How to Replace Lawn Mower Tires

Written by Paul Miceli
on Oct 01, 2009

To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.

Reviewed by
H.R. Helm
on Jul 11, 2022

Riding-style lawn mowers or lawn tractors will occasionally need to have their tires replaced. Lawn mowers have two different types of tires which are either hard rubber or air filled. Hard rubber tires are commonly found on push lawn mowers or on the front of lawn tractors. These types of tires will not need replacing often unless they become too worn down. Air filled tires are very much like car tires and if they are punctured, they will need to be replaced.

Step 1 – Engage Gears

Before you start working on your lawn mower you will need to ensure that you are on flat ground and then put the mower in gear and apply the brakes. This will prevent the mower from moving whilst you are working on it.

Step 2 – Raise the Mower

To change your lawn mower tire, you will need to raise it off the ground slightly. The best way to do this is to use a jack. Make sure that the jack is under a cross member or frame rail as this will prevent any damage being caused to your mower.

Step 3 – Remove C Clips

If the front tires of your lawn mower are on spindles, these will need to be removed. To do this, remove the rubber boot that covers them with a pair of pliers. Be careful that you don’t rip the boot. Once the boot has been removed you will need to remove the metal c-clip that holds on the tires. To do this, use a flat-headed screw driver to pry it off. Do not lose this clip as it will be need to secure the new tire into place. If the front lawn mower tires are not on spindles then you will just need to pry off the c-clip.

Step 4 – Remove Air

The next step is to let out all the remaining air in the lawn mower tire as this will make it easier to remove. To this you can either push down on the valve until all the air has been released or you can use a valve stern tool which will make the process a lot quicker.

Step 5 – Breaking Beads

You will now need to break the bead of the tire which can be quite a tricky task. Push the lawn mower tire down to the rim and, using a tire iron, lift the bead up and pull it over the rim. You will need to repeat this process around the whole of the tire. This process will need to be repeated with the inside bead as well. If there is an inner tube, this will also need to be removed.

Step 6 – Refitting the Tire

Before putting on your new tire, apply some tire lube to the beads as this will make it easier to get on. If there was an inner tube, put it back into place. Force the tire over the rim as much as possible and use the tire iron to push the bead back inside the rim. Once the beads are in place, inflate the tire with a pump to its correct air pressure and fix it back onto your lawn mower.