Changing Rear Tires

Matt Weltz · Dec 20, 2010

Hey guys! New rear tires are on their way and I was wondering if you guys have any tips or tricks for getting the old tires off? I know mounting the new ones is easy but I have always replaced the rims too so never needed to remove old tires. I believe the tires currently on the H are the originals so I am sure they are going to be fun to get off. Dad has a sledge hammer and wedge...and a saber saw but I would like to try and save the tubes. What do you guys think? Should I invest in a bead breaker of some sort? Dont want to spend too much but this probably will not be my only set of tires to remove. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!!

Zachary Hoyt · Dec 20, 2010

I have successfully broken the bead on a 4 ply tire by hitting it with a sledgehammer but it didn't work for me on a 6 ply. Some people use a jack but I have not tried that yet.
Zach

MN Mike · Dec 20, 2010

my neighbor uses a highlift jack. one end on the bead and the other end on another tractor - something solid to jack against like a frame rail or the draw bar. I've helped him change a few tires that way.

glennster · Dec 20, 2010

i use a handyman jack and a log chain wrapped around the tire. you have to be careful so the jack doesnt slip, the foot of the jack will push the bead down. squirt some soapy water in there to help lube the bead a little to get er to pop off. if the tire is real old and stuck to the rim, get a cup full of gasoline, lay the tire flat and pour the gas around the bead area. let it set over nite. the gas will soften the rubber and make it easier to get the bead off.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 20, 2010

First thing is, if you don't have one, is to go and buy a hand held bead breaker tool (don't know the right name) but are similar to a wedge with a slight curved end. Leave the tire and rim on the tractor, jack the tractor up and go to work. That is a lot easier than removing the rim and working on the ground.

mkirsch · Dec 20, 2010

We removed some pretty crusty old tires with a farm jack (one of those bumper jacks on steroids).

To get the inside bead, jack against the U-shaped drawbar.

To get the outside bead, wrap a heavy chain through the tire and drawbar, and hook the jack under the chain.

Working on tractor tires on the ground is a LOT harder. Keep the rims attached to the tractor so you have something to get some leverage against.

Randy in NE · Dec 20, 2010

Pay to have a tire company do it. When I put a new tire on my C they charged me $25.00. Best money I ever spent. My brother and I were trying to get a tire off my Case 300. My brother has all of the tire changing tools to work on semi-trucks. After beating on it for 15 minutes and moving the bead less than 1/8" I said uncle and called the tire company. Again, well spent money.

mkirsch · Dec 20, 2010

That must've been in the 1970's because no self-respecting tire service charges less than $50 these days, and it's usually more.

If we got 1/8" of movement in 15 minutes, we'd be cracking open beers and celebrating. Heck, that bead's all but broken at that point. The hard part's done... Maybe that's why they only charged you $25?

riverbend · Dec 20, 2010

If the tire are original, how old are the tubes ? If they are more than 5 years old I would replace them. And certainly replace them if they have been patched. Wresling tires is too much work to cut many corners.

My neighbor has a slide hammer made of a piece of 2" pipe (one end is flattened and slightly curved. The driver is an axle that fits inside the pipe. A collar on the axle keeps it from bottoming out in the end of the pipe. Works like a champ on the rustiest tires and rims.

Greg

sflem849 · Dec 20, 2010

I bought the slide hammer type bead breaker from Northern Tool. It was money well spent. I bought the tool so I didn't damage nice looking rims. The jack thing would probably work if you didn't care about scratching everything up.

No way a tire company only charged $25 for a service call and labor.

I would NEVER put a used, original tube in a brand new set of tires. Spend the $50. You already spent the rest and that is pocket change. If you do it, I hope the valve stem rots off and the core goes out so you learn your lesson!

Yooper Farmall · Dec 20, 2010

My neighbor used to press down on the tire with a tractor bucket to break the bead. When I get my new tires I"m planning on avoiding the hastle and have the tire service do it.

Allan in NE · Dec 20, 2010

Have the tire shop put 'em on.

Allan

ACEd · Dec 20, 2010

I vote with going to farm tire service guy and buying new tubes from him. Just had 2 new 13.00-24 10 ply rears mounted on my industrial tractor. Cost just over $100 including the price of new tubes and he did it on the tractor. Other choice was to dismount and take to semi-local tire guy out in the sticks who would do it for $60 each incl new tube, but rims were not separate from center and axles were splined and probably too much work to get wheels off.

As for reusing tubes, I would not recommend that course unless they are pretty new - as pointed out earlier, assuming you have a good farm tire guy, tubes are cheap at $25-40 each depending on size vs cost / hassle of redoing it. If you have to go with old tubes, get new valves (NAPA has them for about $4 each).

Stay away from auto tire shops unless they do a lot of farm tires, as they frequently don't know what they are doing and they often overcharge compared to farm service guys.

best, Ed

Wilson · Dec 20, 2010

if there that old get new tubes save your self the hassel

John - OH · Dec 20, 2010

Get yourself a bead breaking hammer. Makes tire changing easy or aleast easier.

mkirsch · Dec 20, 2010

Not sure how you'd scratch the rims with a jack. The jack doesn't touch the rim at any stage of the process.

You will ALWAYS scratch the rims somewhat with the tire spoons.

I'd love to see one of those slide hammer bead breakers work on an old "baked-on" tractor tire.

GordoSD · Dec 20, 2010

Do the job right. Once the old tires are off take the rims to a sandblaster and get them done inside and out. Then epoxy primer. Then fill and sand outer rims til all the pits are filled. Seal, and Paint, using left over paint from previous jobs to paint inside the rim.

Gordo

Dellbertt · Dec 20, 2010

For the easy ones I use a jack.
For the hard ones I block one side under drawbar or rest the snowplow on it. Then put the end of a 2x8or10 on the tire up to the rim then drive any vehicle up the plank to break the bead. I have had good results with this method.

Dell

gene bender · Dec 20, 2010

I use the slide hammer quite often some take little more time than others as some have been on the rims for 40-50 yrs. Good idea about sandblastine and painting the inside alsways makes job easier and looks great when done.

sflem849 · Dec 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 10:30:10 12/20/10) Not sure how you'd scratch the rims with a jack. The jack doesn't touch the rim at any stage of the process.

You will ALWAYS scratch the rims somewhat with the tire spoons.

I'd love to see one of those slide hammer bead breakers work on an old "baked-on" tractor tire.

I was thinking more of the chain method using a jack than just a jack.

The slide hammer works fine on old tires. I've got about 4 under my belt so far and no problems.

BTW, a bead breaking hammer is better used for a tire off the rim than on. They work perfect for 22.5's that you can stand on and swing the hammer.

Randy in NE · Dec 20, 2010

I had it done about 8 years ago in South Sioux City, Ne. I bought a new 12.4 x 36" tire from them. Tire was $300 and they charged me $25 to come over to my brothers shop and mount the tire on the tractor. It was August so it was hot and humid. He got the tire off and then ground out the rust from the inside of the tire. He was a bright orange by the time he got done. And the new tire was a match to the other rear tire.

Matt Weltz · Dec 20, 2010

Would sure like to know where you guys are buying your tubes. Local tire guy here wants over $100 bucks a tube!!! And if he come out to your farm for ANYTHING, bill will be over $500 no matter what he does. Guess I will see if my aunt can pick me up some tubes from Mills Fleet Farm and mail them to me. I usually by my tubes from them as they are only about $35 each there but I dont have one anywhere close to me.

Matt Weltz · Dec 20, 2010

Would something like this be better than the slide hammer?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350360953097&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

S2710 · Dec 20, 2010

If you have a tractor with a fast hitch on it us it to break the bead. Hyd. are a lot better then the back. Bob

BOBM25 · Dec 20, 2010

Wow! Where do you live? Does this guy have to drive like 300 miles or what? Sounds like you should get in the tire buisiness!

DoubleR · Dec 20, 2010

I put new rears on my C. Not that big of a deal. I have a homemade hand bead breaker and I don't spare the dish soap for lubrication. Just patched a tube on a 13.6x28 on my little Massey. I wouldn't mess with anything much bigger or anything that was loaded with fluid though. But I'm not a kid anymore either.

sflem849 · Dec 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 15:09:05 12/20/10) Would something like this be better than the slide hammer?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350360953097&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

I hear they work pretty well. I have never used one, the tire shops use a hydraulic version of that.

sflem849 · Dec 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 19:44:54 12/20/10) I put new rears on my C. Not that big of a deal. I have a homemade hand bead breaker and I don't spare the dish soap for lubrication. Just patched a tube on a 13.6x28 on my little Massey. I wouldn't mess with anything much bigger or anything that was loaded with fluid though. But I'm not a kid anymore either.

Actually the bigger they are (until you get into post machine tires with no sidewall) the easier they are to mount and dismount. They do get heavier though!

sflem849 · Dec 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 18:13:13 12/20/10) Wow! Where do you live? Does this guy have to drive like 300 miles or what? Sounds like you should get in the tire buisiness!

No kidding! I can't believe there isn't a Pomp's by him. I thought they were everywhere! They are usually one of the cheapest around here.

Pete76NY · Dec 21, 2010

Do you have access to a Quick hitch tractor? We use our Super C with a piece of 4x4 under the drawbar...that down pressure has always broken the beads for us!

mkirsch · Dec 21, 2010

We're talking about REAR tractor tires here.

Unlike a front tire which is easily removed and carried by one person, rear tires are generally large and heavy.

It takes a lot of work to get to that brief moment of convenience under a fast hitch.

Roger46 · Dec 21, 2010

I have broken the bead on rear tractor tires by letting all the air out and driving another tractor over the tire. You need to get as close to the rim as you can with the other tractor. Then you can turn the tire over and drive over the other side to break the other bead. The easy part is getting the tire off the rim after the bead is broken. As for tubes, I would never put an old tube in new tires especially as old as yours appears to be. Roger

Changing Rear Tires

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