How to Change Kart Tyres the Easy Way

How I Replaced a Damaged Karting Wheel (and You Can Too)

I recently damaged a wheel at a race day and had the labourious job of getting my race tyre for the season off my wheel, and onto a new one. If you’ve tried this, you’ll know how important it is to have the right tools for the job:

• Bead breaker
• Tyre tongs
• New wheel
• Compressor

So, I thought I’d walk you through the full process—from getting the old tyre off a damaged wheel to fitting it onto the new one—using the right tools and a bit of patience.

Here’s how to do it properly without wrecking your hands… or your fresh tyre.

Step 1: Break the Bead (AKA, the War Begins)

The first battle is getting the bead—where the inner edge of the tyre locks tight to the rim—broken free. If your tyre’s been on there a while, or the wheel’s slightly deformed, you might be faced with a challenge.

Introducing: The bead breaker.

Grab a bead breaker and position the wheel flat on the ground or on a stand. Now line up the bead breaker on the sidewall, just outside the rim, and apply pressure. You might need to circle the wheel, breaking the bead a few inches at a time until the whole side is loose.
Once you've done one side, flip it and do the same again. It’s deeply satisfying when you hear the pop when the bead finally gives - almost worth crashing for!

Step 2: Time for Tyre Tongs

Now for the tyre tongs—your best friend if you don’t want to destroy your thumbs. Start by rotating the wheel into the middle of the tyre. By hand, you’ll be able to poke half the rim out the other side.

Now attach the tyre tongs and use them to pull the tyre all the way under the rim. Repeat on the other side. This will leave you with an un-flated tyre, seated fully in the middle of the rim.

Step 3: Inflate the Tyre on the New Wheel

Once the tyre is on, you’ll need to re-seat the bead with air pressure. Grab your compressor, attach the chuck, and blast in some air. As the pressure rises, you’ll hear the beads pop into place—one of the most rewarding sounds in karting.

Potentially, one side will be easier than the other. Once one side goes on, tighten up the screws that hold the bead on. Closing these holes will help keep the air in to pop the other side. Once both sides are on, tighten all the bead screws to keep that tyre firmly in place.

Job Done – Back on Track

It might not be the slickest part of karting, but changing a tyre teaches you a lot about your kit—and there’s something strangely satisfying about doing it yourself.

So if you’ve got a flat, a dented rim, or just want to get more hands-on with your kart setup, grab a bead breaker, tyre tongs, and an air compressor - and go get ‘em.