Getting the Second Side of the Rear Tire off the Rim

[RonW]

I'm using a mojo lever, and I can't seem to pry open a gap large enough to stick the nylon tip of the mojo lever between the tire bead and the rim. Again, this is on removing the *second side* of the Rear Tire. Also, with a HF tire changer. I've tried angling the tire every angle. And at every elevation in the wheel valley. What is my next move?

[hubcapsc]

I just use irons, so I don't have any direct advice, but the
2nd side of the old tire is hardest, I think.

Have you lubed the snot out of both beads and both
sides of the rim?

Probably need to make sure the bead on the side
of the tire you're not trying to get the mojo lever
under is down deep in the wheel, not out at the
edge of the rim.

-Mike

[salty1]

It's difficult!  More lube!

[jmann]

Last time I ran into that same situation I got out my angle grinder with a cut off wheel and went to town. Makes a HUGE mess but the tire finally came off. Prob more lube would have worked but the frustration had set in and I was determined at that point. 

[Wewaman]

Try turning the rim around so that the first bead you removed is away from you.  Then with the wheel standing up you can get your tire tools in and "push" the second bead over the edge.

Wewa

[Cracker Jack]

I take a butcher knife and cut the tire all the way around the circumference in the center of the tread. Comes off real easy after that.

If the tire is steel belted, just move off to the side of the belt to cut it.

Cracker

[MarkT]

Get a tire iron with a curve in it like this.  Makes it much easier to get the tip past the bead to pry it off.  Also pick up some large irons at Harbor Freight.  They are about 2 ft long and very stout & cheap.  I have 3 of them.  Between those and the large lever that came with the HF tire mounter, I have no problems mounting & removing tires.  BTW, if you are having trouble removing it - you will have more trouble putting the new one on.  I can remove a tire in under a minute.  Use lots of lube - I use creamy wire-pulling lube, but spray silicon also works.  Both work better than soap soln.



These irons are at ebay right now at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motion-Pro-Assorted-Tire-Iron-/331204980148?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d1d5aedb4&vxp=mtr  for $29.  Buy it now, new.  I have this very set.  Or they look exactly like them.

Also, make up some small blocks of wood to block the tire down on the rim, while pulling the 2nd side onto the rim.  There's a good video on using the HF machine, I'll see if I can find it.

OK Here it is - Fred Harmon's methods work, here's a link.  Also you can search on his name to look for videos if you prefer.
http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/tirechange  I have his series on Gold Wing maintenance videos - disc 8 covers the tire change.

[hubcapsc]

Try turning the rim around so that the first bead you removed is away from you.  Then with the wheel standing up you can get your tire tools in and "push" the second bead over the edge.

Wewa

That's how I do it, only I'm not strong enough to push it off, so after I get it to the
right place I whale on it with a rubber mallet and it pops off...

-Mike "lube the snot out of the beads and both rim edges"

[gordonv]

There is a low point within the outer rims of the tire, the smallest circumference. This is where the bead needs to site. It basically will move the tire rim over the most to one side.

I bought a gallon of tire lube for only a few dollars.

[RonW]

Status report .... I've arrived at the point that I'm contemplating hack sawing the tire off the rim already. I have a Sawzall with a metal cutting blade, so it's plug n' play. It's just that I usually rather do things the civilized way. Maybe give it two more days. Below is the abominable *gap* that I'm looking for (arrow). My setup next pic. The tip on the mojo lever is ¾-inch diameter. Oh, I did manage to get the mojo tip under the second bead by positioning the entire second bead level all around in the very middle of the valley, the most narrow circumference. Bead hooked to the mojo, only to then find it impossible to pull the mojo tip high enough up to leverage the mojo around the center post, alas. What makes this so aggravating is that all it takes to get any tire off the rim is to remove about a 90° sector of the tire from the rim and the rest of the tire just falls off by itself. Well, you're loosening it, so it should get easier *if you ever get it started*, for example, as opposed to installing a new tire on the rim, which makes the last 8-inches the tightest sector. I did the front tire last month and it took 20 seconds each to remove the first and second bead.

[The emperor has no clothes]

MORE LUBE !!!

[jmann]

You are a lot more patient than I was. I would have busted out the sawsall a LONG time ago. Be careful so you don't scratch your rim.   

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

You are a lot more patient than I was. I would have busted out the sawsall a LONG time ago. Be careful so you don't scratch your rim.  

I'm like you. I took a hack saw to 1 once after frustration although I have never used any lube taking them off and don't have the tire changer from HB. Never thought of it  ???

[MarkT]

I don't get it.  It works for me with the same machine, very fast too.  Use plenty of lube, a curved iron to get the bead pulled up, then stick an iron there to hold it while you pull the long lever around the center post to "derail" the bead off around the perimeter of the rim. Less than halfway and the tire falls off.

[quexpress]

Make sure that the tire is not cold. Most of the time, I leave the tire under the sun ... or put a heat gun to it (not too much).
The tire then becomes more pliable than when cold and is now relatively easy to remove.
Note: I use the MojoLever along with a modified HF tire changer.
Good luck!

[RonW]

You are a lot more patient than I was. I would have busted out the sawsall a LONG time ago.

Maxed out the patience already, only vengeance. Anyways, tire doesn't have too much thread left so it'll get tossed either way.

Be careful so you don't scratch your rim.

I'm thinkin of removing the left bead off the left side of the rim & remove the right bead off the right side of the rim, then slice the centerline of the tire like you would a bagel, then pull the halves apart from the inverse rim. Or, sawzall the donut perpendicularly.

I don't get it.

Me, too!

Use plenty of lube, a curved iron to get the bead pulled up, then stick an iron there to hold it while you pull the long lever around the center post to "derail" the bead off around the perimeter of the rim.

After pulling the tire up the rim, I'm unable to pry a large enough gap to stick the spear through the available gap to hook the second bead. That's a ¾-inch gap even using 16-inch spoons. But then if I start with the barb hooked to the bead with the bead circumference level with the middle of the wheel valley, plenty room there, I just can't pull the pre-hooked bead up the rim inspite of using a spoon to keep the slack or wedging a piece of plywood as a makeshift doorstop. I am currently working on the later method with marginal progress but am more than convinced that it can be done perhaps disillusioned there indeed exists a missing step that then can be replicated.

Less than halfway and the tire falls off.

That's why the difficulty above is even more tormenting well at least to the tormentable.

[Brian]

This is one task I let someone else handle it. Local Honda dealer charges $15, although they charged me $20 last year to mount the car tire. Now if I rode more and needed to change tires more often I would get tooled up to tackle this too. That's not to say if a good deal comes along for used equipment I would get started sooner. This site is awesome for the DYI'ers out there. Keep the good advice coming.

[RonW]

Must have heard me working on the tire last night. I never even bothered finagling the mojo lever under the second bead but on a hunch decided that I could pry it off using spoons and the second side came off without a hitch. Standard procedure, prying from the backside of the tire at 11 o' clock & 1 o' clock, except the bottom side, being the tire was laying on it's side on the HF stand, horizontal. Believe me, strapped to the stand is a lot easier and civilized than holding the tire vertical against a wall. Regardless the device after you get 6-inches of bead off the rim the rest of the hoop falls off by itself faster than a hubcap rolling down the highway.