How to Remove Tires from Wheels with Acetone

[InfiniteEscape]

Hey,

I have been removing tires from a few of my wheels with a fair amount of success. I am happy with this method, so I made a video about the overall process. Here it is:

 

[Tunedfrog]

Great tip, thanks for sharing.

 

[bill_delong]

great video, though I have some points to consider:

• I only use acetone when I want to recycle the wheels and possibly the foams. I find it best for me to cut the treads being careful not to cut the foam inserts and will remove/inspect the foams before submerging the wheel with only the rubber beads attached. If the foams are not cracked and are in good shape then I will recycle the foams. Many brands of tires will sell just the tires with no foams to help reduce costs.
• Many brands of tires processed with synthetic blends are prone to shrink the rubber which will change the handling/performance. I prefer to use the oven method when I want to recycle a tire and replace a wheel with a damaged hex.
  • Oven method is simple
    • Pre-Heat Oven to 350°F
    • Turn OFF Oven
    • Insert wheel on cookie sheet while oven cools
    • After 15-20 min remove wheel and test to see if bead will release
    • If not, then repeat process which can sometimes take 2-3 cycles
    • NEVER leave oven ON with wheel inside or you will melt the plastic!
• Alternate option to re-use tires is the "Vapor Method"
  • elevate wheel so rubber is not making contact with acetone
  • allow vapor to dissolve glue over 2-3 days
  • no damage will occur to rubber nor the foam inserts
• Over time, the used acetone will get extremely dirty and will degrade its effectiveness creating longer periods of time to dissolve glue
  • I will use a coffee filter to strain used acetone to remove thick particles to rejuvenate the acetone
  • I have seen used acetone last as long as a year by storing in recycled peanut butter jar removing dozens of tire beads
  • I've recycled some wheels as many as 50+ times over the course of several years of racing the same set of wheels!
  • I prefer to use a Tupperware container that is large enough to fit an entire set of wheels at a time so I am always "prepping" to mount a fresh set of tires every other week.

 

[ahr43]

When I acetone soak a tire off a rim, I put them and the acetone in a 1-gallon steel paint can with tight fitting lid. Let them sit overnight in the garage workshop ~24hr more or less.

Home and hardware stores sell new 1-gallon paint cans. My experience is the acetone stays fresh longer sealed in a steel can and stored in a cool dry place outside the interior of the home. And it is less of a fire hazard stored in that manner.

Remember back in the late '50s when helping my dad repair fiberglass boats, fire marshal inspection directed us to store the acetone containers outside. We dug a dirt storage pit for them covered with the lid from a 55-gallon barrel. Put a concrete block on the lid to keep it in place. So, yeah, acetone is nasty stuff that deserves respect in use. Be careful and follow manufacturers safety guidelines.

Good luck and cheers. 'AC'

 

[InfiniteEscape]

When I acetone soak a tire off a rim, I put them and the acetone in a 1-gallon steel paint can with tight fitting lid. Let them sit overnight in the garage workshop ~24hr more or less.

Home and hardware stores sell new 1-gallon paint cans. My experience is the acetone stays fresh longer sealed in a steel can and stored in a cool dry place outside the interior of the home. And it is less of a fire hazard stored in that manner.

Remember back in the late '50s when helping my dad repair fiberglass boats, fire marshal inspection directed us to store the acetone containers outside. We dug a dirt storage pit for them covered with the lid from a 55-gallon barrel. Put a concrete block on the lid to keep it in place. So, yeah, acetone is nasty stuff that deserves respect in use. Be careful and follow manufacturers safety guidelines.

Good luck and cheers. 'AC'

Yea I personally have a fire cabinet for all my chemicals. I then seal the bin in plastic so the vapors cannot escape. I was able to dissolve the acetone in 2 hours, the tires slid right off.

I also tried the stove method mentioned, but it made the house smell like burnt tires. I was like nope, last time I do that. Maybe I can try outside with a heat gun.

 

[F.R.S. Ninja_007]

should’ve put this under ”Wheels & Tires”

 

[Xraycer]

• Alternate option to re-use tires is the "Vapor Method"
  • elevate wheel so rubber is not making contact with acetone
  • allow vapor to dissolve glue over 2-3 days
  • no damage will occur to rubber nor the foam inserts

This is also my method of choice.