How to Change an ATV Tire | Step-By-Step Swap Guide

Changing an ATV tire requires loosening the lug nuts, lifting the machine, breaking the bead, swapping the rubber, and torquing everything back to spec.

For the full breakdown, see our best ATV Tire Changer guide.

ATV tires take a beating, and swapping one out is a job most owners can handle in the driveway with the right tools and a bit of patience. This guide walks through the process from start to finish, using the official procedure Can-Am publishes for its Off-Road vehicles, plus field-tested techniques from SuperATV for breaking stubborn beads.

Position The ATV And Loosen The Hardware

Start on a level surface. Set the parking brake and block the wheels that stay on the ground with chocks so the machine can’t roll while you work. Per Can-Am’s maintenance guide, loosen the lug nuts before lifting the wheel off the ground, while the tire’s weight still holds the hub steady — but don’t remove them completely yet.

Once the nuts are cracked loose, raise the ATV with a floor jack at the designated lift point and lower it onto a sturdy jack stand. Give the machine a firm shake to confirm it’s stable before you put any weight on the wheel. Then remove the lug nuts the rest of the way and slide the wheel free.

Breaking The Bead And Removing The Old Tire

Lay the wheel flat, valve stem up, and fully let the air out — no need to wrestle with a pressurized tire. SuperATV’s procedure calls for pressing a bead breaker against the edge of the rim and working it around the entire circumference until the tire separates from the wheel on both sides. If the tire has been seated for a long time, expect to make several passes.

With both beads broken, flip the wheel over and use two pry bars with a soapy solution worked between the tire and rim. Slide the far side of the tire into the rim’s center drop well — the channel that gives you slack — then walk the bead over the edge with the bars, repeating around the tire until it comes free. Pull the old tube out if your setup uses one.

Mounting The New Tire: Beadlocks And Direction

Check tire orientation before you mount anything. Many ATV tires are directional, designed for forward and backward traction and self-cleaning in mud, and mounting one backward ruins its bite and wears it unevenly.

For beadlock-equipped wheels, Can-Am says to apply tire-mounting lube to the inner bead and the wheel surface, then mount the tire from the beadlock side only. Secure the beadlock screws by hand first — this prevents cross-threading — then tighten them in a sequence to the spec in the table below, confirm the ring gap is even all the way around, and finish at the final value.

If the beadlock gap looks misaligned at any point, don’t keep cranking — realign the ring and redo the sequence. On non-beadlock wheels, seat the tire by inflating, but never exceed the maximum pressure printed on the tire’s sidewall. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC’s safety sheet warns that over-pressurizing to seat a bead can cause the tire to explode.

Reinstalling And Running In New Tires

Hoist the wheel back onto the hub, start the lug nuts by hand, and snug them in the criss-cross pattern so the wheel seats flat. Lower the ATV so the tire touches the ground with its weight on it, then torque the lug nuts to the spec in the table above. Keep the pressure at the ATV manufacturer’s recommendation for your model, not the tire’s sidewall max.

New tires need a gentle run-in. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC advises taking it easy for the first ride or two while the rubber scrubs in and releases mold release. If you’re replacing a single tire, match the front and rear pair for predictable handling and safety — mismatched tread patterns can make the machine feel twitchy.

For those who do it themselves, remember that tire mounting can be hazardous — Eye protection, jacks, jack stands, and proper training are non-negotiable for safe work.

Tire procedures are model-specific. The torque values and beadlock steps above come straight from Can-Am’s guide for its Outlander lineup, so always confirm your machine’s numbers in its owner’s manual before you wrench.