Cheap and efficient tire bead breaker

[JDgreen227]

Well, maybe I shouldn't say "cheap" because I used the receiver hitch on a $25,000 truck for this method. But it works great.

I needed to replace a leaking valve stem on my car wheel, it's a 15 mile round trip to the nearest tire place. Decided to try to pop the bead myself.

First, mark the tire and rim so you don't need to have them rebalanced. I put an old hitch bar in the back receiver of my truck, laid the tire and rim on the floor, then placed a section of 2X4 atop the tire bead, and used a bottle jack between hitch bar and 2X4.

WARNING: Be sure the metal base on the jack WILL NOT hit the wheel rim when you are doing this...my car wheels would cost $150 USED to replace if bent. While extending the jack, you can also stand atop the 2X4 if it is long enough, your weight will help loosen the bead. I only needed to loosen the bead on the outer side of the rim to replace the valve stem, so it was easy to reseat it using only a small electric air compressor.

I don't know how well this method would work with a lightweight truck though.