Best type of bead breaker

Me too. = 4

What a great idea Peter.

I have seen the base of a jack used but your T section would exert better pressure directly on to the bead.

Alan

Just cut and weld a bit into the length of it. Absolutely no need to BUY.

No New set required at all.

Is that the tyreplier kit or just called bead breaker. It's good you haven't needed it but when you do you'll be glad it's there.

I bought it at a 4WD show years ago ( snake oil salesman).........you remove the tyre and lay it flat and I think you use a 9/16 ring spanner to operate it and it gently breaks the bead.
very little physical strength needed.
Comes with some tyre levers, patches, canvas bag and a video.

I have seen the "tyre pliers" but I did not purchase them.

I also bought the tyre plug kit in the "RED" plastic box and have used them many times with good success.

In regard to reseating the tyre I seen someone use a ratchet strap around the middle of the tyre to re seat it that way ( ratchet it up to seal and then inflate....it popped on)....never done it myself.

Yeah I use the ARB plug kit in orange box. Think I have seen the bead breaker you mention also at show. Never had a puncture in the bush. Only when back in town and you pick up all the rivets and screws that fall out of trades utes lol.

Thanks heaps mick. Appreciate it.

That was excellent, thanks Mick.

Agree with Mick, the R & R is the best on the market.
No stress, no strain and it works!

Excellent comment about plastic handles breaking Michael - haven't experienced that but my eyes are watering just imaging the pain and discomfort.

Derek! I guess its more about the the needle attachment to the plastic handle! A plastic handled set came with my R&R Beadbreaker, they may be OK but I don't think I would be brave enough to use them! Michael

Kirk,

have a look here for dealers.

Cheers

PS. Use the Contacts page to phone or email them to order direct. They're good to deal with, prompt dispatch in my experience.

Cheers

Well that certainly is simplicity at its best and a bit cheaper than the 500 bucks for full R&R kit. Cheers bud. Heading off on savannah way next week so want to get my tyre repair gear in order.

Gday Kirk,
Yeah, there's plenty of alternatives. Even the bottle jack under the towbar works well, the adaptor I made just adds stability. Its also mag wheel friendly (won't scratch like others do) and you aren't travelling with the extra weight, and easier to use than tyrepliers.
When I travel with a highlift jack, I just use that in the same way.

Another hint: for reinflating stubborn tubeless tyres: inflate one of your tyres to max pressure (aften 80psi) and run a hose between the full tyre and the flat one. Both valve cores need to be removed for this to work. I used an ARB easy deflator to easily do this (cut the deflator hose and put in an air coupling so it can still be used as a deflator).

My car has got one of those crappy scissor jacks but I guess that would work nearly as well. Thanks.

It's not only breaking the bead that matters, remember you also need to be able to get the tyres back on, preferably without damaging the bead.

Thats where the R & R comes in real handy.....



Cheers

Tony

Yeah I realise that tony. The R & R only makes it easier but you are still using the levers at the end of the day. To be honest I have never removed a car tyre by hand before. Heaps on tyre machines and done heaps of dirt bike tyres which have super beads in them. I'm going to have to make an educated decision on all the advice you guys have presented. The R & R is on about $250 on its own. I have most of the other bits so that's not too bad.

Kirk,
I used a scissor jack for breaking beads for about 15 years - works just as well on smaller tyres. Haven't used it on big stuck 4wd tyres. You'll need to try it out.

But levering beads on and off is an art that needs learning - practice at home helps but it's not long before you're away. If you carry a plug kit it's highly unlikely you'll be levering tyres anyway.

Things that I have found helpful over the years are:
- having wheels with deep wells - I once checked identical size Speedy and ROH steel wheels and the extra depth of the wells on the Speedy rims made tyre changing very easy. As you'd know the opposite side of the bead needs to be deep in the well for levering to work.
- There is no need to lever the second side for a puncture. You can get full access to patch the inside with just the outer side levered over. If you elect to lever the inner side over, you risk greater distortion of the bead which makes reinflation difficult. I carry a piece of wood which is the right length to open the tyre to see what I'm doing inside.
- The only time you need to lever the second side is if you are replacing the tyre - only likely if you carry a spare casing or you are pinching a tyre from someone else's rim. If you carry a spare casing, then store a tube fully inflated inside it - that way the beads will be much easier to seat when you reinflate it - as they will then naturally sit out.
- Use soapy lube all all times when levering a bead - both levering off as well as levering back on and reinflating.
- And if a tyre is proving difficult to lever, then have a good look again to see what you can do better. Persisting can just distort and damage the bead.
Have a great trip

Cheers mate. I am pretty boned up on all the theory or it all. Just haven't done car tyres as I said. Yes the plug kit will fix most things apart from huge stakes or rocks. I am mechanically minded so sure I can work It out anyway ( diesel fitter). Thanks for heads up.