Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (JTE)
Why can't you just break the bead on just one side of the wheel, then reach in and remove the sensor? And if you first mark the tire's position to the wheel, you probably don't even need to rebalance it.
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (wamara)
There is no way you can break the bead and push it down to get to the sensor. I was told by the Goodyear Tech that if you press down on the sidewall that far to access the sensor you will destroy the tire. I believed him and paid $9 each to dismount the tires (1/2 way) from the wheel and remove the sensors for me. They also remounted the tires and reset the beads so I could ship them. I could not believe how stiff the sidewalls were on the runflats.
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (wamara)
Quote:
Why can't you just break the bead on just one side of the wheel, then reach in and remove the sensor? And if you first mark the tire's position to the wheel, you probably don't even need to rebalance it.
It CAN be done, I've done it. You have to be careful, and not beat on the tire, but it is possible. HOWEVER, if you can get the tire dismounted/remounted for $9, it's probably not worth the effort.
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (leadfoot4)
Yes, it can be done- even in your driveway, if you're creative.
This from a previous post:
This can be done, but it isn't the easiest thing to do, especially if the tires and wheels have been "mated" for a long time. To do this, you'll need a hydraulic bottle jack, several pieces of 2"x4" wood, and a "substantial" object that's several inches taller than the tire, when it's laying flat.
First, remove the wheel and tire, remove the valve core to deflate the tire, then lay it flat under the "substantial" object. In my case, I used the back bumper of my pick-up as the substantial object. Next, place a short piece of wood on the tire, right next to the wheel. Place the jack on the
wood, raise the jack against the "substantial" object, and this will break the bead. If you're lucky, you'll only have to do this in the area of the valve stem. If not, you'll have to make a "lap or two" around the tire.
Once you've broken the bead sufficiently, once again use the jack to press the tire away from the rim about 3 or 4 inches to the left of the valve stem, and place a short piece of wood between the tire bead and rim. Move 3 or 4 inches to the right of the valve stem, and repeat. This should give you enough room to unscrew the sensor, and wiggle it out of the tire. I'm
sure that by now most of you are LOL and think I'm nuts, but I did this myself last Sunday. I took my OE rims and tires down to the local GoodYear store, to get the tires swapped over to my new CCW rims. In the process, the "Run Flat trained technician" destroyed one of the new sensors that came with the new wheels. Of course I didn't know this until I put the wheels on,
and one of the sensors wouldn't initialize when I did the re-learn process. Since it was Sunday by then, and GY was closed, I had to fend for myself, and used one of my original sensors. I installed it myself, using this method.
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (UtahVince)
Quote:
Yes, it can be done- even in your driveway, if you're creative.
This from a previous post:
This can be done, but it isn't the easiest thing to do, especially if the tires and wheels have been "mated" for a long time. To do this, you'll need a hydraulic bottle jack, several pieces of 2"x4" wood, and a "substantial" object that's several inches taller than the tire, when it's laying flat.
First, remove the wheel and tire, remove the valve core to deflate the tire, then lay it flat under the "substantial" object. In my case, I used the back bumper of my pick-up as the substantial object. Next, place a short piece of wood on the tire, right next to the wheel. Place the jack on the
wood, raise the jack against the "substantial" object, and this will break the bead. If you're lucky, you'll only have to do this in the area of the valve stem. If not, you'll have to make a "lap or two" around the tire.
Once you've broken the bead sufficiently, once again use the jack to press the tire away from the rim about 3 or 4 inches to the left of the valve stem, and place a short piece of wood between the tire bead and rim. Move 3 or 4 inches to the right of the valve stem, and repeat. This should give you enough room to unscrew the sensor, and wiggle it out of the tire. I'm
sure that by now most of you are LOL and think I'm nuts, but I did this myself last Sunday. I took my OE rims and tires down to the local GoodYear store, to get the tires swapped over to my new CCW rims. In the process, the "Run Flat trained technician" destroyed one of the new sensors that came with the new wheels. Of course I didn't know this until I put the wheels on,
and one of the sensors wouldn't initialize when I did the re-learn process. Since it was Sunday by then, and GY was closed, I had to fend for myself, and used one of my original sensors. I installed it myself, using this method.
Maybe that will work, but maybe you will only be able to count to 8 or 9 when you are done. This is very dangerous. The Goodyear place that did mine would not even reach down and take out the sensors until the tire was completely off the wheel. Also, if you want to keep your wheels from getting beat up, take it somewhere and save yourself a big headache. I can just see you dropping your wheel on the jack and scratching the heck out of it, then saying to yourself "why didn't I just take it somewhere!" Come on guys, we drive 50K cars and can't spend a few bucks to have it done right! :banghead:
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (MTWallet)
For anybody with the slightest amount of hand tool experience, this hardly qualifies as "dangerous". It's more annoying than dangerous. I spent a few years racing an oval track car, and I mounted all of my tires by hand, by myself. I still have all 10 of my fingers. Do you need to exercise some caution? Of course, but most everything in life has some element of danger, therefore I stand by my original post.
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (leadfoot4)
You're welcome, Lead. I did copy and scan your post- I may use your technique one day. The sensors in my 98 are over 5 years old, one day they will need replacing, and I do not want my magnesium wheels mangeled by a "GM runflat-certified Goodyear technician" (translation: high school dropout tire changing monkey).
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (SonnyinVA)
Sonny, I'm guessing that MTwallet is presuming that somehow or other, you'll get your fingers caught between the tire and rim, or a tire spoon and the rim, if you're not careful or co-ordinated. I suppose that anything is possible, and maybe I'm oversimplifying this job because I've probably mounted/dismounted around 6-700 tires in my lifetime.
I know that this might sound a little sarcastic, but MT was quick to say that he thought this task was "dangerous", yet yesterday he posted a topic about someone getting killed while drag racing. Somehow, MT managed to report the incident, yet failed to mention how dangerous drag racing is, and advising us not to do it. I don't quite understand his priorities. As I previously stated, EVERYTHING has the potential to be dangerous, it's all in how you approach it. I hardly think that breaking the bead on a tire is as dangerous as racing a car, but I've done both, and advise appropriate cautions for both.
In terms of the $50K car, I have no idea...Mine was $43K, less my trade-in.
Re: How to removing sensors without removing tires (leadfoot4)
I bought a $39 tire changer from Harbor Tools that works well on my 1995 rims. Sensor is strapped around the rim on C4's, so I assume you'd have to remove the tire. I buy my tires from tirerack and change them myself.
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How to removing sensors without removing tires
