How to Remove a Tractor Tire from the Rim

Co-authored by Jay Goninen

Last Updated: April 1, 2024 References

If you’ve got a tractor tire that is cut, damaged, or badly frayed, you can salvage the rim, and even the inner tube if it’s in good condition, by removing the tire itself. To remove the tire from the rim, you’ll need a few sturdy tools and a little bit of elbow grease to get the job done. Deflate the tire so it’s loose enough for you to break the bead along the rim. Once the seal is broken, you can work the rim out of the tire to remove it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Deflating the Tire

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1
Locate the valve stem on the tire and remove the cap. Lay the tire flat on the ground and look for a small stem on the inside of the rim. Unscrew the cap from the stem to expose the valve beneath it.^{[1]
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- Keep the tire laying so the stem is sticking up.
2
Grip the center of the valve with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Locate the small rod on the inside of the valve stem, called a Schrader valve. Take a pair of needlenose pliers and insert them into the valve. Pinch the rod in the center of the valve and get a good grip on it.^{[2]
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- If you have a valve stem removal tool, you can attach that to the valve.
- Don’t squeeze the valve too hard or you could crack or damage it.
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3
Rotate the valve counterclockwise to remove it and release the air. Once you’ve got a stable grip on the Schrader valve, start turning it to unscrew it. You’ll hear the air start to be released from the tire. Continue rotating the valve until you can fully remove it from the stem. Allow the air to flow freely out of the tire.^{[3]
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- Set the Schrader valve aside so you don’t lose the small but important piece.
Tire Tip: The air escaping the valve can cause it to shoot out of the stem as it gets looser so keep a firm grip with the pliers.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Breaking the Bead

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1
Mix together 2 cups (0.47 L) of water and 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of dish soap. Fill a bottle, bucket, or another container with warm water. Then, add the dish soap and stir or shake the mixture so it’s nice and soapy.^{[4]
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- Standard dish soap will do the trick just fine.
- Warm water will combine the mixture better and form more soap bubbles.
2
Lay the tire flat and apply the mixture around the edge of the rim. Place the tire on a flat surface such as a clear area of the ground or on concrete. Apply the soapy solution around the tire where it connects to the rim to help loosen the seal. Let the mixture sit for a couple of seconds so it can penetrate beneath the rim.^{[5]
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- Reserve some of the mixture for the other side of the tire later.
3
Use a sledgehammer or crowbar to break the bead of the tire. The bead of the tire refers to the seal where the tire connects to the rim. If you have a large tractor tire, use a sledgehammer to strike the tire just above the edge of the rim where they connect to break the bead. Continue hitting the tire around the entire circumference of the rim to break the seal completely.^{[6]
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- If you’re using a sledgehammer, be very careful not to strike the rim or you could bend, dent, or crack it.
- For a smaller tractor tire, use the flat end of a crowbar to pry beneath the edge of the rim and break the bead. Work your way around the tire to break the seal all along the rim.
4
Flip the tire and break the bead on the other side. Once you’ve broken the bead all along the rim of the tire and there aren’t any sections still connected, grab the tire and flip it over. Pour the soapy mixture all along where the rim connects to the tire. Use a sledgehammer or crowbar to break the bead along the rim.^{[7]
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- The rim should be loosely attached to the tire once the bead is broken.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Pulling the Tire off of the Rim

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1
Lay the tire stem-side up and remove any nuts from the rim. After you break the bead of the tire, lay it on a flat surface so the valve stem on the rim is facing upward. If there are nuts screwed onto the inside of the rim, use your hands or a pair of pliers to remove them so the inner tube can be taken out.^{[8]
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- Set the nuts aside so you don’t lose them.
- Not all tractor tires have nuts on the inside of the rim.
Slide the flat end of a crowbar into the edge where the tire meets the rim and pry the tire up to make an opening. Lay the crowbar flat across the rim so the edge of the tire is raised over the lip of the rim and held open.^{[9]
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Tire Tip: If the crowbar won’t lay flat, stand on top of it or place a heavy object such as a brick or toolbox on top of it to hold it down.
3
Use another crowbar to pry the rest of the tire over the lip of the rim. Once you’ve got the edge of the tire held open by the first crowbar, insert another one into the opening and work your way around the tire to pry it over the lip of the rim. Continue around the entire circumference of the rim so it’s fully disconnected from the tire.^{[10]
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- After you’ve worked your away around the tire, the rim should no longer be attached to it.
4
Pull out the inner tube from inside of the tire. Use your hands to move the rim to the side so you can see the inner tube on the inside of the tire. Reach into the gap between the rim and the tire and grab the inner tube. Carefully pull it loose from the tire and remove it.^{[11]
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- If the inner tube doesn’t have any tears or leaks, you can reuse it.
Lift up the tire so it’s standing and grab the lip of the rim inside of it. Move the rim from side to side as you pull it to work it out of the tire. If the rim gets caught on the edge of the tire, use a crowbar to pry it out.^{[12]
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