Breaking down a widowmaker
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Tire laying flat, spud bar vertical with flat tip on bead next to rim, and the weight slides down vertically to a collar and delivers a hammer blow to the bead? Correct?
FTE Chapter Leader
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,636
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From: Crossville, Tn
The truck tire shops have a neat tool for breaking beads....it's like a long spud bar with a sliding weight on it. Like a slide hammer. Seems to work pretty good.
You should be able to whip one up in a few minutes time........
Super price on Ken-tool 35926 at ToolTopia.com
You should be able to whip one up in a few minutes time........
Super price on Ken-tool 35926 at ToolTopia.com
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,104
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From: Orcas Island Wa.
Don't worry, if the skidsteer doesn't do it I will just bag it. Or when the panel gets to this coast I could get a shop over there to break it down for me. The other day when I mounted a used 7.50 x 17 tire on my cleaned and painted tonner wheel, it was a cake walk. Just dropped it on, pulled the stem through, pushed the tire's bead down with the forks and tapped the lock ring on. Lifted the forks a bit and aired it up. It's the break-down that I can't exert myself over. The tire isn't worth anything, I just wanted to have 4 decent roller tires while I 'fix it up'. (Notice I didn't say 'restore it') 
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Orcas Island Wa.
I've driven over tires, placed the base of a hydraulic jack on the bead under a truck bumper while I beat on it with a sledge, all kinds of things over the years. When I drive over them they often flip up on their side. I get tired just thinking about all the rusty rims I've beaten and pryed on over the years. Once I removed a 24" tractor tire and patched a nasty sidewall tear with black sikaflex polyurethane and a patch cut from another tire's sidewall. I placed the 'boot' on the inside and fastened it around the perimeter with 1" sheetrock screws. Once I got it aired up I ground the points of the screws off with an angle grinder. Heck, it's a 25 mile round trip tp town, and when you get there you have to spend money on 'store bought' things. Edit: It was still holding fine 5 years later when I sold it.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Orcas Island Wa.
Hats off to Truckdog! He is shipping me those two tires, and they did look real nice in the pictures. Stu, being a MH guy only collects the traction variety so he passed these my way. They look WAY nicer than the junk I've been working with. Thanks Stu.
Marmon-Herrington Man
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,986
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From: Central Illinois
Glad to help, Gary. Your shipping bill is nothing to sneeze at, but I guess final cost still makes it a deal. These came to me along with other stuff I needed, so I had nothing invested in them. Hope they get you rolling and that your panel shipping gets sorted out. Stu
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Orcas Island Wa.
Stu is the only guy on here that I have met in person. He was at a dog event in Portland last year with family and he and his son in law drove up here to visit. He is a first class guy for sure. He even hopped in my cummins powered frankenfridge 350 for the ride out to my place from town.
Marmon-Herrington Man
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,986
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From: Central Illinois
The ride I remember was in that beast of a Toro! It was a great visit, Gary was most accommodating, and his little corner of the world is breathtakingly beautiful. Our son Michael (son) is quite a reclaimed wood woodworker, as is Gary, so the visit covered several areas of interest. Stu
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Jefferson City, MO
Pictures of Gary's place always make me jealous. Beautiful place and neat old stuff.
One thing I really like about this forum, in our crazy world, here are a bunch of genuinely good guys.
One thing I really like about this forum, in our crazy world, here are a bunch of genuinely good guys.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
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Likes: 138
From: Orcas Island Wa.
Sorry about the son/son in law mix-up. The stubborn widowmaker has been relegated to the land of the misfit tires. No, I didn't roll it down the ravine this time, 
it's in an ugly pile of tires on the back 5. Looks like 4-5 days above freezing in Central Minnesota, maybe some desperate trucker will pick up my panel and bring it this way. I upped my offer price on Central Dispatch a bit to sweeten the pot.
it's in an ugly pile of tires on the back 5. Looks like 4-5 days above freezing in Central Minnesota, maybe some desperate trucker will pick up my panel and bring it this way. I upped my offer price on Central Dispatch a bit to sweeten the pot.