Iceracer

iTrader: (1)

I've been experimenting with various methods of removing rubber tires from old rims. Tried the boiling water, and that didn't work for me. Some tires seem like a harder plastic compound, and they can be torn from the rim without leaving much residue. Most though are soft rubber and difficult to remove.

I filled a tuna can with a half inch of acetone and placed a tire and rim in the tin to soak overnight. By morning, the emersed side of the tire fell right off the rim other than a 3/8 patch. Nothing astounding, we all knew acetone dissolved CA glue, but I was worried about what it would do to the nylon rims. The rim is intact and still bright yellow. The bead is as clean as a new wheel. The tire itself seems fine as well, other than that I cut it open to remove the foam, just incase it became a gooey mess.

Thought I would pass this on. You can get acetone at most paint and hardware stores. Its a handy solvent that is pure and leaves no residue.

oople

Ive never had a foam damaged by acetone, but if you dont wring them out and get all the glue out it will dry and become hard.
Acetone will also effect some tyres and melt some wheels

baih

sedan wheels melt.

Iceracer

iTrader: (1)

Some valuable additional information. Thanks.

superjet701

iTrader: (3)

I have found over the years that lacquer thinner works well to remove foam from rims, and I have never had any damage of any kind, even have taken rear foam from 1/12 th cars and made fronts with them.
Now having said that, I have only glued my foams on with contact cement, that is all you need. I know that some sedan racers use CA on the outer wall, easy fix to stiffen the sidewall, and LT will eventually loosen the CA, but if you have put them on with contact cement it will dissolve faster than the CA.

I have just yesterday loosened CA with LT on rubber, with foam inserts, takes sometime, but no damage. Did however, because I could trash the rubber, cut ti off at the rim for a few of them, sped up the process.

Hoped this helped

Peter

oople

nah
most wheels are fine.. some cheap wheels like those in some tamiya kits, some hpi melted in acetone.. but most wheels dont melt at all.

Manning

iTrader: (3)

Does the acetone mess up the rubber? Make it softer, harder, brittle, etc?

schmelme

iTrader: (13)

All offroad tires and wheels can be acetoned off. Except for losi pink compounds they are junk after the acetone. Do youself a favor and replace the foam it isnt the same after the soak.

oople

Not all off road wheels and tyres can be acetoned, just like touring cars, the majority can be but not everything, that goes for wheels AND tyres..

The foams I use are fine if you dry them out with a paper towel properly, people usually knacker them because they dont get all the glue solution out of them and they go hard.. or even worse they wash the foam in water.