How do you remove glued tires from wheels?
03-01-2007, 02:06 PM
#1
This is how you remove glued tires from wheels!
I've got a bunch of "raced once" mounted tires that I need to get off of their wheels, so that I can re-mount them on wheels that have the correct hub for my truck.
So, I read somewhere that if you boil them for 15 minutes, they'll come right off. I tried that but it didn't make the slightest difference. I actually think that boiling them destroyed the foams because the tires are squishy now. So that's out.
Anybody have any suggestions on how to remove tires that are glued to rims without destroying the tires?
Mr.Maim
So, I read somewhere that if you boil them for 15 minutes, they'll come right off. I tried that but it didn't make the slightest difference. I actually think that boiling them destroyed the foams because the tires are squishy now. So that's out.
Anybody have any suggestions on how to remove tires that are glued to rims without destroying the tires?
Mr.Maim
Last edited by Mr.Maim; 03-04-2007 at 10:13 PM.
03-01-2007, 03:00 PM
#2
ummm i either heat them up with a heating up or a hair blow dryer put them in the micro wave for liek 5-10 seconds or if u no about heat and ruper and plasti use the oven but i dont no how to use it so i dont try 
03-01-2007, 04:15 PM
#3
i boiled the rims/tires for about an hour or more 
but this may affect the stickiness of the rubber.
ive also read that some use an old oven toaster and heated up the rims and tires until they came off. i think youll have to watch closely here because you may melt the rims and tires if you leave them too long.
another solution would be to cut away at the rubber that's sticking to the rim. this is more difficult and a bit dangerous, so you'll have to be very careful and patient. use a new xacto blade and start cutting around the edge where the rubber contacts the rim. most offroad tires and inserts are soft. stretch the tire so you can cut near the bead a bit at a time. do not cut the entire bead off because you wont be able to mount it on the new rim. with some patience (and tired fingers
) youll remove the entire tire off the rim with the bead mostly intact.
again, be very careful and patient when cutting the tire off the rim because you are using a very sharp xacto knife, and youre stretching the rubber off the rim at the same time. i just rest in between rims/tires. difficult but doable
i just did this method about a week ago on 40 series rims and bowties ill try to post a pic soon
but this may affect the stickiness of the rubber.ive also read that some use an old oven toaster and heated up the rims and tires until they came off. i think youll have to watch closely here because you may melt the rims and tires if you leave them too long.
another solution would be to cut away at the rubber that's sticking to the rim. this is more difficult and a bit dangerous, so you'll have to be very careful and patient. use a new xacto blade and start cutting around the edge where the rubber contacts the rim. most offroad tires and inserts are soft. stretch the tire so you can cut near the bead a bit at a time. do not cut the entire bead off because you wont be able to mount it on the new rim. with some patience (and tired fingers
) youll remove the entire tire off the rim with the bead mostly intact. again, be very careful and patient when cutting the tire off the rim because you are using a very sharp xacto knife, and youre stretching the rubber off the rim at the same time. i just rest in between rims/tires. difficult but doable
i just did this method about a week ago on 40 series rims and bowties ill try to post a pic soon
03-01-2007, 05:42 PM
#5
Well, boiling simply did not work, so I'm going to assume that heating them up in an oven isn't going to do the trick either. My oven is worth more than a set of wheels and tires that'll more than likely melt or catch fire and damage my oven.
Besides, we're talking about de-bonding CA glue here. Heat doesn't impact CA whatsoever. From what I understand, the liquid in the bottle is raw molecular components which, when applied to a substrate (bonding surface), converts into acrylic plastic, chemically bonding itself with the items being glued. What you get then, is a bond that is actually stronger than the two items that are being bonded.
That being said, you'd need to do something that would attack the bond itself. In a rudimentary sense, cutting the tires away from the rims with an XActo knife, as suggested, performs the function of attacking the bond. But the suggestion about the acetone... now there's something I didn't think of. Have you actually TRIED that, or just HEARD that that works? I've seen a lot of second-hand advice on forums that nobody really can attest to personally trying and having success with. I think the boiling trick is one such tale.
So, anyone tired the acetone trick? Does it dissolve the tires or the rims? How long does it take? Do the tires just peel off? Do you have to weight the tires down to keep them from floating?
Inquiring minds want to know...
Besides, we're talking about de-bonding CA glue here. Heat doesn't impact CA whatsoever. From what I understand, the liquid in the bottle is raw molecular components which, when applied to a substrate (bonding surface), converts into acrylic plastic, chemically bonding itself with the items being glued. What you get then, is a bond that is actually stronger than the two items that are being bonded.
That being said, you'd need to do something that would attack the bond itself. In a rudimentary sense, cutting the tires away from the rims with an XActo knife, as suggested, performs the function of attacking the bond. But the suggestion about the acetone... now there's something I didn't think of. Have you actually TRIED that, or just HEARD that that works? I've seen a lot of second-hand advice on forums that nobody really can attest to personally trying and having success with. I think the boiling trick is one such tale.
So, anyone tired the acetone trick? Does it dissolve the tires or the rims? How long does it take? Do the tires just peel off? Do you have to weight the tires down to keep them from floating?
Inquiring minds want to know...
03-01-2007, 06:54 PM
#6
that is what i do and it works fine....i run small tires that fit in a "gojo" container that has a sealable lid and i will put about a half inch of acetone in there. the fumes will actually attack the top...you may or may not have to flip the tire. i never had it affect my tires but it plays hell on foam inserts, they balloon up and usually get deamed unusable. i would suggest playing with it on the same type of compound that you will be trying to save before throwing your good set in blindly
03-01-2007, 07:37 PM
#7
Tech Adept
Best way is to pre-heat oven too 325*f, place the tires on a piece of alluminum foil, bake 15 minutes,remove one at a time and push along the bead that was facing up. (Watch for steam to escape)then put it back in oven for 5 more minutes with the other side of the tire facing up. I've done this 7 or 8 times with losi and pro-line 1/10 offroad rims without problem.It Will de- bond your CA. Later. Dan 
03-02-2007, 08:04 AM
#8
I've used acetone. Give it sufficient time and it works well. The CA becomes rubbery and releases. Only did it to save the rims, not the tires, so I can't say whether it damaged the rubber. The rubber did look fine, mind you. Foam inserts melted though. You can buy CA debonder at hobby stores. No idea what's in it or what it will do to the plastic or rubber. Rubber does contain preservatives and plasticizer that may be washed out by soaking in acetone. They may get hard and dry faster because of this.
Originally Posted by Mr.Maim
Well, boiling simply did not work, so I'm going to assume that heating them up in an oven isn't going to do the trick either. My oven is worth more than a set of wheels and tires that'll more than likely melt or catch fire and damage my oven.
Besides, we're talking about de-bonding CA glue here. Heat doesn't impact CA whatsoever. From what I understand, the liquid in the bottle is raw molecular components which, when applied to a substrate (bonding surface), converts into acrylic plastic, chemically bonding itself with the items being glued. What you get then, is a bond that is actually stronger than the two items that are being bonded.
That being said, you'd need to do something that would attack the bond itself. In a rudimentary sense, cutting the tires away from the rims with an XActo knife, as suggested, performs the function of attacking the bond. But the suggestion about the acetone... now there's something I didn't think of. Have you actually TRIED that, or just HEARD that that works? I've seen a lot of second-hand advice on forums that nobody really can attest to personally trying and having success with. I think the boiling trick is one such tale.
So, anyone tired the acetone trick? Does it dissolve the tires or the rims? How long does it take? Do the tires just peel off? Do you have to weight the tires down to keep them from floating?
Inquiring minds want to know...
Besides, we're talking about de-bonding CA glue here. Heat doesn't impact CA whatsoever. From what I understand, the liquid in the bottle is raw molecular components which, when applied to a substrate (bonding surface), converts into acrylic plastic, chemically bonding itself with the items being glued. What you get then, is a bond that is actually stronger than the two items that are being bonded.
That being said, you'd need to do something that would attack the bond itself. In a rudimentary sense, cutting the tires away from the rims with an XActo knife, as suggested, performs the function of attacking the bond. But the suggestion about the acetone... now there's something I didn't think of. Have you actually TRIED that, or just HEARD that that works? I've seen a lot of second-hand advice on forums that nobody really can attest to personally trying and having success with. I think the boiling trick is one such tale.
So, anyone tired the acetone trick? Does it dissolve the tires or the rims? How long does it take? Do the tires just peel off? Do you have to weight the tires down to keep them from floating?
Inquiring minds want to know...
03-02-2007, 01:57 PM
#9
Great! Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried the microwave trick last night. 1 mounted tire for 1 minute. It did seem to degrade the bond a bit, but not entirely. I still had to cut a good deal of the tire away from the rim which damaged the bead a little. I also have blisters on both of my thumbs from the heat of the tire, even though I was wearing leather gloves! 
So I stand corrected on my "Heat doesn't impact CA whatsoever" comment.
I'm going to try the acetone thing that brockh suggested and see what happens. Hey brockh, how long should I leave the tire in the container?
Thanks everyone, I'll report back my findings. I have 22 pairs of Panther Switch 2.0s mounted on GT2 rims that I want OFF!
So I stand corrected on my "Heat doesn't impact CA whatsoever" comment.
I'm going to try the acetone thing that brockh suggested and see what happens. Hey brockh, how long should I leave the tire in the container?
Thanks everyone, I'll report back my findings. I have 22 pairs of Panther Switch 2.0s mounted on GT2 rims that I want OFF!
03-03-2007, 10:46 PM
#10
Tech Master
iTrader: (49)
ive been doing the boiling thing for years, it takes a few hours for them to come off but its the cleanest way ive found to get them off. i dont bring it to a boil, i use a crock pot, do it in the garage, it stinks, the wifey isnt pleased because i have tires in the crock pot and she sure didnt like the smell
03-04-2007, 08:47 AM
#11
Acetone for sure! acetone breaks down the glue. after being done the foams will be bad, but thats why most people remove them anyhow. Make sure to soak overnight in a plastic "tub" and place a wood block on top so they don't float. In the morning they just peel right off!
03-04-2007, 08:53 PM
#12
acetone works great on red and silver losi , m3 and r3 proline. Panther "clay" and losi pinks will be junk after they come out of the acetone. R3 proline are still useable but not the same when they come out.
03-04-2007, 10:04 PM
#13
Thanks everyone for your responses! I did some experimenting this weekend and came up with the following results:
- The Boiling Water Trick -
This method did not work very well for me at all. I tried a full boil for 15 minutes and maybe 15% of the bead un-sealed, and then only partially. I put it back in for another hour and still had to use a knife for more than half of the bead. I see suggestions for boiling overnight, but I feel that if I have to use that much electricity (it'd probably be a buck or two) I may as well take a faster approach.
- The Microwave Oven Trick -
This worked marginally well. One minute is enough to get the tire hot as hell, gets the foam insert hotter, and does a good bit to soften up the CA bond. BUT, it also seems to damage the rubber of the tire if you put it in too much longer. What seems to work is putting one wheel in for one minute facing up, take it out and WEARING HEAVY GLOVES pull the tire away from the rim both front and back until it stops coming off. Then let it cool for a few minutes and then put it back in for 30 seconds facing down. Take it back out and pull the tire away from the rim again until it doesn't come off any more. Repeat. The foam gets lumpy and weird from the microwave so I'd toss it.
- The Acetone Trick -
This worked well but took by far the longest. Get a sealable container (like Tupperware or something that the acetone won't eat through) because the acetone will evaporate if left in the open, and the fumes are horrible. Fill the container up 1/2" deep with acetone then put the wheel in, weighing it down so that it does not float, and close it up air tight. Set a timer for THREE HOURS. After the time is up, remove the wheel and (using rubber gloves) (watch out for the chemical vapors!) pull the tire away from the rim. The acetone does an excellent job of dissolving the CA, leaving it with a consistency of snot, but not sticky, just gooey. Squeeze the acetone out of the foam tire insert back into the container, turn the wheel over so that the opposite side is facing down, add more acetone if necessary, close container and set timer for three hours again. When the time is up, remove tire from container and pull it away from the rim. It should, for the most part come off. You can forget about the foam insert, it expands to about three times its original size. Contrary to what you might think, the acetone does no damage to either the tire or the rim!
- The Conventional Oven Trick -
This worked the best, and most consistently. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is up to temperature, place the wheel in the oven, on a piece of foil, directly on the rack, with the rack in the middle of the oven. Bake the wheel for 15 minutes, and no more. Remove the wheel from the oven, and wearing HEAVY GLOVES pull the tire away from the rim. The oven actually "bakes" the CA glue so it becomes very brittle, and the tire should separate from the wheel easily. Work both sides of the rim (front and back). Don't force it. If it does not come off entirely, immediately put the wheel back in for 3 to 5 minutes, NO MORE. Remove from the oven and pull the rest of the tire away from the rim. The heat from the oven will not damage the tire, the rim, or the foam, so all three are re-usable if you need to do so.
For these experiments I used two sets (4 individual) of wheels. The tires are Team Losi A-7635s or Panther Switch 2.0s on ProLine 2.2 rims. I'll be using "The Conventional Oven Trick" for the other 20 sets of wheels. It just worked out to be the fastest and most consistent for me. Not to say that the other methods don't work, they do, the oven trick just worked the best for my situation. I think if I'm feeling really picky and want to get all of the dried CA glue that is left on the rims and tires after baking them, I may soak everything in acetone for an hour or two to get them perfect.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! I hope that this thread will help others in the future!
Mr.Maim
- The Boiling Water Trick -
This method did not work very well for me at all. I tried a full boil for 15 minutes and maybe 15% of the bead un-sealed, and then only partially. I put it back in for another hour and still had to use a knife for more than half of the bead. I see suggestions for boiling overnight, but I feel that if I have to use that much electricity (it'd probably be a buck or two) I may as well take a faster approach.
- The Microwave Oven Trick -
This worked marginally well. One minute is enough to get the tire hot as hell, gets the foam insert hotter, and does a good bit to soften up the CA bond. BUT, it also seems to damage the rubber of the tire if you put it in too much longer. What seems to work is putting one wheel in for one minute facing up, take it out and WEARING HEAVY GLOVES pull the tire away from the rim both front and back until it stops coming off. Then let it cool for a few minutes and then put it back in for 30 seconds facing down. Take it back out and pull the tire away from the rim again until it doesn't come off any more. Repeat. The foam gets lumpy and weird from the microwave so I'd toss it.
- The Acetone Trick -
This worked well but took by far the longest. Get a sealable container (like Tupperware or something that the acetone won't eat through) because the acetone will evaporate if left in the open, and the fumes are horrible. Fill the container up 1/2" deep with acetone then put the wheel in, weighing it down so that it does not float, and close it up air tight. Set a timer for THREE HOURS. After the time is up, remove the wheel and (using rubber gloves) (watch out for the chemical vapors!) pull the tire away from the rim. The acetone does an excellent job of dissolving the CA, leaving it with a consistency of snot, but not sticky, just gooey. Squeeze the acetone out of the foam tire insert back into the container, turn the wheel over so that the opposite side is facing down, add more acetone if necessary, close container and set timer for three hours again. When the time is up, remove tire from container and pull it away from the rim. It should, for the most part come off. You can forget about the foam insert, it expands to about three times its original size. Contrary to what you might think, the acetone does no damage to either the tire or the rim!
- The Conventional Oven Trick -
This worked the best, and most consistently. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven is up to temperature, place the wheel in the oven, on a piece of foil, directly on the rack, with the rack in the middle of the oven. Bake the wheel for 15 minutes, and no more. Remove the wheel from the oven, and wearing HEAVY GLOVES pull the tire away from the rim. The oven actually "bakes" the CA glue so it becomes very brittle, and the tire should separate from the wheel easily. Work both sides of the rim (front and back). Don't force it. If it does not come off entirely, immediately put the wheel back in for 3 to 5 minutes, NO MORE. Remove from the oven and pull the rest of the tire away from the rim. The heat from the oven will not damage the tire, the rim, or the foam, so all three are re-usable if you need to do so.
For these experiments I used two sets (4 individual) of wheels. The tires are Team Losi A-7635s or Panther Switch 2.0s on ProLine 2.2 rims. I'll be using "The Conventional Oven Trick" for the other 20 sets of wheels. It just worked out to be the fastest and most consistent for me. Not to say that the other methods don't work, they do, the oven trick just worked the best for my situation. I think if I'm feeling really picky and want to get all of the dried CA glue that is left on the rims and tires after baking them, I may soak everything in acetone for an hour or two to get them perfect.
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions! I hope that this thread will help others in the future!
Mr.Maim
03-04-2007, 10:46 PM
#14
mr. maim: can you please post pics of the rims & tires using the conventional oven trick? im interested in trying this next time, maybe find a cheap oven dedicated to r/c stuff 
the only ones i actually tried are the boiling water trick (took too much time and warped the rims) and the xacto cutting method (took a bit of time and painful/dangerous to do 
)
im interested in trying this next time, maybe find a cheap oven dedicated to r/c stuff the only ones i actually tried are the boiling water trick (took too much time and warped the rims) and the xacto cutting method (took a bit of time and painful/dangerous to do )
03-05-2007, 07:50 AM
#15
Marvi, it's safe to use your kitchen oven. I promise. I have a very expensive glass/ceramic-top G.E. range, and I used it for this process. No worries. Just set a timer and remove the wheel at EXACTLY 15 minutes and you'll be fine. It doesn't even stink up the place like boiling them in water, putting them in the microwave, or the acetone did. Just make absolutely sure that you don't leave them in for longer than 15 minutes on the first heat-up, and the temp is at 325 degrees fahrenheit.
As for pics: I work 65+ hours a week, so I don't have time for this stuff until the weekends. If you're still interested, I can, but it'll have to wait until Sunday.
As for pics: I work 65+ hours a week, so I don't have time for this stuff until the weekends. If you're still interested, I can, but it'll have to wait until Sunday.
Originally Posted by marvi
mr. maim: can you please post pics of the rims & tires using the conventional oven trick? im interested in trying this next time, maybe find a cheap oven dedicated to r/c stuff the only ones i actually tried are the boiling water trick (took too much time and warped the rims) and the xacto cutting method (took a bit of time and painful/dangerous to do )
im interested in trying this next time, maybe find a cheap oven dedicated to r/c stuff the only ones i actually tried are the boiling water trick (took too much time and warped the rims) and the xacto cutting method (took a bit of time and painful/dangerous to do )