible. The weight of the truck is plenty sufficient to break the bead down when jacking it up, and the truck still has the tires on it for safety in case the jack slips, although after doing it this way for over 25 years I have not had the jack slip out even once. Safe, fast, easy and free...what more could you ask in a home remedy? Or in a woman for that matter

Posted by: bakerboyz

to get an "old" tire off you can cut it up with a sharp knife. Take a pair of wire cutters and cut the stranded steel cord that holds the tire onto the bead. Then discard the tires.

Posted by: chipworkz

I was bored so I decided to fix the pictures and put it all together so it is easier to see.

This was put together by hardkoratvmxr

I started off with 2 brand new razr mx 20x6x10 front tires.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire1.jpeg

Grease up the side you are pressing on the rim so that is will slide on easier as my dad illustrates.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire2.jpeg

Once you get the first lip of the tire on the rim it should look like this.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire3.jpeg

Then you will want to start working the outside of the tire and pushing it on the rim like so.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire4.jpeg

At this point you will need a pair of screw drivers or tire irons what ever you have and you will need to spread the outside bead of the tire on the rim.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire5.jpeg

You will then need to move your knees around the outside to keep the tire down until you get the whole tire over the rim.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire6.jpeg

Another picture of pulling the tire bead over the rim.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire7.jpeg

Once you get all the way around the rim it should look like this.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire8.jpeg

Next you will want to get a ratchet strap and put it around the tire in the center to distribute the load.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire9.jpeg

Load distribution.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire10.jpeg

With the ratchet strap around the tire you will need to hook up an air compressor to the tire and let the tire air itself up.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire11.jpeg

You may need to do a little coaxing to get the tire to pop on its bead like spraying grease on the tire or something like that.
CAUTION!!!! DO NOT KEEP YOUR FINGERS NEXT TO THE BEAD WHILE AIRING IT UP!! It will take your fingers off when the bead seats.
Your end result should look like so.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire12.jpeg

Here is the other tire. You will also need to adjust tire pressure as there will be about 20 lbs or so in the tire.
http://www.offroadtoybox.com/tire/tire13.jpeg

Thats it with my write up. Hopefully it saves someone a little money when bills are tight.

Thank hardkoratvmxr for taking the time to write up this how to.

Posted by: strnge

In Alaska when I was growing up we would do the two screwdriver method, but would use ether and a match trick to get the tire to seal to the rim. Now just add air. Worked evey time and it sounds like a M80 went off when you did it

Posted by: mxpimp2000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nmU_hcf3jQ

Posted by: RaceReflections

Heard of that too...

Posted by: RATPACK Z400

We were miles from truck and one guys tire rolled off rim we took rag with gas on it rubbed around edge of tire lite gas fume boom tire seated filled the rest with fixaflat got home.easy fix when stuck miles from truck!

Posted by: hardkoratvmxr

the pictures are now working again

Posted by: woodsracer144

i would use window cleaner as a lube.. it drys really quick...