Breaking a bead with the Hi-Lift?

[jesusgatos]

Not many people running 40" + tires carry spares. We just carry tire plugs and tools to sew-up torn sidewalls.

 

[RHINO]

I'd rather pay someone else to take the risk and have all the correct equipment etc.

weany :sombrero:

and i'll second the lack of spare with big meats. not many guys around here carry them either. heck i run 37's but only carry a 35 spare, just takes up too much space.

 

[ntsqd]

I have used starter fluid many times. Over labor day weekend, we were riding ATVs and came across a guy who rolled a 40' mud tire off the bead. He had winched himself out of a deep mud hole but did not have a spare tire??? We helped him take the tire off the jeep. We layed it flat and cleaned mud off the bead. There was propably a gallon of water in the tire that we could not get out. Nobody had any starter fluid so I got ~4 ounces of gasoline out of the ATV. I took the valve stem outof the tire, trickled all the gas around the bead and let it set long enough to light a balled up paper towel. I threw the towel at the the bead and whoomph, all done. I wasn't sure about the gas vs. starter fluid but it worked the same. Anyway, the owner was very happy and all the Budlight drinkers were duly impressed

The safest way that I've seen to do this is to trail a little of the flammable liquid 10-15 feet way from the tire. Light it at the far end. :sombrero:

Powertank may be the easiest source, but those clip-on tire chucks are a Camel/Schrader part. I ordered some from my LAPS.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I just used a ratchet strap and my shop compressor to seat the bead.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Mounting/inflating 43" military surplus tires on 2-piece wheels for Mah Deuce was like lighting off a bomb. I didn't want to be anywhere near those things.

Yes, the lip sweats, the palms are clamy, the knees a little weak yet you can't look away. You know you're alive when you do that job!

 

[01tundra]

Not many people running 40" + tires carry spares. We just carry tire plugs and tools to sew-up torn sidewalls.

I actually do both........but I've been known to stray far from home at times ........

 

[Maximus Ram]

This special tool is not too expensive $59.95 - beat buster offered by Extreme Outback. The company is local to me in the SF Bay Area so I was able to met the owner and get a good price (less then retail) and pick it up in person.

Used it/came in handy during our recent Land Rover Club trip to the Dusy Ershim last month and it works w/your Hi-lift Jack: http://www.extremeoutback.com/product/16/Extreme+Outback+Beadbuster.html

]

Now this little item looks like it would be pretty simple to fabricate at home, if someone had the tools to make it.

 

[jesusgatos]

Holy Hell. $60 for that? You've GOT to be kidding me...

 

[The Adam Blaster]

weany :sombrero:

HEY!!! I resemble that remark! :victory:

 

[I Leak Oil]

Holy Hell. $60 for that? You've GOT to be kidding me...

That's exactly what I was thinking! Must be the red powdercoat....

 

[jesusgatos]

I'm not the guy that's going to make a knock-off product just to undercut another company, but that's a $20 product. Maaaaaybe $30?

 

[ntsqd]

Here's the part that I don't get: You've got some tool or technique for breaking the bead using a Hi-Lift. Presumably the wheel and tire are off the vehicle.

What are you jacking against?

What is holding the vehicle up while you're breaking the bead?

IMHO if you can't break the bead with the wheel still mounted on the vehicle you're wasting your time. The only time that I break a bead in the field is to either install a tube (most likely), to install a tire 'boot', or (rarely out here) to clean junk out of the bead. None of those operations require that the wheel and tire be off the vehicle and in those cases where I've had to do the boot or tube or was part of a group fix doing a boot or a tube having the wheel & tire still mounted was a bonus - not a hindrance.

Is there some other reason for needing to break a bead in the field that would want the wheel & tire removed?

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Is there some other reason for needing to break a bead in the field that would want the wheel & tire removed?

To put a patch in place, you'd need the tire right off the wheel, might be hard to accomplish this with the wheel still bolted to the vehicle, but I've never tried it myself.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I dunno, I had the spare on the truck while I was attempting it.

How hard is it to get the muscle to break the bead using your tool? That's one advantage of the jack.

 

[I Leak Oil]

I guess most repairs could be done with the wheel still attached but why? You've got the truck jacked up, only have to remove a few lug nuts then you can work on the tire with ease and move it around if needed. Just my opinion but for the effort of removing the lug nuts it's worth it.