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How to Mount ATV Tires

By Kavan Wright | How-To on December 7, 2020
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Mounting ATV tires seems like a magic trick sometimes. One minute there’s a loose tire haphazardly squeezed around a rim like a loose rubber band. The next, someone lights the flash paper, there’s a puff of smoke and you have a perfectly mounted tire. And then the tire guy pulls a bouquet of flowers out of his sleeve.

In reality, there’s nothing that complicated about it. With the right tools, anybody (yes, even you) can mount ATV tires without having to resort to the dark arts.

Let’s walk you through it.

Can You Mount ATV Tires Yourself?

Yes you can!

All it requires are the right tools and a little know-how. These are generally not tools your average garage owner is going to have laying around, but they’re easy enough to get ahold of.

Pry Bar

First of all, you need a pry bar. A pry bar is used both for removing an old tire off of a rim and mounting a new tire onto the rim. You won’t get very far without one.

They’re sometimes referred to as a mount or demount tool and have a smooth, curved end. They’re designed to get between the tire and rim and do minimal damage to your rim.

Pry bar | $30–$70

Bar
A pry bar for tires is different from your standard pry bar. It has a smooth, flat end that’s designed to slip into the tire so you can get it on or off the rim.
Photo by Napa Online

Bead Breaker Tool

If you’re trying to remove a well-used tire, it’s not a simple matter of deflating it and removing it. You’ve got to break the bead, and you need a bead breaker tool to do that.

Bead breaker tools are designed to pry the bead down and away from the rim. Over time, a tire bead can get “frozen” to the rim and ends up requiring a ton of force to remove. The right tool gives you the leverage you need to do it.

Bead breaker | $20–$100

Air Tire Bead Seater

When it comes time to get your new tire onto the bead, a blast of high pressure air can make it happen more easily. Some people use fire but we don’t recommend this. We do recommend using a tire bead seater.

It’s a little air tank that you fill with an air compressor. It has a wide nozzle that’s designed to squeeze between the tire and the rim so when you open the valve, it dumps all that air into the tire instantly, seating the bead and letting you inflate normally.

Air tire bead seater | $60–$100

Air Tire Bead Seater
Getting the bead seated on the rim is tough. A tire bead seater funnels a full tank of compressed air into a tire instantly, providing tons of pressure to seat the bead. It’s the easiest way to get a bead seated and the way we do it every day.
Photo by SUNCOO

Bead Holder

Bead holders are little tools that help when you’re trying to get your tire on the rim. They hold the tire’s bead down below the rim as you work your way around. Having one or two can save you a ton of frustration.

Bead holder | $20

Dish Soap

You’ve got soap (I hope). Mix some dish soap and water, put it in a spray bottle, and you’ve got the preferred tire bead lubricant. It’s a cheap and easy way to help you mount an ATV tire and seat the bead.

Dish soap | $3

Manual Tire Changer

A manual tire changer is a good way to get everything you need in one package. It comes with pry bars and a bead breaker. It also acts as an anchor point that you can mount your rim to. You can find affordable options that make for an easy job.

Manual tire changer | $50–$700

Tires
A manual tire changer consists of a simple set of tools that makes mounting an ATV tire easier. It comes with a pry bar, a bead breaker, and a convenient way to mount your wheel so you don’t have to fight it when you’re prying away.
Photo by Harbor Freight

Tire Changing Machine

A tire changing machine is a top-of-the-line shop tool. If you have access to one, by all means make use of it for your tire changing needs. Odds are, a fully hydraulic piece of machinery designed to get your tires on and off in five minutes flat is more than you need for your personal garage.

They’re pricey, but effective. This is what we use daily at SuperATV.

Tire changing machine | $1000+

Is It Hard to Change ATV Tires?

Mounting ATV tires can be frustrating, but to say it’s hard is an overstatement. Your first tire is going to take some time to get on. You’ll want to block out some time, put on some nice tunes, and grab a drink.

It will take some work, but with proper patience and tools, anybody can do it. Having a buddy there to help you through some of the more difficult parts can make the whole thing a breeze.

Basically, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to mount ATV tires at home.

How Do You Mount a Tire at Home?

This guide will help you get your old ATV tires off and your new tires mounted quickly and easily. We’re going to assume you’re using hand tools. If you’re using a manual tire changer, the steps will be the same—you’ll just have an easier time.

Breaking the Bead

To remove the tire that’s already on the rim, you need a bead breaker.

Breaking the bead is harder than it sounds. Like we mentioned earlier, the bead can fuse to the rim over time which makes it very difficult to remove.

  1. To make breaking a bead easier, first let the air out of the tires.
  2. Slip the scooped end of your bead breaker bar between the tire and the rim.
  3. Pull down toward the tire with your weight on the opposite end of the tire. The bead should separate.
  4. Repeat these steps all the way around the tire until it falls away easily. You may have to turn the wheel over and repeat these steps on the opposite side as well.

Removing the Tire

Now it’s time to get the tire off the rim. Most often, your tire will still be wrapped around the rim and nearly impossible to remove by hand. A pry bar and a soapy solution of dish soap and water can make it easier.

  1. Spray down the bead of your tire with a soapy solution. This will help it slide over the rim.
  2. Take the flat end of your pry bar and insert it between the rim and the tire (tip: use some rags to avoid scratching up the rim).
  3. Pry up to pull the tire over the rim. Keep in mind that due to the shape of some rims, one way can be easier to get the tire off than the other.
  4. Work your way around the tire, prying up as you go. A second pry bar can be used to help hold the tire so it doesn’t slip back under the rim.
  5. Once you get the top of the tire over the rim, the other bead should come up easily.

Mounting Your ATV Tire

Actually mounting the ATV tire is the most difficult part. Feel free to take a break, get a drink, and eat a sandwich before you get started.

  1. First, check the orientation of your tire. Most ATV tires have a forward and a backward direction for maximum traction and cleanout. You don’t want to mount all four of your tires only to realize that you have to redo them.
  2. Fit the tire onto the wheel. First, work the bottom bead onto the rim by hand.
  3. Use your soapy solution along with a pry bar to get the top bead below the rim. Hook the pry bar under the rim and over the bead and pull down.
  4. Work your way around the rim. Use a second pry bar or bead holders to keep the bead from popping back up.
  5. Use a tire bead seater to seat the bead. Fill it up with air using a compressor, put the rubber nozzle between the rim and the bead, then open the valve.

Once you get all four tires on, you’re good to go! Inflate them to the recommended psi, install them on your vehicle, and take them out for a spin.

Learn More About ATV Tires

Now that we’ve covered mounting tires, you need to know what size to get. Check out our comprehensive guide to learn more about ATV tire sizes and why bigger isn’t always better.

If you like to get down and dirty riding through mud, take a look at our top 3 ATV mud tires. If you’ve never used a mud tire like these before, it’ll change your life.

Tires
Once you get your ATV tires on and inflated, you’re ready to go. Now you’re an expert, and next time you need to change a tire, you’ve got all the tools and expertise you need to get it done even quicker.
Photo by SuperATV
RELATED CONTENT: ATVs38 tires15
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