More Questions on Refinishing Wheel Rims

[John_RI]

I asked for some tips on refinishing wheels and got some great advice down in Kent's ‘New Tractor' post: MsgID 4499. It brought a question to mind: might it be easier to break the tire from the bead of the rim for masking and painting the wheel? Has anyone done this - what problems might I run into? Thanks, John(ri)

[Kent]

John, I've done that with car wheels -- it works good.... But, it is often VERY difficult to break the front tires off these tractors from the bead of the wheel. Back ones will fit a tire changing machine at your neighborhood service station, but the front ones are whole 'nuther story... If you think masking them is a pain, try changing one.... My 2 cents... Kent

[Sandy_Lake_Imp]

Dismounting 8" tires can be surprisingly easy, or amazingly difficult (see link). If your tires aren’t leaking now, why “kick a sleeping dog?”[A href='http://www.simpletractors.com/clubhouse/ShowMessage.asp?MsgID=2308&mode=short&startwith=80']http://www.simpletractors.com/clubhouse/ShowMessage.asp?MsgID=2308&mode=short&startwith=80[/a]

[John_RI]

Thanks guys. I'm just looking for an easy way - thanks for keeping me on the straight & narrow! I did once try removing a front tire from a 40 year old simplicity 725 and to this day I haven't finished. I really don't need to be adding more obstacles to my path. John(ri)

[dlcentral]

So true the smaller tires can be a son-of-a-gun to demount without destroying the tire.Rears can be easily done on a tire machine.Sten's offers a small tire changer for 8 inch and smaller dia. fronts.Not cheap,, $355 list,, part #752-133.

[StinKy]

Give a look at northern tool the have a small manual one that is fairly inexpensive

[Roy]

"homier.com" has the small tire changer for only $16.99. Looks the same as the one sold by Northern Tool. Roy

[Roy]

"homier.com" has the small tire changer for only $16.99. Looks the same as the one sold by Northern Tool. Roy

[B_WALLY_]

Hey guys, do it the easy way. Sand blast the wheel with the tire on and plastic caps or something stuffed in the bearing holes. Then take a piece of lite gauge tin and stand it on end on the tire where it meets the rim and paint. The tin should be bent around the rim, works better if you let the air out.

[arnoldir]

Hello all, Tips for the little 8" rims, (my personel favorite, NOT !!) Always remove the valve core, just holding the valve in untill it stops hissing does not let out enough air. To break down the bead, squish tire in bench vise with edge of rim just touching the top of vise jaws. you have to repeat this all the way around, and make several trips around, moving the bead a little at a time. Use lots of soap and water to make slippery. I have also found that a 1/2" bolt with a big flat washer and nut can be chucked into a drill press and used to get up under the rim and force the real stubborn beads down. If you are removing the tire, use a pair of long reach vise grips to collapse the tire and force the beads up against the inner seam of the rim and start the tire iron opposite that point. To get the tire back on, put tire on ground and lean against your left legand hold with left hand through the right side with palm to tire, put rim in tire and stomp the edge of rim with right heel while pulling up with left hand.(Boots and gloves are a must) Then hold tire iron with left hand and put through the left side of tire , under both beads and up onto the rim. Pry up on the iron push down on rim with right hand and keep your right heel in the rim. this should force the outer bead into the middle of the rim up against the seam and allow the top of both beads up over the rim. IF using a tube, be shure to have the valve hole in the rim facing to the right. Now pull the left bead back off the rim and put in the tube. use lots of baby powder in the tire and on the tube, and put enough air in the tube to make it almost firm. Put the valve through the hole in rim and then put on a flat washer then valve cap. Push the valve untill the washer is against the rim and force the bead as far into the center of the rim as possible. Lay the rim valve side down and kneel on the tire to get the bead started over the rim. use a paint stick or other blunt item to push on the tube as you work the bead on the rim with your knees untill you have 1/2 done, then grab the vise grips and squish the tire the same as when removing. With the tire squished, let out some, but not all the air. Having air in the tube reduces the chance of pinching it. Lay the tire and vise grips back down and start with the tire irons making shure that you only catch the very edge of the rim, and pry the rest of the bead on a little bit at a time. I bought a set of tire irons from Nortern Equipment for $16 and they work great, the only thing to do first is to remove any sharp edges on the irons with a file, make them nice and smooth so they don't cut up the bead. Have fun, cuss plenty cause it does help, and mount the tires before painting the rim or you will ruin the paint. Happy tractoring