Erockhopper

Just looking for tips on changing a tire on a Beadloacked wheel. I am changing out my tires on my beadlocked Walker Evans wheels. My main concern is getting the air out before releasing the beadlock. I planned on removing the valve stem while the weight of the jeep was on it to release most of the air. I would think that with the air pressure down I could unseat the bead on the backside of the rim easiest, but I am not sure. Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

cyberbrain

remove teh valve stem core. then put the tire face down and step on the back of the tire to remove the rear bead, then unbolt the beadlock.

walker

About 3 weeks ago, I helped a friend of mine with removing a 37" tire from a WE beadlock. It takes some hard work to get the back bead to break! We tried everything at hand, including using a forklift and steel bars to push that back bead off..... with no result. To make a 4 hour story short here is what I learned. Let all the air out by just removing the valve stem core (when it is off the jeep). Leave the ring in place with bolts on and take the wheel to a shop with a big tire machine and have them remove the rear bead. Ask them if you can watch, and be sure that they are careful not to let the wheel slip and damage the front! Then you can remove the ring and work on the front bead yourself to get the tire off. Putting new tires on the wheel takes time, but is a very easy process compared to taking one off.

I have no idea how anyone could remove a tire on a WE beadlock without a tire machine, maybe with some bead-breaker gizmo and a hi-lift, but I would like to know. If one of us called Walker Evans, maybe they would have some tips we could both use. (I would have called when we where trying, but it was on a weekend and WE was closed)

If the above does not make sense, PM me and we can talk on the phone.

Good Luck!

Erockhopper

Thanks for the pointers. It is one of those things that sound simple enough, but that always worries me. What is it that keeps that back side bead on so well? Is there an inner rim on the wheel, I can't remember how they looked when I installed them.

walker

I don't recall exactly what it looks like either. I do know I lost all doubt about my decision of going with WE over those beadlocks that also lock the inner bead! Wow they are on there tight!

Erockhopper

I called and talked with Walker Evans and they said to let all of the air out and then undo the front ring in a criss crossing patern. Then bounce the wheel lose from the ring. I asked about the pressure on the tire and the front ring and they assured me that once the air was out it would not be a problem. So the main thing is making sure the air is out of the tire. I asked about the back of the rim and there is a channel or lip that creates that inner bead and WE said that one is pretty much impossible to move once set.

walker

I would think removing the valve core would ensure all the air is out. We tried removing the front bead first, but the tire machine couldn't get the back bead off with the front of the tire flexing. So we had to put the front bead back on with the locking ring to hold it in place so the machine could do it's work on the back bead. Let me know how it works out, I would certainly like to simplify the process for next time!

Robar

I have used a hi lift jack to break the bead of a large tire, but it is more work that getting someone with a tire machine to do it.
Like this:

Erockhopper

Well that was an adventure to say the least. The tire certainly would not bounce off, as I was told. If I could have got it to my roof I would have tried that but, I dont think that would have been enough. I took it to Discount Tire without the front ring, and they told me that alot of people flip the tire over and drive on it to break the bead, but that just seems to be asking for problems. Discount broke the bead lose, but said that it gave their machine a run for it. I can see where a hi-lift jack could do it as well. With Discount being willing and close I will just take it to them. Discount did point out some build up on the rim and told me to make sure that I cleaned it off before it damaged the wheel, I cant imagine where the build up would come from other than the rubbing of the tire on the rim. Walker, did you notice any build up on the wheels that you worked on?

walker

Build up of what, rubber? Where, on the outer lip? I don't recall anything of the sort on the one I helped change out, and it had been wheeled very hard with well over 10K miles. Did you use something like a can of fix-a-flat on it?

Like I mentioned earlier, it was easier to remove the back bead with the machine while the front ring was still on. After we removed the ring we were able to just kick/stand on the middle to get the front bead off.

I agree with you, I would hesitate to drive over it myself, but I hear that is exactly what Mr. Evan's himself did to my buddy's dad's WE wheel (Rick Russell is my buddy's father, and they are longtime buds with Mr. Evans), with a forklift! (but he has a few spare ones if it ruined anything )

I don't think a hi-lift by itself would do it, we were using a Heavy fork-lift with wood boards to push down, and it still wouldn't come off. I was thinking maybe a gizmo like this one might be the ticket: http://www.extremeoutback.com/index.cgi?cart_id=3709106.4456&pid=118

Oh, and just for FYI, I picked the name "Walker" long ago because I like to walk a trail before I wheel it. At the time I had no idea who Walker Evans even was!