The Wedge Works Great

I got one of these a few months ago and never have had a need to use it since I have been too lazy to finish my M35 rims.

http://www.kentool.com/images/35327.jpg

Here is the company site without the picture.

http://www.kentool.com/kentool%2011.pdf

Yesterday I decided to start on the M35 rims again and since one complete tire/rim combo was sitting next to my shop, I decided to try the hammer out. I know for a fact that the tire has been on the rim for the last 25 years minimum. The date stamp on the tire was 5/56. It was so rotted and hard that when it was on the truck, it looked full of air even when the valve core was pulled.

This is the 5th tire of about the same age/ condition that I have pulled apart. I used a Hi-Lift under the M35 to break the bead on the others. This was usually a 1-2 hour process that lifted the front of the M35 off the ground a lot.

Yesterday, I pulled the valve core, laid the tire down and swung the wedge. One good solid hit to the lock ring dented the ring up and hurt my hands. The next swing with gloves on got the wedge all the way to the lock ring with the bead out of the way. I worked it around the tire, pried the lock ring out in a few minutes, turned the tire over and did the same to that bead. The can was out of the tire in less than 10 minutes from the first hammer blow.

I wasn't breathing hard, my back, legs, arms and shoulders weren't on fire and it only cost me 10 minutes. Big improvement. I would recommend these to eveybody that has split rims. Carry it and a spare tube everywhere you go and you will be all ok.

Nice tool, but isn't that what our mattocks were used for? I mean I think it would work fine without having to spend the money on a special tool. Glad you had success, how many more to go. Al are you listening?

Tim, I saw a guy at Aberdeen use angle iron steel, opened up from a 90 to maybe 130degrees. He set them on the tire and used a sledge. Similar out come, tire off of rim in under 10 min. Once I make up a set I will post pics.

I tried the pick that is part of the Pioneer set and could never get it to sink in. I think the extra weight of the Wedge Hammer is what makes the difference. Plus, subtle differences in the shape of the curve and the thickness of the wedge too.

I have tried log splitters, picks, just about every piece of metal I have at home and have never gotten anything to work before this. If you can get something else to work, great.

I didn't post this to bring up the old "My way is better" arguement. I figured we have a lot of new people here and they might not even know about these tools.

Chris, please post pictures once you make up your set. I like having an individual tool set on each truck that doesn't have to be transfered around. So, I will need something for the M35 once it gets on the road.

Did you get the 9.2 lb long handle or the short handled 4.8 lb wedge?

I honestly don't know which one it is. I will look tonight

He has the long handle version. The short handle version is meant to be hit with a sledge hammer. The duck-billed hammer is different in shape than the mattock.

I LOVE my duck billed sledge for taking the split rings apart. Put a little soapy water around the ring, and the wedge will drop the bead down without going around the tire more than twice. Requires a little work to swing that sledge around, but I can completely disassemble a tire in 10-15 minutes.

I agree with you that this is a topic that should be talked about, as I see the most "mysterious" thing new people come to find on the M-715 is the split rims. Simply because its something most people have never seen or heard of, and if caution, care, and knowledge of how split rims work are not used then they can become frustrating and deadly quick.

I don't mind the split rims. I've worked on both the civilian style "widow makers" and the style found on the M-715. I like the M-715 much better. Its obviously not as safe as regular rims, but hey, I can mount, dismount, do whatever to my tires on the M-715 and not have to pay a dime to a tire store.

You bet I'm listening. I have my duece spare on the shop floor right now. I worked on it for a couple hours with a hilift with no success. I worked on it again for 30 minutes a little earlier and it was just to hot outside to do anything. I talked to Brandon about an hour ago and he offered some pointers. I then went to napa and found a duck bill prybar about 2 feet long. I'll give it a try but I want the hammer type like you guys mention. I have 11 of them to do. I don't want to spend a week and some colorful language doing it. Thanks for posting Tim B. I'll go check out the site. What timing.

Didn't you buy a new fangled bead breaker on your trip cross country that you showed me at 22:00 when you swung by my place? Did that not work or was that Kwai's new toy?

Here is the one I use. It works very good. I have done a bunch of tires with it. Hay it was free from a friend. Really needs a wooden handle.

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/1305/dsc01117ea1.jpg
Shot with CYBERSHOT at 2007-07-05

Real secret isnt the tool---its finding the old timer who really knows how to use it. My uncle grew up working at a place where thats all they used--he can do 3 while I'm still screwing around on one. Watched him do it a thousand times on everything from passenger cars to semi tires and still cant get close to the speed. Puts a smile on his face watching me fart around and swear however..........

Joe, that was a tool purchased by Kwai that you were shown. He is also the one that did the actual purchase and delivery to my house of the wedge hammer I am writting about since he passes the store on the way to my house.

Al, your NAPA should carry the same basic tool. They will try and sell you the fiberglass handled version for about $20 more. From what I understand, everybody breaks the handles on these things. You can probably buy a spare wooden handle for less than the upgrade price.

You are right about the experience part. Kind of like the guys that used to hammer in railroad spikes. It takes a while to get good, but once you do, the job gets easier.

First time, I had the tire broke down, the experienced tire guy had it off the rim in less than 2 minutes. Took me 20 minutes to get the next one off using the same tools.

Break the backside first. Flip it over and then break the bead around the ring. A lock ring tool (steel bar with a special hook on the end) speeds up the removal of the lock ring. I got two bars (one short and one long) from Ken-tool.

Well I just took apart 5 split rims today with a long handled duck-billed sledge for split rims. 4 hours later, alot of soapy water and pb blaster and a forklift and I was able to get them apart.

Put it this way, if there is a next time, I will drop them off at a truck tire shop and pay them $40-$50 bucks to do them! My whole body aches from swinging that sledge/duckbill hammer and beating those beads down.

Practice really does help. I probably spent 30 minutes working my first lock ring off 4 years ago. This was after hours of breaking the beads trying to use regular tire equipment. Now, I look at the lock ring as the easy take a breather part of the operation. The more you do it, the faster and easier it will become.

One sugestion ,before you put them together get some tire lubricant,can't think of the name right now,it's at the kids house 100 miles away right now,and smear it on the bead. Get the kind that looks like grease,comes in a yellow plastic bucket.Any big truck tire shop will have it.Soap will work but it will rust the rim and that's what you dont want. When I had my semi trucks I used it on all my wheels. After several changing of the tires,they will come off the rim with one or two swats with the sledge . The duck bill sledge is the only way to go. After 20 to 25 tires you will almost think it's fun!!

The grease does make a difference when it comes time to break it down again.

Am I missing something on my M715? My lock rings don't have a slot in them to insert a lock ring tool, at least not visible from the front...... I've changed a few split rims before on heavy trucks, but this one looks different.

The slot is in the lip of the lock ring. You can't see the first slot until you break the bead loose and pry the ring away from the wheel. There are, I think, 3 slots around the ring.

One my duece tire upgrade going from 9.00 to 11.00, I have 5 done. I have 6 rears left. The truck is leaning pretty hard with the taller tires. I have a bearing hub oil seal that is bad and I need to change it out today before I button up the driver side. Brandon came by Saturday on the way to Mil truck paradise and loaned me the long handled duck bill sledge. I had one tire broken down in under 5 minutes. Others are stuck and need a lot of whacking to coax the bead off.
What a difference the right tool makes. THANKS Brandon!!

BTW, Carquest quoted me 339.00 for the same tool.:eek: He must have been looking at the wrong part.

I have a picture of the 11.00 on the rear fronts and 9.00 on the rear axle. Quite a difference.

Brandon wanted me to post this. Should be a little faster on the hiway.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ndduece002.jpg

Looking good. It will look nice when all those tires are on there.

I think I've sweated off 5 pounds so far. Tomorrow is supposed to be 103.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kwai

The slot is in the lip of the lock ring. You can't see the first slot until you break the bead loose and pry the ring away from the wheel. There are, I think, 3 slots around the ring.

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I see, haven't gotten that far yet.....

I didn't mean for this to turn into a tire tech article, but it fits good here.

Look at an assembled rim. Find the crack in the lock ring. Put it at the 12 o'clock position. The part of the ring going to 1 o'clock is the part you remove first. We will call that the right side. If you stick a pry bar on the right side of the ring at the split and put it under the left side of the ring. You can now push the ring down if the bead is busted. As soon as it goes down, it will also go out a little. You should now be able to see the cut out for the tire tools. Here is a picture of a M715 lock ring. You can see the cut outs at about 12:30 and 3:30 on the ring. If you put a tire tool in there, it allows you to use the curve in the tire tool as a fulcrum and pry the ring up. Then you can use the second notch and repeat. That will normally get you real close to having it out if it isn't already.
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/8...ockringqv0.jpg

Good info there Barrman. I will be needing to do all this sonner than later unfortunately. No one around here will touch my split rims so it's up to me. I have found a duck billed hammer at an auto parts store but it has the fiberglass handle. Should I pass on it and get the wood one?

The one I have (that I lent to Al) is a fiberglass handle. I haven't broken it yet, and don't see why anyone should be breaking the handle. I've done numerous splits with it so far. I have fiberglass handled sledges and axes as well, I don't mind them. I guess it is personal preference, and how inclined you are to missing. :D

Most are broken from hitting the wedge face with a sledge hammer.

When you read ken-tool's website investor reports they note that sales of tire tools (like duck-billed hammers, tire spoons, etc) is declining but sales of wooden handles for the hammers remains strong. Hmmmm, I wonder why.....

Be careful with this, try to find someone to watch the first time. This can be really dangerous if you don't know some of the ins and outs. All of the info posted so far is correct, but there are big safety issues to doing it incorrectly. I nearly killed myself mounting a tire on these wheels and I knew what I was doing wrong, I just didn't think it would happen to me. It did.

I think the fiberglass model is fine.
I think the 11.00s look great on the deuce, that's what I plan to go with on mine eventually.

Would it be alright if I asked what you were doing wrong that nearly got you killed? I think for the people that are not familiar with split rim's like ours, (and I'm interested to learn too), it might be good to hear about some of the dangerous things, that if done, could harm you.