I am working on a friend's truck that is running the original 16.5" Diameter 12 Bolt, 8 Lug NOS Rims with the blue PVC bead locks. I want to powder coat the wheels before I replace the tires (have a set of original Goodyear Military Wranglers) and I am having a hard time dismantling the old tires from the wheels. I have separated the rims and the one side of the bead/tire is free, but the other bead is on there good. Any tips and advice would be appreciated. Also, someone suggest that I should not run the PVC bead lockers. Any help there.

1. What is the best way to break the other bead?
2. How to remove the PVC bead locks and how to reinstall them?
3. The local 4Wheel Parts guys (who could not help with the wheels/tires) said that I should not run the PVC bead locker. Should I run them, or not?

Thanks in advance!

 

On a 2-piece H1 wheel, typically once the bolts are removed, the back part of the rim (facing inward) will dislodge pretty easily. However, the front of the rim can be more difficult. I have changed all of the tires on my H1 over time, and the only way to break the bead is by brute force. I do it by wedging the end of a crow bar right under the edge of the wheel where it meets the tire, and keep hitting the other end of the crow bar with a sledge hammer. After a few blows, more the crow bar about three or four inches and do it again until you get all the way around the tire. Eventually the tire will break from the rim. I have the 17" Hutchinson 2-piece rims on a 2002 H1.

Not sure if you have run flats, but that is another issue. There are two types, metal and rubber. The metal ones have two bolts that hold the two halves of the run flat together. Once the rim is off, you can access these bolts and remove the run flat one half at a time. The bolts are not real easy to access, but it can be done. If they are rubber run flats, those can be removed easily using a cherry-picker or engine hoist. Just wrap a strap around the run flat and hook it to the hoist. Put the legs of the hoist on top of the tire to counteract the force that will be created as the run flat is removed. Note that once it is removed, the rubber ones are almost impossible to get back in. I did not put mine back in. There is a procedure to do that and I know what it is, but I did not do it.

Hope this helps.
Steve