The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi all,

Sorry for another post but I'm having some tyre changing issues.

I've done three out of four tyres ok, but the near side rear I could not break the bead on it for love nor money and in the end I had to cut the tyre off the rim.

So now I'm left with a rusty rim, and the dregs of a bead on each side - which I cannot shift.

In an ideal world I'd be looking for a new rim, but preferably would like to re-use this one, if I could only get the bead off I could clean it with a grinder and see how bad it is.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
Will

Have had the same problem, a twisted / tufted wire brush on the angle grinder took care of it, I have a blunted corner rounded brickies bolster chisel which in conjunction with some shallow angled heart oak wedges which I used for awkward beads, spreads the load on the rim so if you have a soft one it doesn't end up with the 'piecrust' effect. I have a very large cold chisel about 2ft long and 1 1/2" wide with the magic letters 'LNER' stamped into it which I use to follow the Bolster and widen the gap round the rim, nearest modern equivalent would be something like a breaker or jackhammer chisel, needs a long slow taper.

I have in the past, once the tractor is blocked up, put a jack on the tyre, laying under the drawbar, to 'encourage' a reluctant wall separation.

HTH, sounds as if your method has been pretty effective, old rubber seems to grow into the rust on the rim

Thanks for the response Rick, I'll get the wire brush on the angle grinder tomorrow and see if getting rid of some rust helps me to move the beads.

you're correct the rubber bead seems to have turned into rust on the rim!

Coincidentally, I’ve recently removed the rear tyre from my 54 Major. Looking as though it’s been parked flat for years, the Firestone F151 (mid 70s?) took a bit of shifting, again rusted onto the rim.
My only weapons were a plain tyre lever, together with a cranked lever and sledge hammer - used to separate bead from rim flange. The blunt-chisel-and-hammer method of removing rust from rims is never popular with any neighbours, they don’t appreciate the improvement. Power tools usually involve dust.

Piece of 2" angle iron about 2" long, preferably thick, and a big sledgehammer? Stand on the wheel, put the angle iron against the edge of the rim and hit it as hard as you can. If that doesn't move it, hit it again - but harder!

You aren't in any danger if you hit it straight, but if you don't hit the iron full-on it can p[ng up and fly several metres away from you, so don't try this near any windows, vehicles. wives etc

I use this method with everything from tractor wheels to car ones including alloys, haven't been beaten yet..,

Well in the end I managed to do it with my air bead breaker, what was left of the tyre went with a huge bang accompanied by a shower of rust everywhere, luckily I was wearing safety glasses.

Anyway the upshot is that I'm going to need a new rim. I've managed to weld this one enough to get a tyre on it and make the tractor moveable but the rim I might left with is about half the thickness of when it was new!

Cheers all,
Will