Removing good tires from bad wheels?
 

At the track yesterday, I had 3 out of 4 wheels almost stuck on the wheel hexes (took a bit to get them off). These are new Panther tires and wheels. It turns out the wheel hex hole in the wheel was deforming as I tightened the lock nut. I still want to use the tires, so is there a way to remove the tires from the wheels without destroying the tires (and preferably the foams also)?

I've been told I could bake them, but am concerned about melting the tires or foams (plus, my wife would kill me).

Thanks.

So, the diameter of the wheel adaptor holes are too tight causing them to get stuck? Sounds like you could shave them with an exacto or lightly dremel the holes to make them larger.

You maybe able to use acetone, suspending the tires/wheels above the actual liquid. I wouldn't put them directly in the acetone it you plan to reuse the foams. The vapors will eat the glue within a few days. I have used acetone to separate worn out tires from the wheels. Even if the whole tire isn't submerged it will break the glue bond. Make sure the container you use is air tight!

seriously. That acetone can smell up a whole house. Learned that the hard way. And them fumes is some bad stuff.

No, the hole for the hex in the wheel is too large so when I tighten down the wheel nut, the wheel itself moves slightly resulting in the corners of the wheel hexes hitting flat of the corresponding hex hole in the wheel.

How much acetone do I need? My wife might have an unused bottle of nail polish remover that I can use.

If you do the oven thing at 325 for 20-25 min, the tires will be okay, but the foams will be shot unless they are closed cell. Oh yeah, don't pull the tires off when they're still hot much past testing with gloves on if they are releasing from the wheel. One tug too much when they're hot and the tire will tear quite easily when it's 300F+.

I have used 1/2 gallon and a 2 gallon bucket for buggy tires. If you have other sets in which you'd like to reuse the wheels you could actually knock out two birds with one stone. Take the old tires and cut off the worn out tires. Place these in the bottom of the bucket which should have these nearly submerged. Then place the good tires with bad rims on top of them.

acetone is a good last resort. It will change the compound of the tire, and most likely ruin the insert.

What I do is wash the tire, then sit on the couch and watch tv while I use a sharp x-acto knife to slowly cut the tire from the rim. You can them reuse which ever part you need.

Ovens, Chemicals, Voodoo. None of these are at your track anyway. Better off with a technique that works everywhere.


Grab your Hobbico or Harbor Freight Heat Gun. Heat the edge of the wheel where the glue is under.

Use Gloves and hold the tire, don't set it on your table. The heat needs to flow through the wheel, if it's on the table it may warp/melt.

Be patient the first time you do it. You should be able to to gently snap the tire off the rim with very little force, a finger and a thumb.

With paractice it takes about 10min to change foams trackside. if you suck at glueing tires and use too much glue, it takes longer.

:nod:i heat mine up to 300 in an oven on a cookie sheet and for 4 mins on one side then flip and do the other side and the tire pops right off no problem and reglues like a new tire

You can boil them too... will probably damage the foam, but you can save the tire and not stink up the house.

I put a set in boiling water for about 10 minutes and they popped right off...

I've tried all of the above methods and the best one by far is the exacto knife. If you have some tire and glue left on the rim when done just hit it lightly with a dremel and it's like new. It does take a steady hand and go slow so you don't cut the tire bead to much

:nod:

+1 this is what I always do then if I need to reuse the rim I just dremel the edge lightly with it on low speed. Tires come off just fine. Just use a new blade with every set of tires you start.

The best and easiest way is to bake them. You can save tire and foam but you have to do it like this:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Take rims with tires and wrap in foil
Place on cooking sheet
Once oven hits 400 turn it off
Place foil wrapped tire inside oven
Leave them in there until it gets cool
Unwrap foil from tire and pull tires off rim
Done! And it won't make the house smell like rubber.

+1 works everytime