How to get new tires on rim atv


How to Change ATV Tires – the Home Mechanic Guide

Most ATV owners will at some time have to repair or change a tire on their bike. Recently, I decided it was time to stop being depended on a tire shop to do this job for me. I set out to find the best way to do this job myself.

I did the research, I did the testing, and have found a method that works quite well. This guide will tell you what you need to know to change an ATV tire by hand.

You can get the job done without breaking the bank on expensive specialist tools. But some basic hand tools are required to be able to do the job safely and efficiently.

Page Contents

Breaking the bead on an ATV tire

Before will get into the actual guide, we’ll have a quick look at what many consider to be the hardest part of changing an ATV tire; breaking the bead.

What is “the bead” and why is this process particularly hard on ATV tires?

On the inside of the rim, close to the lip, there is a small bump called the “bead retainer”. This little bump goes all the way around the circumstance of the rim.

The rim has two bead retainers. One small bump on each side. Also notice that the rim has a drop well, the recessed ares to the right on this pic. This part of the design is key to succeeding at mounting the tire.

Then, on each edge of the tire, you find the so-called tire bead. This part of the tire contains a strong steel cable that goes all the way around the tire as well, creating a strong steel inforced loop.

Close-up of the tire bead section of the tire.

The tire is beaded when the tire bead has been pressed over the bead retainer and rests against the inside of the lip of the rim. When in this position, the tire is prevented from sliding sideways on the rim itself.

So the primary purpose of the bead retainer is to keep the tire in place. Aggressive riding would otherwise force the tire sideways and it would lose its seal.

It’s not, however, what makes the tire airtight. That’s mostly achieved by the air pressure inside the tires. The air makes sure that the tire is always being pushed outwards against the lip of the rim.

Off-road and trail riding will often involve extreme sideways forces and impacts being inflicted to the wheel. Riding steep side-hills, hitting stumps and landing jumps are often when you are most likely to involuntarily break the bead.

On-road tires will not be faced with challenges like these under normal circumstances.

In addition, off-road tires usually run at a much lower tire pressure. As a result, there is a lot smaller force that pushes the tire outwards against the lip of the rim.

This means the wheel on off-road vehicles has to do a better job at keeping the tire beaded so that you don’t end up with a flat all the time.

To achieve this the tire beads on ATV tires, UTV tires and other off-road tires are extra heavy-duty. Also, the bead retainer bump is usually a bit bigger.

This is great for keeping the tire seated when riding. But it’s also that much more challenging when you want to break the bead.

Tools for breaking the bead

There are many ways to break the bead of a tire.

What most of the methods have in common is that they involve some sort of tool. Some of which are quite expensive, while others are almost free.

At the higher end of the scale, you have the several thousand dollars tire changing machines that the tire shops use. These are very effective, but usually way out of budget for the average home mechanic.

At the other end, you have some more-or-less effective, almost free, and sometimes downright dangerous DIY solutions.

Underneath are the most common options, good and bad.

I’ve included my top 3 recommendations which are the ones I consider to be the most effective and least risky.

That’s “least risky”, not risk-free. You can still mess up.  If you want risk free, take the tire to a tire shop.

Run over the tire with a truck or tractor (Not recommended)

This may sound brutal, and that’s exactly what it is. The method is completely free, as long as you already own a truck, and don’t break anything in the process.

The idea is that you lay the wheel flat on the ground, and drive your truck over the tire part of the ATV wheel.

While there are several reports of people successfully performing this method, it’s not one that I recommend. There is a great chance of bending or damaging your rim with this method. Its effectiveness is also quite questionable.

The 2×6 piece of lumber and truck method (Not recommended)

Lay the wheel flat on the ground with a small amount of air (about 3-5PSI) still left in the tire. Then place a piece of 2×6 lumber on top of the tire, as close to the rim as possible.

The idea is you slowly drive a truck up the piece of lumber until the weight of the truck breaks the bead. It may be necessary to reverse, reposition the tire and apply weight several times before the bead will break.

Then back off, refill with 3-5 PSI of air to stiffen the tire and do the other side.

This method is fast and may work fine in most cases. But it’s not something I would suggest for anyone as their go-to method for de-beading a tire.

There is a lot that can go wrong, and no guarantee it will work. If you forget to leave some air there is a great chance of damaging the tire. The piece of lumber fill just slides down the tire sidewall.

And if you leave too much air the tire can blow. Or if you use a car without enough of clearance, you will rip the bumper right off on the way down.

Simple wooden DIY bead breaker (Recommended, Good)

I wanted to find the best, almost free DIY method for breaking the bead on an ATV tire. Not all ATV owners have access to welding machines, so I decided it had to made from wood.

I made 3 different models before I found a design that performed ok. I had good faith in this first design. The idea, found on a motorcycle forum, is really clever. It should work fine with motorcycle tires and such.

But the ATV bead was too strong. The hardware or the wood itself kept breaking on all three versions I built.

Clever design, but I could not get it strong enough for ATV tires.

I ended up with a really simple design. All you need is a few feet of two by four and a couple of relatively strong hinges. The tool has to be mounted securely to a wall or a post as I did

Two pieces of wood and a couple of strong hinges give you a decent bead breaker in no time. Remember to cut the short piece of wood at about a 15-degree angle.

This is the most effective and reliable solutions I have found. That is, for those that do not want to spend a lot of money on tools or don’t want to spend a lot of time on complex fabrication.

Store bought tool: Portable tire changer (Recommended, Better)

You’ve probably seen this tool or a variation of it at some point. You can get them at almost any auto supply or hardware store. They are relatively cheap and works really good on many types of small to medium sized tires.

This portable tire changer is my go-to tool whenever I need to de-bead a tire at home.

The tool needs to be bolted to the floor or some other heavy object to be operated effectively. And, it does require some getting used to.

But many users struggle to successfully break the bead of ATV tires with these things. The bead may be seated so well that the tool instead of breaking the bead just slip and slide down the sidewall of the tire.

When this happens you not only risk damaging your tire but will also build up quite the frustration from each failed attempt.

Despite its flaws, I’ve still listed this tool as recommended. Why? Well first off, they are relatively cheap. And when they do work, they are actually quite effective.

More importantly, there is a little trick you can use to make them work a lot more effective on ATV tires.

To prevent the tool from sliding down the sidewall of the tire, you should leave just a little air in the tire. Do not use more than 3-5 PSI. This will allow you to apply a lot more pressure by the bead before the tool wants to start sliding.

Often this is what makes the difference between a successful and a failed attempt.

It’s also a good idea to spray the bead with some soapy water before you try breaking the bead.

But even when applying these tricks, you may find that this tool will struggle to break the bead on the most stubborn ATV tires. If you are looking to change tires on your 10 years old OEM 400EX wheels, you may have to upgrade to the best tool on the list.

Store bought tool: Bead buster (Recommended, Best)

A company called BeadBuster sells a tool that clamps onto the rim and forces a wedge in between the rim and the tire. By rotating a bolt you force the bead down and over the bead retainer.

This tool has one main advantage over the tools we have looked at so far. It does not press down on the thin sidewall of the tire, but directly onto the tire bead.

This reduces any chance of damaging the wheel and tire. The pushing force created by turning the tightening-bolt should be powerful enough to break the bead on almost any ATV tire.

They are the most expensive among the tools I recommend. But if you accept the cost, they are the best option, next to getting a professional tire changing machine.

Tire plyers

Another tool that seems to be just as effective as the portable tire changer, are the so-called “Tire Plyers”. These also work by the principle of jamming a wedge in between the rim ant the tire but uses a long handle to lever the wedge down.

It will work on most ATV tires, but some users report breaking the tool because how tight their ATV tire was beaded. This is why I cannot give them a recommended badge by now.

I have not, however, tested these myself. As soon as I get my hands on a pair I will give them a test and consider adding them to the recommended list.

Mounting ATV tires by hand

The second most tricky part of changing an ATV tire by hand is mounting it back on the rim again and having it bead properly.

With a couple of tire irons and some soapy water, you should be able to get the tire onto the rim without any big issues. Just take your time and work systematically.

As for beading the tire, this can be a bit tricky on tubeless tires. But in the guide, I’ll show you a simple trick I have learned that should help you succeed.

How to change ATV tires: a step-by-step guide

This guide is for tubeless ATV tires. The procedure for tubed tires is very similar. But then you also need to release the tire-valve and make sure you don’t damage the tube when removing the tire.

1. Jack up the ATV and remove the wheel
  • Park the ATV on a hard, flat surface like a garage floor or a paved level driveway.
  • Use a tire jack to jack up the ATV so the wheel can be removed from the bike. Tire jacks tend to “set” over time, so it’s recommended that you always secure the bike with jack-stands for safety.
Place the jack on a robust spot, like the bike frame.
  • Remove the wheel from the ATV. Use a 4-way lug wrench or another hand tool. Resist from using an impact driver on your ATV. They are very powerful and I’ve seen more than once how quick they can snap a bolt.
Remove the lugs with a hand tool. These lugs cannot take as much torque as the lugs on most cars.
2. Deflate the tire

I recommend getting a valve stem core removal tool for this part. They are cheap and saves you a lot of time.

While it is possible to deflate the tire just bu pushing the tire valve pin, it will take forever. With a valve stem tool, you can remove the valve stem which will deflate the tire in seconds.

Lefty-loosey, righty-tightly. You know the drill.

Keep two fingers on the valve when unscrewing it so you don’t lose it when the air starts flowing.

Remove the valve stem core, using a valve stem core tool.

As soon as the air is out, put the valve stem core back in so you don’t lose it. Do not over tighten, as the threads on these are quite thin.

3. Break the bead on both sides of the tire

Choose between one of the recommended procedures for breaking the tire bead;

The DIY de-beading tool.

  • Add about 3-5 PSI of air to the tire.
  • Spray some soapy water onto the bead. This helps the rubber tire slide against the metal rim.
Use plenty of soapy water.
  • Place the short piece of wood as close to the rim as possible. It should be about vertical for best effect.
  • Apply pressure to the long piece of wood until the bead breaks free. As soon as one part of the bead is free, the rest will follow by stepping on the tire.
Here the bead has broken free from the rim.
  • Flip the wheel and do the other side. You may need to refill 3-5 PSI of air in between.

Portable tire changing tool

  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Remember to bolt down the tool, and leave about 3-5 PSI of air in the tire for a better chance of succeeding.

Bead buster

  • Again, follow manufacturers instructions.

If none of these methods breaks the bead, it’s time to take the wheel to a tire shop.

4. Remove the ATV tire from the rim with tire irons

You need two tire irons or a couple of big screwdrivers to perform this step. It’s also recommended that you get some plastic wheel protectors, or use tire irons with protective plastic so that you won’t damage your rims.

  • Start by placing one of the tire irons in between the rime and the tire. Lift the tire over the lip if the rim by using the leverage from the tire iron.
Start by using one tire iron.
  • Use the other tire iron to continue this process on either side of the first one.
Then use the other.
  • While still holding the second iron in place, use the first iron to continue the process of lifting the tire over the edge of the rim. If you struggle with the tire slipping back onto the rim, attach a clamp to the lip of the rim before you move the tire iron.
  • Continue until the tire bead is completely shifted to the outer side of the rim.
The tire is now completely off the rim on one side.
  • Proceed to remove the tire completely from the rim.
Again, start by using one tire iron.Then, insert the second tire iron.
  • At this point, you should be able to just step firmly with your foot between the tire irons and remove the rim completely by hand.
5. Clean the lip of the rim on both sides

Before you can begin installing the new tire, you need to make sure that the bead of the rim is smooth and clean.

Wash off any dirt, sand or other debris. You may need to use a wire brush to get a good result.

If there is any rust, this has to be removed before you install a new tire. Tools you can use to remove the rust:

  • Flathead screwdriver to scrape off the rough stuff
  • Wire brush
  • Angle grinder with a wire wheel
  • Best: Sandblasting the whole rim and repainting.

Ideally, you want to remove all rust. It’s important that the surface is smooth, so you get a proper airtight seal between the tire and the rim.

6. Paint any bare metal (optional, only for steel rims)

After removing the rust you will be left with exposed metal that will start rusting immediately if left untreated. I recommend that you paint it with a quality rust inhibiting paint before installing the tire.

By doing so, you will likely be able to maintain an airtight seal for much longer, and the bike will look a bit healthier.

7. Apply bead sealer (optional)

If your rim and tire are completely free of any damage or nicks by the bead, you may skip this step if you want.

But, as you may know, ATV tires are prone to having tire leak issues by the bead. This happens because the way they are used.

When you ride off-road, sand, dirt and other debris will be caught in the little gap between the rim and tire. This will wear down the paint, creating corrosion issues over time.

There’s also a good chance that you will damage the rim at some point by hitting a rock.

Therefore, I recommend that you always apply a coat of bead sealer on the tire bead before installing the tire. Consider it a cheap insurance against problems down the road.

A good alternative for using purpose made bead sealer is using some silicone.

Be aware that both of these products come with the disadvantage of making it a bit harder to break the bead the next time you need to change the tire.

8. Lube the new tire and rim bead

Spray some soapy water on the bead retainer. Again, this is so that the rubber will slide more easily against the metal rim.

An even better alternative is using a light coat of baby powder on the lip of the rim and tire bead. Give it a try if you struggle to get the new tire back on the rim.

Do not use WD-40 as lube as this may deteriorate rubber over time.

9. Mount tire to the rim, using tire irons

Now it’s time to reinstall the tire.

  • Make sure the tire oriented the correct direction. There should be an arrow on the outside of the tire.
  • Lay the rim flat on the ground.
A couple of pieces of wood will prevent you from scratching the rim. Elevating the rim slightly makes installing the tire easier.
  • Lay the tire on top of the rim at an angle. The tire bead should be placed in the drop-well or you will struggle to get it over the lip of the rim.
  • Push straight down by hand, one on each side at 3 and 9 o clock. The first bead should slip over the lip of the rim without using any tools. Use the tire irons if you have to.
Starting position for remounting the tire.
  • For the second bead, you should start by the tire valve. Step on the tire with your foot to get it going.
Start by the tire valve so you do not damage it.
  • Then continue as far as you get by using your hands and body weight.
You should get about this far without using any tools.
  • Finish by using the tire irons.
Lift the final part of the bead over the lip of the rim.
10. Prepare for inflating the tire

Now you’ve got the tire onto the rim, but it’s still not completely mounted. You need to re-bead the tire to the rim, using air pressure.

But if you try putting air into the tire as it sits right now you will likely get no result. This is because you have a gap between the tire and the rim that is too big.

The air compressor alone won’t be able to supply enough airflow to get it to seal. The air just escapes.

If you happen to have a specialist tool like a “shock-filler” or similar standing in the corner of your garage, now would be a good time to get it.

But most of us don’t have tools like this. And for the occasional tire job, there is not really a need for one neither. There is a simple trick you can use to get the job done.

No, it’s not the one where you put starter fluid inside rim and light it on fire. While this may work, there is another way that is safer, and just as fast.

All you need is a ratchet strap. If you don’t have one, now’s the time to get one. Use the strongest strap you can find. If the strap breaks, it does so with great force!

  • Fit the strap around the entire circumstance of the tire. The strap should sit in the center of the tire.
  • Put the tire in a standing position with the ratchet mechanism on top of the tire. Make sure the rim is centered in the tire.
  • Start tightening the strap. The sidewalls of the tire will start moving outwards against the lip of the rim.
  • Stop tightening as soon as the tire touches the lip of the rim. You should not have to tighten the strap more than about 5-10 clicks at most.
  • The gap is now closed and the tire should hold air.
The ratchet strap will force the tire sidewalls outward.
11. Inflate the tire until its beaded on both sides

All that is left now is to put air back into the tire until it beads. I recommend using a tire-inflator that has a gauge for this part.

  • Connect the inflator to the tire valve.
  • Start inflating, but stop from time to time to make sure you are not putting too much air into the tire. Never exceed 7-8 PSI with the strap attached.
  • When you hear a “popping” sound, the tire has re-beaded. It will happen first on one side, then on the other soon after. Stop when the tire has beaded or if it has not beaded at about 7-8 PSI.
  • If the tire has not yet beaded: Deflate the tire and try without the strap.
  • If the tire has beaded: Deflate the tire to release the force on the strap. Remove the strap.
  • Reinstall the valve stem core and start inflating the tire. Continue putting air into the tire until you reach the desired tire pressure.
  • The maximum pressure your tire can safely handle should be written on the side of the tire. Never, ever exceed this number!
  • For best performance, you want to use a lot less air than the rated maximum. I run 30 PSI for trail riding, and 15 PSI when riding in deep snow or mud.
  • Now you are done and can reinstall the wheel on the ATV.

Related questions

Can you change ATV tires at home?
With a few tools and some basic mechanical skills, it’s very doable to change ATV tires at home. But be aware that air under pressure is potentially very dangerous, so necessary precautions must be taken.

How hard is it to change ATV tires?
ATV tires and other off-road tires have stronger beads than on-road tires. This makes them a bit harder to change. But when you know the steps, changing tires is about as hard as replacing brake pads or installing a new exhaust system.

Step By Step – AtvHelper

Changing the tire on your ATV or side by side is a pretty straight forward process. There are some specialty tools that can make the job easier, but you can also accomplish a tire change on your own with some cool little tricks.

The hardest part about mounting a tire is getting the old tire off the rim and the new tires on. There’s a couple ways to go about this and some tips to make your life easier. Balancing the ATV tire is really only necessary if you’ll be getting up to speeds over 45 – 50 mph.

Here’s the steps you’ll use to remove the old tire and mount the new tire, don’t worry I’ll go into more detail on how to do each of these step by step.

  1. Remove Wheel And Deflate Tire
  2. Break The Bead On The Tire
  3. Remove Tire From Rim
  4. Clean Rim Lip And Apply Sealer
  5. Lube New Tire Bead
  6. Mount New Tire On Rim
  7. Inflate New Tire Setting The Bead

Always start with safety when performing maintenance on your machine. It’s best practice to wear gloves and eye protection when working on your quad.

Remove Wheel And Deflate Tire

First off, get the wheel off the quad and deflate the tire. It’s easier is loosen the lugs a little bit before you jack the quad up. Loosen and remove the lugs in a criss-cross pattern, the same way you would install them. Once you have the wheel off the ATV it’s time to deflate the tire for removal.

To deflate the tire, remove the cap and release all the air in the tire. Most tire pressure gauges will have a little notch on one side, that you can use to push in on the valve stem to release the air in the tire.

Or you could always use a screw driver or punch tool, basically you just need to push down on the valve stem to release the air somehow. Once all the air is released from the tire, you can use a valve remover tool to get the valve cores out.

Here is a link to a Tire Valve Stem Tool Remover & Installation Kit on Amazon. This kit has everything you need to deal with the valve cores of the tires. I highly recommend getting a tool like this if you ever plan on doing any type of maintenance to your tires.

You can try to remove the cores yourself with a wrench or something similar, but that option usually leads to damaging the valve cores beyond reuse. In fact, I’ve never seen this done successfully without a valve stem removal tool.

Break The Bead On The Tire

Once the tire has been deflated, it’s time to break the bead seal. This is sometimes the most difficult part of the entire process because the bead is set into the rim a lot more firmly on off-road tires than it is on car tires.

And to top it off, a lot of times there is some sort of bead sealer on the bead to keep the tire from popping off.

If you plan on changing a lot of tires, I suggest looking into getting a tire changer tool. This PowerLift Manual Tire Changer Base on Amazon is only about 55 bucks and makes this step so much easier. If you don’t want to spend the money, that’s ok, this can be done with basic garage tools as well.

A popular option to break the bead is to put the tire on a piece of plywood, or something so the tire doesn’t dig into the dirt.

Then place a jack on the tire near the bead, then simply jack up into something heavy like a truck bumper or hitch.

Repeat this process around the tire on both sides in places where the bead is till set.

Or you could build your own homemade bead breaker with a couple 2x4s like in this picture here.

I would use a chain or something connecting to a piece of wood underneath the tire instead of a car as leverage, but that’s the fun of doing it yourself, use your imagination.

The whole goal of this step is to get the bead off the rim so you can remove the tire.

However inventive you’d like to get is up to you. I’ve seen people use a giant clamp to pop the bead off the rim before. You could use two pieces of 2×4 on each side of the tire and a ratchet strap to pull them together to press the tire off the rim.

Remove Tire From Rim

Now that you’ve got the bead of the tire unseated from the rim, it’s time to get the whole tire off the rim. This is sometimes called peeling the tire off the rim.

You’re going to want to take extra special care to peel the tire off the short side of the rim.

You can find the short side of the rim by looking at the depth on both sides of the wheel. The short side has a shallower depth and will be the easiest side to pull the tire off on.

The best tool for this step is a set of tire spoons or a tire changing tool set, like this Fasmov Tire Iron Tire Changing Tool Set. If you don’t have one of these, not to worry, they’re pretty cheap to buy a set, or you could just use a couple pry bars or something similar instead.

I would advise against a screw driver though, the larger ones may work pretty good, but be extra careful not to damage the tire or rim. Well, I guess you can damage your old throw away tires, but you need to do this later on to put the new tires on too.

Start by pushing the tire down into the open area near the rim. Use your tire tool or pry bar to pull the tire up over the rim. It’s best to use the the tool like a lever, sticking the tool down so that just a piece is under the tire and pressing down to pop it over the rim.

Hold that piece of tire over the rim and use the tire tool piece with a lip to work your way around popping the rest of the tire over the rim. Like you see in the picture above. It’s easiest when you use all three tools in the kit because the middle tool will get freed up with each new section of tire you pop over the rim.

Eventually you’ll get to a point where you can just pull the tire off by hand. Then you’ll use one of the tire tools to simply pop the tire off the other side of the rim.

Clean Rim Lip And Apply Sealer

Now that you’ve got the old tire off, you’re going to want to clean the lip of the rim where new tire bead will sit. It’s important to clean this area really well to be sure you get a good fit with the new tire.

You won’t always need to use a bead sealer, but will always want to clean the lip of the rim. You will only need to use a bead sealer if you think the tire bead won’t seal well enough on the rim on it’s own.

This is usually only a concern if the tire is real beat up around the bead or if the rim is bent up and gashed to the point where the tire won’t seal on the rim.

If you can get away with not using a bead sealer, than I wouldn’t use it. It makes it harder to remove the tires next time you do a tire change anyways.

Lube New Tire Bead

You will have to clean and lube the tire bead to help with mounting the tire on the rim. To clean it, just make sure the bead is free of debris and gunk. Usually a new tire won’t have dried up sealer or other stuff in the bead yet.

After you’ve made sure the tire bead is clean, it’s time to lube it up and put the tire on the rim. They do sell nice and fancy expensive tire lubes, but I’ve found that some soapy water works just as good. Lube both sides of the bead, inner and outer, if you don’t, it’s going to be really hard to get the tire on the rim.

Now’s a good time to check tire direction. Most ATV and UTV tires will not be directional, but they do make tires that should only be put on a certain way. This is because the tires is designed with groves facing a certain direction to help with traction.

You could look at the side wall of the tire for an arrow, or just decide for yourself by looking at the tread which direction you want the tire to be mounted on the rim.

Now to get the tire on the rim, remember to start with the shallow side of the rim. Place the rim on the ground, on something that will keep it from sliding away from you, with the shallow side facing up. Now poke the bead part of the tire into the shallow side of the rim and press down on the tire until it pops onto the rim.

Mount New Tire On Rim

Ok, you’ve popped the tire onto the rim, now you need to get it seated and the bead lined up correctly. You can kneel down on one section of the tire and use the tire tool or pry bar to seat the rest of the tire into place, as you can see in the picture.

Try using your knee to keep the tire from popping back up on the other end, your free hand will help with this as well. After you get to a little more than half of the tire pryed onto the rim, it will be easy to just push it the rest of the way on.

Inflate New Tire Setting The Bead

Now that the new tire is on the rim, it’s time to set the beads on both sides of the tire. If you have a small portable air compressor for airing up tires, that might not be enough to seat the beads.

You can try inflating the tire with the core out, to help you get more air in the tire more quickly to seat the beads. Then once the beads are seated, put the cores, or valve stems in and inflate the tire.

You will usually need a higher powered air compressor to seat the beads. The even make special designed Tire Seating Blaster Inflator Air Compressors made specifically with enough power to seat the bead of the tire. That’s because a compact portable air compressor doesn’t have enough power to do it.

Another popular option you could try is to spray starter fluid into the tire and light it with a lighter. The starter fluid burns all the air out of the tire and pulls the bead into place. To legally cover myself I am going to say to never do that. But, I’ve used this method plenty of times and it works like a charm.

Then once the bead is set, put the core back in and inflate the tire like you normally would using any air compressor you have. If you plan on riding at speeds over 35 mph, it’s a good idea to balance the tires at this point.

Check out my How To Balance ATV Tires article for the step by step instructions on how to balance your tires.

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The air gun is an essential tool for quick wheel removal. It has a lubricator lubrication system, that is, oil is supplied together with compressed air using a special lubricator-lubricator. In small tire shops, they save on lubricators and periodically bury oil directly into the air gun. To lubricate air guns, use Liqui Moly Oil fur Pneumatikgerat, part number 7841.

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

To carry out work, place the vehicle at the place where the brake is to be carried out. work and fix manually Raise the vehicle with a tire jack or scissor lift, unscrew the wheel fasteners and remove the wheel. Wash the wheel in a washing machine, dry it. Using the special tool, unscrew the valve and bleed air from the wheel. Remove balancing weights, if self-adhesive weights are used, then remove the remaining glue from the rim with a rag using Liqui Moly Dichtungs Entferner. It is necessary to carefully inspect the tread for stones stuck in the sipes, since wheel balancing is meaningless with a dirty tread. If you plan to install the tire back after repair, then it is necessary to mark the position of the nipple for inflation on the tire using a special marker or chalk. The tire is installed in the same position in which it was removed from the rim. Install the cleaned wheel on the tire changer and tear off the sidewall of the tire from the rim with a spatula (Fig. 1). Next, center the wheel on the clamps (1) of the machine Fig. 2, (use plastic protective pads when working with light alloy wheels) and completely separate the sidewall of the tire from the hump with a roller (Fig. 3). Before removing the tire from the rim, apply Liqui Moly Reifen Montierenpaste to the parts of the tire adjacent to the rim.

It is recommended to apply the paste with a flute-type brush, it is not recommended to use fly brushes (Fig. 4). Pry off the sidewall of the tire with a mounting spatula, bring it up by the heel of the machine (Fig. 5) and rotate the tire until the sidewall of the tire completely goes beyond the rim. Do the same with the bottom of the tire and remove the tire from the rim (Fig. 6).

Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6
Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9

Before mounting a new or refurbished tire, be sure to replace the tubeless tire valve (Fig. 7), clean the tire contact surface with a Reiniger und Ferdunner cleaner (Fig. 8), place the rim in the wheel balancer (Fig. 9) and check the runout of the rim .

To mount the tire, it is necessary to put the disk back into the clamps of the machine (Fig. 2). Before installing the tire, apply mounting paste to the sidewalls of the tire adjacent to the rim (Fig. 10) using a flute brush on both sidewalls of the tire. Put the tire on the disc using the machine's thrust pad (Fig. 5). Orient the tire according to the marks made earlier, in case of using a new tire, align the factory mark (yellow or white) with the tire valve by location. Inflate the tire, allow the sidewall to take the correct position on the hump of the rim, for which give an air pressure of 6-8 bar (when the tire is seated, a loud bang will occur). Check the tightness of the fit by using Leck Such Spray or immersion in a water bath. After checking the tightness, bring the pressure in the wheel to the nominal value and install it in the balancing machine. Center the wheel on the center hole and studs and balance. Degrease the rim with Reiniger und Ferdunner in places where self-adhesive balance weights are fitted.

Fig 10

Before installing the wheel on the hub, treat the mating surface of the hub with your choice of (Fig. 11): Aluminum Spray, copper spray Kupfer Spray or ceramic paste Keramik Paste. The same compositions must be used to treat wheel fasteners (Fig. 12), studs or bolts (if there is a corresponding recommendation from the car manufacturer). Install the wheel on the car (Fig. 13), manually tighten the fasteners, make the final tightening to the required torque with a torque wrench. Attention: Do not use pneumatic tools to tighten wheel fasteners!

For seasonal preservation of winter or summer sets of tires, use Reifen Glanz Schaum Tire Foam.

Why it is important for a driver to know what the colored stripes and marks on tires mean - Life hack

  • Life hack
  • Operation

Photos from open sources

There are many myths about colored stripes and markers. They say that this is how the manufacturer designates a defective batch of tires that went on sale. Is this really so, and why every motorist should know the marking features, the AvtoVzglyad portal explains.

Viktor Vasiliev

Color marking is available on each tire. It is applied at the factory during tire production. After all, it is very important to make sure that the tread tape is installed on the tire evenly and without distortions. That is why colored stripes are applied to the still wet tread tape. Automation focuses on them to center the tape on the tire. After vulcanization, these stripes remain. Logisticians in the warehouse of finished products begin to focus on them. After all, tires come there in huge rows, so it’s difficult to find out the size and model of a tire without a hint.

It is not bad to pay attention to the colored lines for the buyer of the new “rubber”. The fact is that tires are often sold out of order. Often there are situations when tires produced in different years were collected in one set and offered to gullible people. But it is best to install tires from the same batch on the car. This is where stripes can help. If they are identical on the tires, this is an indirect sign that the rubber was released at the same time. At the same time, it would be useful to inspect the sidewall of the tires, where the production date is written.

Photo from open sources

Next, pay attention to the dots. The red mark means the place with the largest radius. The fact is that a tire is never perfect and some part of the tread is higher than its rest of the working area. It can help with tire fitting. The mechanic will mount the tire so that the red dot is opposite the light zone of the rim, which is indicated by the letter "L". If there is no such designation, then you first need to scroll the disk separately to find it, and this is already a long procedure. But this way you can minimize the runout of the wheel.

Well, the yellow dots indicate the lightest places on the rubber. When mounting to a disc, this mark must be near the light zone of the rim, or it must be aligned with the nipple. This will allow you to install fewer weights on the wheel, that is, it will be better to balance the wheel.


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