WHEEL/TIRE repair

[DAPM37]

Names of bead breaker tools

I am thinking that maybe the other tool is what Charles referrs to in post 13 as a typical tire hammer???? it looks like a oversize pick axe but it has the thick wedge on one end of the head for sliding under the lock ring. I have seen people swing it like a pick axe and when they miss they dent the lock ring or the rim.

[Paul Cook]

Does anybody know where we are going?

This thread started with one of the most repeated questions for which the answer is also among the most repeated.

Most of us who served our country in the fifties and sixties did maintenance on military vehicles. Often, that included working on tires. We were expected to do it. Younger guys learned to do it under the supervision of older guys.

Whether they served or not, most guys learned to do mechanical things - from their Dads and other older guys. There are many civilian men who earn their living working on tires, at real tire shops where they work on equipment that men use in their jobs.

I have been driving cars and trucks since 1952. To drive them, I had to maintain them. But more important, I had to help my Dad keep his truck running - you know, the one that he used to earn a living for our family. I learned a lot from my Dad. I also learned by helping my friends keep their cars running - often while they learned from their fathers.

Times have changed. Now a lot fewer Dads get under the hoods with their sons. I don't believe you can teach working on tires, spark plugs, or oil changes with a Wii game. The one great thing I've seen lately is Dads under the hoods with their daughters.

So let’s get back to the original question... "Is it possible to remove the tire off the rim without killing your self?" YES! I am one who has done it many times. I always followed the safety procedures. Is it more difficult on really old tires? Yes, stiffness comes with being old.

Can a stupid person kill himself playing a Wii game? Yes, if they do not observe safety procedures.

We had a delightful diversion focussing on "clips" and avoiding the scary issue of heads being chopped off. Here's what I was able to learn. Click on the link for pictures and references.

http://www.texaspowerwagon.com/m37_p..._and_parts.htm

Aparrently clips were used in the transition from combat rims with the belief that they might afford some degree of "run flat" capability. At 60 clips per vehicle, I'm sure Chrysler thought they were necessary. This is typical of many great ideas that just faded away.

[Gordon Maney]

I am thinking that maybe the other tool is what Charles referrs to in post 13 as a typical tire hammer???? it looks like a oversize pick axe but it has the thick wedge on one end of the head for sliding under the lock ring. I have seen people swing it like a pick axe and when they miss they dent the lock ring or the rim.

Yes, you are correct.

[Gordon Maney]

Gordon is right about the slide hammer on the lighter rims. Tire hammers are specifically designed for the heavy rims of big trucks, tractors, etc. If you pay attention, the typical tire hammer with the 36" handle is pretty thick on the bead breaking wedge. There is a newer version of the old hammer out now with an added wedge designed to prevent sidewall damage to the tire. I haven't used one of the new ones to date, not sure how well it works.

A driving iron wedge is about half or maybe less thickness as compared to the typical hammer. That alone makes it way better suited for bead breaking on lighter duty rims. We have both the hammer and the driving iron.

Most times I start off with the driving iron, when the bead begins to move downward, then I pull out the big hammer and finish the job because in most cases it's faster. I got pretty proficient with the hammer method breaking down motor grader tires back in the grading days. Those were much heavier rims than on a light truck.

There is also a lighter version of the typical tire hammer. It has a short 18" handle and is the same thickness on the wedge as the driving iron. We have that one also, it is much easier for an inexperienced person to use as far as being accurate with hammer blows.

I never had the slide hammer because they are not heavy enough to work well on the heavy walled tires and rims such as the motor grader and pan tires I mentioned. I'd invest in a slide hammer if we had more frequent use, but we've gotten use to the hammer and iron method, and it works well with tools that I've owned for nearly 40 years.

I have to say the largest wheel/tire combination I have worked on is a 20 inch truck wheel and tire, with the wheel having the same sort of lock ring we discuss. Never anything like big excavating equipment.

For that, see here:
http://www.powerwagonadvertiser.com/...ad.php?t=13562