Receiver hitch tire bead breaker. (1 Viewer)

[Mauser]

Last weekend a group of us from our local cruiser club (High Desert Cruisers) went up in the National Forest to remove a couple of abandoned vehicles. One of them we were able to winch on the trailer with its bullet-ridden tires, but the other needed the tires to hold air so it could be towed out The tires on this truck were full of bullet holes so we needed to mount some tires for the trip.

I have a big slide hammer that we used to break the bead, but that can be a lot of work. So today, I built a bead breaker that fits into the receiver hitch and it works great. I figured I would share a couple of pictures in case anybody else is looking for a way to break tire beads from the rim.

 

[rrv333]

Genius, thanks for sharing

 

[Mauser]

Genius, thanks for sharing

Thank you. This one is heavy. But I built it out of the drop pile. I'm sure some weight could be shed.

You're welcome. I figure I can't be the only one that has been driving up a 4x4 set on the tire to break beads.

 

[e9999]

very nice.
(Note that if you carry a Hi Lift already, you could also use that to pop the bead, even putting it in the hitch receiver as well if high enough. That's a bit more likely to damage sheet metal than yours though if you fumble, but if you were to build a small adapter to put in the receiver and that would keep it upright, it would be safe enough. And easy enough to carry along.)

 

[Mauser]

very nice.
(Note that if you carry a Hi Lift already, you could also use that to pop the bead, even putting it in the hitch receiver as well if high enough. That's a bit more likely to damage sheet metal than yours though if you fumble, but if you were to build a small adapter to put in the receiver and that would keep it upright, it would be safe enough. And easy enough to carry along.)

Like this?

 

[Mauser]

One more

 

[Mauser]

Didn't need to make the bottom part. The foot of the jack works just fine.

 

[Mauser]

Modified it a little more. This sucker is solid. May even double as a place to lift with a high lift jack. Jacked up the back of my LX and couldn't push it over. It makes a heck of a lot safer place to put the jack than just the receiver.

Thanks for the idea @e9999

 

[e9999]

that was fast... Nice job!

 

[ntsqd]

I built these:

Weld a short piece of chain to a lug nut that fits the vehicle in question, and then find a bolt that will thread into that. This one was built to use my Snap-On 24" breaker bar for the lever, but we've also built them to use the Hi-Lift handle. Hook best shown in the lower pic hooks onto the chain, lever goes in the other end. Easier to break the bead while still bolted to the vehicle, but the bolt allows it to be done off the vehicle as well.

 

[alia176]

I built these:

Weld a short piece of chain to a lug nut that fits the vehicle in question, and then find a bolt that will thread into that. This one was built to use my Snap-On 24" breaker bar for the lever, but we've also built them to use the Hi-Lift handle. Hook best shown in the lower pic hooks onto the chain, lever goes in the other end. Easier to break the bead while still bolted to the vehicle, but the bolt allows it to be done off the vehicle as well.

Got any pics of it in action? Kinda sounds like you're removing the bead while the wheel is still on the vehicle, but not sure.

 

[ntsqd]

I looked for that and don't have one. This tool came about due to the space & weight constraints of my avatar. Had to carry the 24" breaker bar for the stub axle nuts anyway, so I used it for the lever. When we made one for MISF he doesn't need to carry such a breaker (OBA + Impact wrench) so we used his Hi-Lift's handle instead.

Exactly, remove one lug nut & replace with the one with the chain on it. Hook tool onto chain and insert/install the lever. Push in on the lever to break the bead. I find the horizontal orientation to be most convenient for me, but that clears the body will work. Can also break the bead off the vehicle using the bolt thru a lug hole with the chained nut threaded onto it. Future development will be the chain welded to a tab that any lug nut can hold tight. If I get to it.
And believe it or not, you CAN R&R a large tire using motorcycle tire irons because I did it. Won't do it at home as a regular feature, too danged much work, but it can be done.

 

[Mauser]

I looked for that and don't have one. This tool came about due to the space & weight constraints of my avatar. Had to carry the 24" breaker bar for the stub axle nuts anyway, so I used it for the lever. When we made one for MISF he doesn't need to carry such a breaker (OBA + Impact wrench) so we used his Hi-Lift's handle instead.

Exactly, remove one lug nut & replace with the one with the chain on it. Hook tool onto chain and insert/install the lever. Push in on the lever to break the bead. I find the horizontal orientation to be most convenient for me, but that clears the body will work. Can also break the bead off the vehicle using the bolt thru a lug hole with the chained nut threaded onto it. Future development will be the chain welded to a tab that any lug nut can hold tight. If I get to it.
And believe it or not, you CAN R&R a large tire using motorcycle tire irons because I did it. Won't do it at home as a regular feature, too danged much work, but it can be done.

Yours is awesome. How do you use it to break the inside bead while mounted on the vehicle?

I have dismounted and mounted tires with big screwdrivers. It can be done, but isnt fun. I finally broke down and bought a Ken-Tool T45 bar last week. I haven't used one for years. They are the bees knees for tires.

 

[ntsqd]

Thanks, but I can't take credit for the idea. It was one of the Dune Buggy Brigade who came up with it, just got left to me to fabricate it. We used the bolt or would re-mount in reverse.

Usually we only needed to break one bead because we were putting in a tube. In a dune buggy carrying a spare is painful at best. So we carried tubes sealed in ESD foil bags (to keep the UV & ozone out) & when the tire was too far gone to patch we'd sew it together with safety wire (usually a sidewall), install a boot to keep the tube from getting pinched, and put a tube in.

 

[priffe]

 

[abuck99]

Modified it a little more. This sucker is solid. May even double as a place to lift with a high lift jack. Jacked up the back of my LX and couldn't push it over. It makes a heck of a lot safer place to put the jack than just the receiver.

Thanks for the idea @e9999

View attachment 2126288

I built these:

Weld a short piece of chain to a lug nut that fits the vehicle in question, and then find a bolt that will thread into that. This one was built to use my Snap-On 24" breaker bar for the lever, but we've also built them to use the Hi-Lift handle. Hook best shown in the lower pic hooks onto the chain, lever goes in the other end. Easier to break the bead while still bolted to the vehicle, but the bolt allows it to be done off the vehicle as well.

Those are Money right there-!

 

[jkay5665]

Can someone please make these attachments for a scissor or bottle jack so I can buy it, thank you.

 

[Mauser]

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View attachment 2214129View attachment 2214128

Just looked closer and noticed that is a split rim. Those scare 10 different kinds of sh!t outta me.

When I was 19 I worked at a shop that worked on semi trucks. One of the other guys was airing a 20" split rim up in the cage like he was supposed to and all of a sudden there was a huge boom. That thing blew off at about 30 psi and the ring broke into pieces when it hit the back side of the cage. One of the pieces impaled itself into one of the toolboxes behind it.

Not saying I won't change a tire with them, but I always clean everything and do my best to make sure that never happens to me.

 

[ntsqd]

I just don't understand the fascination that "Overlanders" have with the split rims. For a pure resto where they would have been the original equipment, sure. For everything else no way! Trips that I lead have no room for them.

 

[Mauser]

I just don't understand the fascination that "Overlanders" have with the split rims. For a pure resto where they would have been the original equipment, sure. For everything else no way! Trips that I lead have no room for them.

Easy to change and repair tires with minimal tools. Pretty sure a lot of US military trucks still use them for this reason. Lower air pressure with tube type tires. Just a guess