After seeing several 5 tons with big tires, Powerhouse Deuce's in particular, in action at Rausch Creek, I got an 818 last October. Last month I went to Kublos in northern PA and got some 53" tires and a set of 5 ton rims that had worn 14x20 Goodyears mounted on them. Ken was very good to deal with and I recommend him highly. While I was there I got a cargo cover for my deuce, a top hardware kit for another deuce and a bunch of 37" tires mounted on beadlock rims for a future project.
Breaking down the rims was the worst part of the job. Nothing I read online prepared me for the strain and cussing that I engaged in getting the dam rims apart. Like other things in life, sometimes a lot of lube makes things go easier. First, my impact guns were very slow in removing the bolts from the rims. I did not use enough lube on the first three rims. I spent 2-3 hours fighting to get the first tire off the rim. I had a hard time getting the locking bead off. I beat prybars between the tire and rim and used a 50/50 dish soap and water mix, while I was working. There was a good bit of rust and dirt between the rim halves. Between the bead and the rust/dirt, it was a lot of work. I was really regretting getting into the project. The next two rims went about the same. I credit the lube for having the last three go much easier, it was about an hour to break all three of them down. I lubed them over a two day period, front and back. I went and got some plastic wedges that the loggers use. I got a pry bar in between the rim and tire, then hammered the wedges in around the rim and then drove one of them around the rim and the front half of the rims came off relatively easy.
To remove the beadlock, I chained the tire to my 818 and a strap around the beadlock and then to my Cherokee and drove away, the beadlocks came out very easy.
I cleaned the rims with the help of my wife and kids and then started putting things back together. Getting the beadlocks into the 16x20 tires was a bear. I did as other suggested, I put a rachet strap around the beadlock to make it oval. I used spreader clamps to expand the tire beads and got one end of the beadlock in the tire, that was the majority of the battle.
After all my prior efforts, the tires were relatively easy to mount on the rims. I stood the tires us. Used lots of lube. Used new o-rings. Inserted the main rim. Used a wood block and two pound hammer to get the rim inserted well. The front rings went on far enough to start the nuts and the impact gun finshed them off.
I have not got the tires on the truck, but I took some pics of the tires ready to go and got ideas about a jeep on 53"s.
The last pic shows the 105 bed on my 818, but I will be removing it and building a flat bed between the tires and maybe fenders at a later date. The 105 bed looks to small and will be mounted too high.
Breaking down the rims was the worst part of the job. Nothing I read online prepared me for the strain and cussing that I engaged in getting the dam rims apart. Like other things in life, sometimes a lot of lube makes things go easier. First, my impact guns were very slow in removing the bolts from the rims. I did not use enough lube on the first three rims. I spent 2-3 hours fighting to get the first tire off the rim. I had a hard time getting the locking bead off. I beat prybars between the tire and rim and used a 50/50 dish soap and water mix, while I was working. There was a good bit of rust and dirt between the rim halves. Between the bead and the rust/dirt, it was a lot of work. I was really regretting getting into the project. The next two rims went about the same. I credit the lube for having the last three go much easier, it was about an hour to break all three of them down. I lubed them over a two day period, front and back. I went and got some plastic wedges that the loggers use. I got a pry bar in between the rim and tire, then hammered the wedges in around the rim and then drove one of them around the rim and the front half of the rims came off relatively easy.
To remove the beadlock, I chained the tire to my 818 and a strap around the beadlock and then to my Cherokee and drove away, the beadlocks came out very easy.
I cleaned the rims with the help of my wife and kids and then started putting things back together. Getting the beadlocks into the 16x20 tires was a bear. I did as other suggested, I put a rachet strap around the beadlock to make it oval. I used spreader clamps to expand the tire beads and got one end of the beadlock in the tire, that was the majority of the battle.
After all my prior efforts, the tires were relatively easy to mount on the rims. I stood the tires us. Used lots of lube. Used new o-rings. Inserted the main rim. Used a wood block and two pound hammer to get the rim inserted well. The front rings went on far enough to start the nuts and the impact gun finshed them off.
I have not got the tires on the truck, but I took some pics of the tires ready to go and got ideas about a jeep on 53"s.
The last pic shows the 105 bed on my 818, but I will be removing it and building a flat bed between the tires and maybe fenders at a later date. The 105 bed looks to small and will be mounted too high.
