Tips on removing a tyre please

[steve_sordy]

They eventually removed the tyre. It took two guys and a can of aerosol lube. They squirted the lube on both sides of the bead and slowly, slowly it started to move. Once they'd got part of it off the bead, the rest came easily.

Looking at it, I can see why it was so hard. The Gorilla tape I had used as rim tape had been applied too close to the rim wall and had increased the size of the hump that the bead had to get over to drop into the bead and along the way had dragged some tape in there with it, exposing some of the adhesive. The extra tape and the adhesive all added up to a formidable task to shift the bead out of the trough and up and over the hump back into the rim well.

Now all I have to do is to clean up the old tape and its sticky residue.

 

[p3eps]

I even gripped the tyre in the jaws of my workmate and tried the same trick as the LBS.

Most of the people I work with are quite helpful... but I can’t imagine any of them being happy to hold a tyre in their mouths for me ??

 

[steve_sordy]

Most of the people I work with are quite helpful... but I can’t imagine any of them being happy to hold a tyre in their mouths for me ??

I agree, very few if any of my work mates would have been happy to oblige.

 

[mieczo]

I use this method to remove my WTB TCS
Stomping on it with the edge of my shoe, alonghalf of the circumference allows it to slide into the groove and then it can pry it with tyre removers (tried those palstic wide ones dedicated to tubeless tyres, today)

 

[Doug Stampfer]

I had such a tyre rim combo, took 2 hours, much cursing and the use of a vice to get the tyre off. I don't know whether it will help, I really hope so, but afterwards I bought a cush core bead dropper.

Yes those look the business. Good grunty handle

 

[steve_sordy]

I use this method to remove my WTB TCS
Stomping on it with the edge of my shoe, alonghalf of the circumference allows it to slide into the groove and then it can pry it with tyre removers (tried those palstic wide ones dedicated to tubeless tyres, today)

Using your body weight is a perfectly reasonable way to remove a tyre, any make of tyre. The tyre I had would not have responded to that method, and I'm 100% certain about that. I believe that in addition to the tyre being tight, the Gorilla tape was too thick and had increased the diameter of the hump in the rim profile. But the main crippler was that the tape adhesive has been squeezed out and was gluing the bead to the rim. NOTE TO EVERYBODY: DO NOT USE GORILLA TAPE ON WHEEL RIMS!

 

[steve_sordy]

I contacted Gorilla Tape again today (a UK number) and chatted to the very helpful Natalie (well she wanted to be helpful, but couldn't tell me what I wanted).

I told her about my successful use of petrol-soaked rags and also the recommendation on here of AutoGlym Tar & Adhesive remover. She did not believe that she could recommend petrol, but was happy to pass on the recco about the AutoGlym product. I asked her what the factory used to clean its machines and not only did she not know, she told me that she wouldn't be able to find out! I said why not send an internal email asking them what they use in America where the product is made. She replied that whatever product it was, it probably couldn't be used in the EU. I'm certain she was guessing. I also believe that Gorilla Tape people must know exactly what product works, but for some reason have decided not to reveal it. It's probably a third party liability thing.

She reminded me that Gorilla Tape make no recommendations about the product being suitable for wheel rims. Quite right too! It is not fit for purpose!

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

She reminded me that Gorilla Tape make no recommendations about the product being suitable for wheel rims. Quite right too! It is not fit for purpose!

Well, sure... easy for her to say that.

All the best to you - if you're actually gonna use Gorilla Tape for its intended purpose...

 

[steve_sordy]

That's a bit like being asked to bell the cat.

 

[Gary]

I contacted Gorilla Tape again today (a UK number) and chatted to the very helpful Natalie (well she wanted to be helpful, but couldn't tell me what I wanted).

I told her about my successful use of petrol-soaked rags and also the recommendation on here of AutoGlym Tar & Adhesive remover. She did not believe that she could recommend petrol, but was happy to pass on the recco about the AutoGlym product. I asked her what the factory used to clean its machines and not only did she not know, she told me that she wouldn't be able to find out! I said why not send an internal email asking them what they use in America where the product is made. She replied that whatever product it was, it probably couldn't be used in the EU. I'm certain she was guessing. I also believe that Gorilla Tape people must know exactly what product works, but for some reason have decided not to reveal it. It's probably a third party liability thing.

She reminded me that Gorilla Tape make no recommendations about the product being suitable for wheel rims. Quite right too! It is not fit for purpose!

 

[Rosemount]

That's a bit like being asked to bell the cat.

I found a tiny collar with a bell in the forest when building a trail the other day .

 

[STATO]

I cant imagine you would want to use what a factory uses, because it will be industrial solvents and the equipment not anodised aluminum.

Good result deciding to not use gorrila tape though, its a mess to clean up. It became a popular recomendation for tubless as back in teh day it was a great way of bulking up low tolerance rims to get tyres to fit tightly. For modern tubeless tyres and rims thin tubeless tape is the right choice, and much more affordable than it was (and available!).

 

[steve_sordy]

I found a tiny collar with a bell in the forest when building a trail the other day .

Probably left over from those Easter Bunnie shaped chocolates.

 

[Beekeeper]

What seems to work for me is deflating tyre completely and then grab the tyre with both hands and use the palm of my hands to roll it either towards me or away from me. After a few good goes at this I usually see the bead from one side begin to come away from the rim.

 

[steve_sordy]

What seems to work for me is deflating tyre completely and then grab the tyre with both hands and use the palm of my hands to roll it either towards me or away from me. After a few good goes at this I usually see the bead from one side begin to come away from the rim.

Normally that works for me too, or something very similar involving a tyre lever. This bar steward took two fully fit men (no arthritic hands), a vice, tyre levers, and a spray can of lube to get it off. Amazingly, the second side was even harder to get off than the first!

 

[Zimmerframe]

What seems to work for me is deflating tyre completely and then grab the tyre with both hands and use the palm of my hands to roll it either towards me or away from me. After a few good goes at this I usually see the bead from one side begin to come away from the rim.

OK, I deflated (breathed out), grabbed the tyre with both hands, palmed and rolled, I've got it over the trouser rim , what next ?

 

[steve_sordy]

@Zimmerframe Ah! I see your problem! Your belt needs more holes.

Just keep your hands away from your rim.

 

[Waynemarlow]

Sounds a bit brutal but the only way we used to get some MotoX tyres off the bead, was to put the wheel down on the deck, stand with both feet or toes on the tyre, which bends down the outer wall exposing the bead. Now with a 0.5m length of wood ( to stop you having to bend down ) about 20mm x 40 mm ( roofing batten is just the right size ) put the edge of the timber in against the wheel and on the bead, now tap the end of the timber with a hammer, it shifts the bead locally at that point. Don't be greedy and try and get the tyre to release at that point but work your way around the tyre by about 25mm either side and then back at the original point.

Use to work a charm, but to be honest I have never needed to use this on bike tyres despite the 30000 tyres I've changed

 

[Beekeeper]

OK, I deflated (breathed out), grabbed the tyre with both hands, palmed and rolled, I've got it over the trouser rim , what next ?

View attachment 46050

next step is get to a maternity ward fast. Baby Zim is on its way ? ??

 

[Zimmerframe]

Baby Zim is on its way ? ??

Sheeeeet this is going to hurt ! I think they might have to do a Z-Section

 

[Beekeeper]

Sheeeeet this is going to hurt ! I think they might have to do a Z-Section

He looks just like you. Congratulations!

 

[KeithR]

Quite right too! It is not fit for purpose!

Not intended for purpose - a very different thing, Steve.

 

[Rosemount]

Probably left over from those Easter Bunnie shaped chocolates.
View attachment 46045

The one I found was a cat`s collar . With a bell . I wondered if Tiddles had gone feral or just returned home bell less .
I regularly find native birds that have been eaten by cats . Usually find just the wings on the ground ...

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Here are some graphics that show how the profile of the rim and the tyre beads should interplay when removing the tyre. This is just a visual equivalent of what's already been explained by previous posts.

Tyre rubber is black. The casing is yellow which is a weave of some sort that controls and restricts expansion to the intended tyre shape, otherwise it'll keep blowing up like a balloon. The tyre beads are in red, which can be steel or synthetic strands which keep the tyre lip from flopping out and off the rim due to high (or low) air pressure. Without beads the tyre cannot seat against the rim properly.

Above are two basic types of bicycle rim cross-sections... single wall and double wall. Most modern MTB rims are double wall because although they are heavier, they are stiffer and much stronger - so better for off-road use. Both will have a recessed area but usually not as deep with double wall rim designs (some lesser than others).

Above is where the tyre beads should be when removing the tyre. Both beads need to pushed together after deflation and dropped into the recess at the opposite end of where you intend to pry out a bead with a tyre lever. The red dotted lines represents the physical limitation imposed by the inner circumference of the tyre bead. At a certain point, that cross-sectional distance will NOT stretch no matter what.

Some rim profiles have large enough recess areas whereby you can just pry the tyre off without much thought about where the opposite beads are. But some have shallow recess areas, so if you don't pay attention to where the beads are - tyre removal can be somewhat difficult.

When rims are taped-up for tubeless preparation, sometimes too much tape (or too wide, or too thick) can cover or partially reduce the recess depth of the rim even further... which can make tyre installation and removal a royal PITA.

.

 

[STATO]

Here are some graphics that show how the profile of the rim and the tyre beads should interplay when removing the tyre. This is just a visual equivalent of what's already been explained by previous posts.

...

Good info, but not missing the point of this discussion. He was not struggling to remove the tyre, but break the bead, step 1 of your diagram.

 

[Gary]

OK, I deflated (breathed out), grabbed the tyre with both hands, palmed and rolled, I've got it over the trouser rim , what next ?

View attachment 46050

Give up on life and buy an Ebike

 

[steve_sordy]

Eventually I got some new rim tape on a clean rim. The tyre flew on with zero problems. Then I realised that I had forgotten to fit the tubeless valve! Off with part of one side of the tyre and slotted in the tubeless valve. Refitted the tyre and inflated with the Airshot. Several loud bangs later and the beads were engaged all the way around and equidistant.

Then I realised that I had forgotten to add the sealant! DOPE!!

So, off with the tyre bead again, just enough to pour in the sealant. Pop back the bead and inflated with the Airshot again (taking no chances). Fitted the valve core and inflated to 40psi and then gave it a good shaking and then left the wheel horizontal on a bucket, again just in case. Will flip over after a while and check the tyre pressure for any losses.

Apart from the memory losses, it's good to have a tubeless tyre fitting actually go well for a change.

With my bike being upside down for nearly a week, I'll probably find that the Shimano brakes have gone slack.

 

[B1rdie]

Does the tape need to cover the rim from one bead to the other or just cover the holes of the center ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

Does the tape need to cover the rim from one bead to the other or just cover the holes of the center ?

Theoretically, it only needs to cover the holes (with a little extra), but there can be exceptions depending on the rim.

Steve sometimes likes to play safe ..

 

[steve_sordy]

Maybe I should have posted this on "Numpty of the Day" or something.

In addition to my cock ups fitting the tyre, I went into the garage this morning to fit the wheel to the bike.
And noticed that I had put the tyre on back to front!

I have never done that before, what a muppet!
I am a big believer in "measure twice , cut once" so I had checked and double checked, honest I really did!!

I guess it just wasn't my day!

What did I say before "Apart from the memory losses, it's good to have a tubeless tyre fitting actually go well for a change".