Tire dismounting - hack mechanic methods?

[Carmudgeon]

I have a spare set of wheels, with bald, very old tires on them. I'd like to keep the rims, but get rid of the tires to help conserve storage space.

I've canvased the local tire shops, and got quotes from $12-20/ea to have them dismounted, plus tire disposal fee. I can properly dispose of them without their help, so I only need the labor. Surprisingly, it was the sorta sketchy tow company/repair shop/used tire dealer that wanted the most money.

I've seen the videos using floor jacks, or driving over them with another car, and that would still involve buying straps and pry bars, or some risk, so I dunno.

Before I commit to going to the shop, or just leaving it be, I want to make sure if there are any other options or suggestions?

I do own a sawzall, angle grinder, a dremel, and a torch, and don't care what happens to the tires.

 

[shortyb]

What are the wheels made of and are you looking to keep them cosmetically nice? Steel wheels could use a couple prybars on the backside and get them off once you break the bead. Alloys I wouldn't mess with home made ideas and would pay to have them removed. You can always request the tires back and not pay disposal fee. Small, family run auto place nearby does dismounts for $5. If you decide to cut them off with any sort of power tool, please YouTube the process.

 

[nate379]

You're going to screw around with random tools and kill at least several hours to "save" $50?

I usually keep old tires to use to store engines, put under tracks to protect roads, trailer decks, or toss in with brush to help it burn.

 

[FowVay]

Your going to screw around with random tools and kill at least several hours to "save" $50?

Don't forget the skin he'll lose from his knuckles, the stained and torn blue jeans, the bruised hands and knees, etc. Oh lord, I remember changing motorcycle tires as a kid using only flat blade screwdrivers. After sweating like a pig and tearing my hands all to pieces I'd get a new tire mounted only to learn I had pinched the innertube and I had to do it all over again.

Pay the price to have it nice... and enjoy your beer and cigar with the time you saved.

 

[supton]

I have heard of somehow using the trailer hitch, maybe flip the drawbar upside down, then jack the vehicle up and then lower onto bead.

I’m all for saving a buck, but for the effort involved… just pay already. Otherwise get the HF changer, find a place to bolt it to the floor, and be prepared for scratches.

 

[eljefino]

Breaking the bead is going to be the challenge, and you need the structure of the rest of the sidewall to do that effectively. Some people with naked studs in their garages will run lag bolts through a 4x4 to use as a lever pushing down on a 2x4 about a foot away from the wall.

Once you get the bead off the rim you can get in the cavity with a sawzall or angle grinder to cut the steel bead in the tire. Then it'll lever off real nice.

Harbor freight has the manual tire changer for $40-50, which includes an effective bead breaker. I'm weird but I find using the thing fun, and I get to avoid those uppity tire shops and their asinine policies.

 

[IndyIan]

Steel rims? Run over the tire with another car, my older farmer neighbor taught me that. If they are really stuck though, just cut them off until you are looking at the bead, burn the rubber out in a small section and snip the bead wires.
My 20 year old original atv tires are on steel rims that were shot peened, to allow low air pressures without spinning the rims in the tires. I couldn't get them to budge so I cut the side walls with a utility knife and then just snipped the bead wires. The bead wires seemed to be under a lot of tension. Mounting a new atv tire was quite easy though.

 

[Traction]

Once you try it you will soon find out it's better to pay for it and find something else you can do instead. I can easily do it, but I have over $20,000 tied up in the right tools.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Don't worry folks, I know what "penny wise, pound foolish" means.

But I do like to suss out every option on the table before making a decision.

And I have seen the mechanic at a past employer change a backhoe tire using pry bars.

 

[ironman_gq]

find a buddy or a friend of a friend who races dirt track, lots of those guys have an old tire machine in the garage. All of them would dismount your tires for a case of beer

 

[TimeFlies]

Tire levers are cheap to buy, and easy to use.

 

[supton]

Harbor freight has the manual tire changer for $40-50, which includes an effective bead breaker. I'm weird but I find using the thing fun

I bought mine on your recommendation, but have yet to get a balancer. Still, has its uses. Did a couple of sets and had a local garage balance, and did tailer tires.

I tried it on my 4 wheeler. Never again! those were a bear, 25+ year old tires and a rim designed to prevent low psi tires from debeading.

 

[Carmudgeon]

To wrap this up…in the end it was Costco that came through, with a more than reasonable total cost a bit below $30, including disposal.

However, it is not a service they formally offer, per policy or as a matter of course. I checked two branches; one would do it, and another wouldn't. Gotta find the ones with "car guys" behind the counter who will understand somewhat unusual situational goals like this.

Contrary to my expectations, it was the big tire chains who offered the most reasonable quotes, perhaps because they do the volume. Big-O would have been about $10 more, and others also hovered around $10-12 per. The smaller indie shops, and even a hole-in-the-wall place swatting flies consistently asked for more money.