Step one: Deflate it

Step two: use a prybar or tire iron to slip between the wheel portion and the tire portion where they connect on the beaded rim to separate them. Once you have it offset push the prybar through enough that it's probably sticking in the inside by about 2 inches or so. Then rotate the tire pop the tire off the rim.

That's how I would do it at least.

understanding we're in dire straits here - the problem of getting the tire off the rim is an issue.

well, garland, i agree with you that the tire iron or jack handle is the way to go. a few drops of motor oil - using the dipstick - on the bead might help to slip the bead past the rim.

if that doesn't work, next step would be to break the bead.

using my leatherman wave's blade i would cut my way down to the bead.

the leatherman tool's file has a 'file' surface on three sides. i would attempt to file through the bead - perhaps using a bit more of the motor oil to ease the way.

if that doesn't work - how many would actually practice this? - i would try to pry each strand of the steel cable bead apart and cut each one with the wire cutters.

if that didn't work i'd sit down and cry - just before starting a large wood fire ! lol !

Just curious, but why would one even bother removing the tire from the rim before burning it?

on the rim, i think you need to have a lot of air and an accelerant for the rubber to burn. off the rim provides air access to the rubber. and the inside of the tire provides a place to put an accelerant.

now, if you had a large fire going already, and had a deflated tire, tossing it on top of the fire might be enough to get it to burn.

but i would still try to place the tire on top of something on the fire - in other words, i think you'd want to set it afire - like a barbeque.

in that case - on the rim - i think you'd need to heat as much of the surface area as possible to get it burning.

I already knew I didn't want to breath the smoke, and kinda figured this..."Waste tires are difficult to ignite..."

That is kindasorta how it is done, but most cars now days don't have anything remotely resembling a tire iron. The jack handles of most cars is just a sheet metal gizmo to crank up a screw jack. And the "rotate the tire pop the tire off the rim" part is much harder than it sounds. And you have to do it twice. A large hammer is required, plus a lot of sweat. I still go with delflating and burning on the rim...

Hi All,

Thanks for the large number of replies recieved in only 24 hrs! I had not thought I would get replies so quickly. This is why this is such a great forum.

I had not even thought about the problems of getting a tire off of the rim. In my mind I pictured removing the tire/rim from the car, then when I lit the tire, it was magically off the rim. I will have to think more about some additions to my kit in the car. If I am with somebody else, then I'll have to think even more about how to accomplish removing the tire from the rim. I've removed plenty of bicycle tires, so I think I know the process, but I imagine a tire rim would be FAR more difficult then a bicycle tire.

A little more info: Tire rubber has a heating value of 15,000 BTU's per pound, which is similar to petroleum. A tire needs to reach just over 1000 degrees F to ignite. A candle flame is about 1400 degrees F and a blowtorch is about 2370 degrees F.... I'd tell you more, but i'm tired.

Sorry for the bad pun.

A few more thoughts:

Everyone is telling you to deflate the tire, but not mentioning why: without deflating, they EXPLODE! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You can get the tires off the rims with two very large screwdrivers and some sweat. By large screwdrivers, I mean those really handy 18" suckers. I've done it, but I broke some fingernails in the process.

I wouldn't bother removing the tires, myself. I would build a good fire, try to find a largish rock and set it right beside the fire (or build the fire next to a rock), and tilt the tire over it at an angle, to reduce the chance of smothering the fire.

If I'm in a survival situation, I'm not going to play with gasoline. I prefer to reduce my chances of becoming a human torch without some intelligent assistance nearby. (Besides, that's a Guy Thing <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)

Once the tire is burning, stand upwind.

Burning a tire as a signal in the wrong weather is a waste of time and the tire. If you're trying to produce a smoke signal, it won't work on low-pressure days. Low pressure means clouds or rain. The smoke will just sit on the ground and meander around there, and hide under the trees. It won't be very visible from the air, or from any distance.

Smoke signals only work on high-pressure days: clear & sunny.

The best way (IMHO) to make a fast smoke signal is to carry several containers of motor oil with you, and have it ready several feet from your existing fire. When you see a search aircraft (not a jet 6 miles high), pour it onto your fire.

Nearly every kind of plastic burns with a black smoke. You've seen those news fires where black smoke is pouring out of a house? Polyester (plastic) carpet, plastic and plastic-coated furniture, plastic-coated paneling, plastic countertops, etc, all burn black. So your carpeting, and carpet mats & headliner (polyester and thin plastic foam) would all burn black.

Wood, green plant material/leaves and transmission fluid (& maybe antifreeze/coolant) burns with a white smoke. Water poured onto a fire produces white steam and smoke.

I don't know what kind of stuffing modern cars have (I don't have a modern car <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />); if they are polyester, like stuffed toy stuffing, it will burn black. If it's old-fashioned mattress stuffing, it will burn white.

The color of the smoke you produce is most important for its contrast to your surroundings if you have choices. If you need speed, do your best with what you've got. Just don't smother the fire with too much of anything in your excitement.

The best way to heat a small shelter with your fire is probably to have a regular fire with a rock or log reflector behind it in front of your shelter. Or, you could heat some rocks (NOT from a riverbed) and when they're hot, maneuver them into holes you've dug in the floor of your shelter, and cover it with dry sand or dirt. I'm sure wet soil would produce steam, which wouldn't work and would just make you wet, then cold.

"If you were stranded in the Kim's situation, how often would you burn a tire."

Also IMO, every time they burned a tire as a signal, it was a waste of time. Kati Kim said herself that the smoke wouldn't rise, it just spread around on the ground. Low pressure.

Note: nearly every time anyone in the air sees 3 fires in a triangle (try for about 75' apart in an open area) at night or 3 smokes during the day, they're going to report it, even if they don't know anyone is missing. Those are international distress signals. But if you've only got fuel for one fire, do it.

Inserting a question here: magnesium+firestarters= fire. Mag wheels plus fire.... ? Do they burn, or do they require such high heat that they just sit there?

Sue (aka 'Pyro')

"...Mag wheels plus fire.... ? Do they burn, or do they require such high heat that they just sit there?..."

Good question. I have seen vehicle fires were mag engines burned for hours. I don't recall ever seeing mag rims do that, but then I also don't remember what I had for breakfast today. Maybe we have some fireguys that can give us an answer...