I am preparing my Landy for an overland trip. I wass looking on tthe net at devices to losen the bead of the tire should it need repairing. I found what seems to me to be the smallest , and simplest one available on

(www.beadbreaker.co.uk ). does anyone have experience with this product , What is your favourite method to lock the bead again? And where can I find a decent tire repair kit in the UK?

I have a set of tyreplyers that I got in Australia. However, I have never used the beadbreaker, just use a Hi Lift off the front of the car to break the bead. I must admit though the tyreplyers kit is very comprehensive and usefull.

HTH

Ivan

I (sort of) know a chap, Dave White, who has used "Tyre Pliers" in anger on the Austrailian Outback Challenge, two years running I believe now and has nothing but praise for them.

If you google for "tire pliers" then the website is pretty much the top result.

HTH

Put the spare tyre on, and drive the landy over the tyre to break the bead. Or a sledge hammer.

Both tried and tested!

For just breaking the bead, then use your hi-lift jack ................ that trick has been used by overlanders for years..............

To re-seal the bead use lighter fluid ............... it needs a bit of courage , but again, works perfectly and is in common use in the states and Oz..............

Alternatively a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tyre works reasonably well provided you have a good compressor..............

Tire pliers are the real deal .................. I have used them in Oz to good effect and they are easy to use................






Ian

[quote name='Bull Bar Cowboy' date='Jun 12 2008, 05:18 PM' post='276774']

To re-seal the bead use lighter fluid ............... it needs a bit of courage , but again, works perfectly and is in common use in the states and Oz..............



How does the lighter trick work? Never heard of that!



To break the bead I usually hammer the end of the tyre lever between the rim and the bead and then whack it with the ford service tool number 3 (lump hammer).

Do this with two levers and you'll soon have the tyre loose.

As you'll need to bring levers anyway - and a hammer, you don't need anything else.

Regards,

G.

Youtube link

Chris

Got to try that! Beats my current appraoch of sitting on the tyre and hoping that it works!

G.

The Hi-Lift method is easy...


Personally, have felt the need to spit 100% Vodka etc in the tyre and light it. Just angle tyre and push down on rim, or like I do rest against car and use a foot to put pressure on wheel. It's worked all the time for me and I've had plenty of practice of the last few months


Cheers

Steve

it dosent always work
oops!

A few of us tried this at kirton on my wheel, however can i point out that you need to take the valve out, we did not and whilst yes the tyre was actually at the perfect pressure (we carfully calculated the amount of unleaded required vs tyre volume obviously:lol: )

It made one hell of a bang and in hind site probably could have blown the tyre apart.


I must say though that the noise without the valve core is nowhere near as good as the one with it



Steve I see you have a compressor type pump i only had a foot pump so no amount of ratchet strapping was going to sort it!




Will.

The Aerosol and lighter looks the best for expedition route. I presume that some aerosols are better than others, but having never played with these and lighters (too poor as a young lad to afford cigs - had a land rover to feed) I wouldn't be sure which would be best.

can of wd40?

hair spray?

A practice session before leaving would be a good idea.



G.

Easy start - ether in a spray can is explosive as .... That's what's normally used in Iceland.

Hi lift Jack method --very easy . I dont like the pinch of the foot on the tire wall however
I have seen a guy use the beadbreaker in South africa and it looked to be safer for the tire,
I looked at the site
Click here!
Didnt know they were available here.
Bosbeer , I would go for the hilift method with the beadbreaker. instead of driving over the tire or sacrificing extra space.

Various methods are discussed on the site to re- seat the bead , be careful with the buthane method , as most monkeys spray in to much of the stuff,
take the advice of previous post on this topic and you will be fine.

I just ordered myself a beadbreaker , and I will attach it to my hi-Lift or just bolt it somewhere ! :Phttp://forums.lr4x4.com/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif

Use the butane gas from your camping stove ..................... and yes.................... take the valve core out...........


I have used Butane, petrol, and propane .............. they all work OK and all you are doing is expanding the volume of air..........


On a side note ................. PLEASE BE CAREFUL ------------ ITS F'kin DANGEROUS if done incorrectly....





Ian

Always be careful when inflating any tires, and always watch as you pump it up for egg's appearing on the sidewalls.

I was blowing a loose truck tyre up at work last year and didn't noticed three eggs on the opposite side to where I was. When I did notice my mate went for the valve tool, like a fool i stood holding it. Threw me 6 feet into the workshop shutter when they exploded. It bloody hurt and i couldn't walk for about 4 days, still took nearly an hour to be seen in hospital for the purple and green leg.

Thank £*&% it wasn't a split rim.....

Safer to use a cage when inflating truck or tractor tires, I know a person who suffered a broken jaw and lost all his teeth when the truck tire exploded , another person with a broken back , now in a wheelchair when a tractor or tire burst.

Good news that you didnt suffer permanent damage

The tyre lever Bites back.

Agreed on the tyre cage, although we don't have one. I now either inflate them attatched to the vehicle and stand away or stand the other side of the wall when they're loose.


Mick

I will vouch for the Tire Pliers, very easy to use and not too pricey. They will fit wheels from 11" to 16" rim. I bought mine several years ago at Billing and have used them lots. Think the supplier was Terrain Masters or something like that.

I used to use the hi-lift method, it's not as easy as the pliers and if the tyre is wet or muddy, it can slip. I have first hand experience of what a hi-lift handle can do to one's face, I don't fancy that much pain again. Fortunately this did not happen changing a tyre.

Also the foot of a hi-lift puts a lot of pressure on the structural side wall of the tyre in a way the tyre is not designed to be subjected to, this cannot be a good thing.


Michael

The beadbreaker solves those problems when using your hi-lift http://www.beadbreaker.co.uk

Received mine this morning , I will get to use it later tonight , because the stealer reckons my wifes tire needs complete replacing ( it was punctured by a nail.)

Well, before reading this thread I had never heard of the Beadbreaker, but having looked at the website I thought 'Hmmm, that looks good, me like. I could make one of those myself.'

Then I took in the price and realised I couldn't be a**ed to make one. Then I caught 'must have one' fever.

It turned up today very shiny and red, and rather well made. I have a few tyres to swap this weekend so I'll soon know if it's any good.

I think it must weigh more than the tyre pliers but if it's any easier to use it'll take it's place on board the Ninety.




Michael

When a Hi-Lift works perfectly well at breaking a bead every time with little effort I can't see the point in buying one of these beadbreakers.

Steve

I have been looking at this but don't really know how easy and usefull it is going to be



More details here

I removed a Simex entirely from the rim today with only a highlift and two puny tyre levers

Thank you for all the replies.
Also ordered the beadbreaker , used it and I am very happy with it.
Solid piece of kit. It didn't pinch the tire, no slip .


I found the website very informative and various methods are discussed to reseal the bead.
I will be practicing the bike tire method , looks like a save method. Click here!

Last thing I would want is trauma on a trip , so I will be avoiding the buthane .

Got one very similar to that photo. Mine is somewhat older though. Stamped with "1957" and some weird french name...

Works really well. And gives the operator more control of the process than a modern pneumatic tire machine.

The machine can both be used to mount a tire on a rim, and remove a tire from a rim. Using the lever at the front one can also loosen the tire bead.

Really recommendable piece of kit; but works only when bolted to a sturdy floor.

Has anyone tried laying the wheel on the ground with the valve core taken out, placing a waffle as a ramp up on to the tyre and then driving up on to it?- Someone suggested it to me once but I have never tried it. I assume it would work?

i showed a tyre fitter the easy start trick one afternoon , He was amazed , So I gave him the can to keep in his van for stuborn laid flat new tyres ,

Saw him a week later , No eybrows ,eylashes and a very short hair cut , He tried it on a super single , Used nearly the whole can and lit ,

His boss wasnt too happy to see a brand new £300 tyre smoldering away on the side of the M5.






Your slacking Tony , Ive seen you completely remove one without any tools .

LOL
that was a funny old day indeed Jase

Having to take 5 tyres off rims to check bead widths yesterday
I still maintain a high lift and a couple of tyre levers is very very easy
I refitted all the tyres using the same puny levers