How to Remove an Auto Tire From the Rim

Removing a tire from its wheel rim involves a bit of force, since the inner tire bead sits tightly against the rim. This process involves levering the tire off the rim to remove it entirely. You will need the necessary tools to perform this job. It's also the reason why spare tires come with a rim already installed since a full swap-out on the side of the road would be almost impossible.

• 1

  Loosen the tire lug nuts on the wheel if attached to the car by twisting the nuts counter-clockwise with a lug nut socket and socket wrench. Hammer the handle of the socket wrench if the lug nut is on too tight to loosen easily. Loosen the lug nuts so they spin easily but don't take them off yet.

• 2

  Use a tire gauge or flathead screwdriver to pressure the tire valve on the wheel and let out the air. Install a car jack to lift the car and finish removing the lug nuts with the deflated wheel suspended in the air. Pull the loose wheel off the car. Use a valve stem tool to remove the tire valve before proceeding to take it off the rim.

• 3

  Place the wheel on the tire separator machine. Install the bead breaker arm of the machine on the wheel where the tire bead and wheel rim make contact. Avoid allowing the bead breaker to make physical contact with the rim or it will gouge the rim. Apply the arm that presses the bead breaker inward and activate the machine. Allow the machine to compress the tire and squish the tire bead off the rim edge as the wheel rotates around. Do the same for the other side of the wheel.

• 4

  Take the tire off the bead breaker and place it on the tire separator of the machine. Lock the wheel rim in place with the machine latch jaws from the center outward to the wheel rim sides so it won't move. Attach the pressure arm downward so it will position between the tire versus the rim. Insert a pry bar (tire iron) in between the remaining bead and the pressure arm head. Lever the tire bead over the pressure head so that the bead sits above at an angled edge that will pull the tire off and over the rim edge. Activate the machine and continue the pressure process until the first tire edge is free. Stop the machine and repeat the lever process again to pull off the remaining tire bead edge.

• 5

  Activate the machine again and allow the tire to rotate while the angled edge lifts the remainder of the last tire bead off and free from the rim. Stop the machine and pull the tire off the machine once the process is complete. Dispose of the old tire. Unlock the wheel rim from the machine and reuse it with a new tire.