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tire change

4K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  jimkonst 
#1 ·
What on earth should I do to make a new tire pop in the bead all around the rim when inflating it.

I have now changed 5 tires within the last 1.5 years and none of them has seated without a problem. I am using liquid soap on the beads, but every time I have had to pound the tire with a rubber mallet and what not to make the beads to seat. Perhaps I am too slow and the soap dries up and instead of being slippery is tacky. How much air pressure do I dare to to use?
 
#4 ·
spray silicone works well too just dont be tempted to use any of the tire pastes they are too slick and take days to absorb i have actually seen the rim spin inside the tire after using the paste.
 
#6 ·
the longer the stream of profanities you can put together the better
 
#7 ·
1. Take a length of rope longer than the circumference of the tire and tie a loop in one end.

2. Lay the rope down the middle of the tread and run the free end of the rope through the loop.

3. Pull on the free end of the rope to compress the tire and push the bead toward the rim.

4. Tie a quick release knot in the rope to hold tension on the tire.

5. Turn the rim vertical.

6. Add air to the tire, and where you have leaks, turn that portion of the tire towards the ground and apply a little pressure.

Hope this helps.
 
#8 ·
Thank you all for the advice. Leaks are not the problem, it just won't fully seat all the way around. I think I will need to find a better lubricant for the job.

I used "pledge" when I changed mine.
Are you talking about a trademark like in a furniture wax?

You gotta cuss, too. Won't work if you don't cuss.

the longer the stream of profanities you can put together the better
I've done that mentally, but do I have to do it aloud?
 
#9 ·
Once the tire is completely on the rim, I just spray the beads good with Windex. They seat perfectly every time. Anything slippery will work, but I would avoid petroleum based products. They will deteriorate rubber over time. I have used STP Son of a Gun to mount tires with,(damn that stuff is slippery) but still use Windex to seat the beads. Make sure the tire is not touching the ground or floor. Either support the wheel by the axle, or lay it on it's side, so the tire is not touching anything.


If you can't get the bead to seal well enough to hold air, I use a variation of flitecontrol's procedure, which I have never had to use on motorcycle tires, but it works great on car and ATV tires. Instead or rope around the tire, I use a ratchet tie down, like I use to tie down my dirt bike with. You can put a LOT of pressure on the tire tread with one of those, forcing the bead against the rim. Jerry.
 
#10 ·
This is a long shot, but I have not seen anyone mention scrubbing the wheel bead seating area with a stiff brush or a plastic pot scrubber or steel wool etc. in order to have a clean smooth surface to start with. I have often used a steel wire brush to clean steel auto wheels before mounting a new tire, but would not use a steel wire brush on an aluminum alloy wheel.
 
#11 ·
Fifth time is the charm - or how do you say it.

Changed the front tire and now it seated with a loud pop. This time I used the liquid soap quite liberally.

I had an almost new Dunlop in the front (came new with the bike) but to me it felt like it was giving away in the corners and I had already decided to change it some time. Encouraged with your answers I decided to do it today, and finally it went as it is supposed to. Now I have new Metzelers front and rear.

OlHoss, your thoughts are mine exactly, and indeed I have always cleaned the rim the best I could.
 
#12 ·
The loud "pop" is a good thing. Lots of slippery stuff on the beads is the way to go. Without it, friction can hold the bead against the rim in the wrong spot while you are airing it up, preventing it from seating properly. And I always clean any crap off the inside of the rim before installing a new tire. Just one more reason I change my own tires. A shop is not likely to be that meticulous about things. Jerry.
 
#14 ·
VN750Rider/Jerry is 100 percent on the mark. Also, DO NOT USE WD-40 ANYWHERE ON YOUR BIKE. Read some of the web info from my fellow pilots. Wd-40 is a penetrant, not a lubricant, and what it can do to aluminum is devastating. We spend a lot more time and money on our aircraft and safety than most bikers can even imagine, and WD-40 is simply forbidden unless your trying the cheap way to get past rusted bolts.

As for max air pressure when mounting...I usually press 60 PSI and then SLOWLY ride the bike for about a quarter mile to make sure it's totally rounded on the rim and then drop the pressure. Static max pressure is about 90 PSI before it gets dangerous. But 60 is about what most shops use to make sure it's set.
 
#21 ·
WD-40 is not a penetrent or I should say not a very good one. It is Water Displacement, hence WD and a cleaner. It doesn't contain petroleum, it is mostly Mineral spirts. It will not harm tires or aluminum. It is the best thing I've found for mounting tires and it evaporates, after mounting, where as soap will not.
 
#17 ·
Anything slippery will work, but petroleum products will damage rubber over time. Interesting comment about WD40 and aluminum. WD40 was originally designed as an aluminum preservative, for use on stored aircraft, to prevent corrosion. I am an auto mechanic, and use WD40 on almost everything. There are better (and more expensive) products for some uses, such as LPS#1 as a light lubricant, and Kroil as a penetrating fluid, but WD40 is a good all around temporary light lubricant and cleaner (I use it as a hand cleaner to remove grease), and also works great to remove moisture from electrical circuits. It is also a good metal preservative, which is what it was originally designed for. I use it on all my bikes and cars, and pretty much anything else made of metal. DO NOT use it on anything made of polycarbonate however, it will destroy that stuff, as will any other petroleum distillate. Jerry.
 
#18 ·
Gotta question related to the tire bead.......

All winter, I had a leak in the front tire which I presumed was in the valve stem or the bead. My tire would deflate at 1/2 way over night and lose the other half over the next day or two. I inflated the tire several times and never really found the leak. I think as the weather warmed up, I may have found it on a small section at the bead. (I was spraying windex on the bead and noticed a very small spot that appeared to be fizzing)

I pumped the tire up a bit past the normal inflation and rode it up to the local service station to have them re-set the tire on the rim. Got there and they could not find the leak on the stem or the bead. It has now been almost a week and there has been little to no air lost in the tire pressure.

The question.... can a bead simply re-seat itself from inflating the tire? I am pleased that it is not losing air anymore, but curious how it 'suddenly fixed itself.'
 
#20 ·
First of all, if your tire would lose half it's air overnight, that is a MAJOR leak, and should be easy enough to find with Windex, but if not, remove the wheel and put it in a bathtub full of water. There will be bubbles all over the place, and it will be easy to see where they are coming from. If it is the bead, I would break both beads loose, clean the insides of the rim on both sides, look for scratches and gouges, clean the beads all the way around, and look for damage to the bead. Minor damage to the rim can usually be sanded out. Then spray both beads good with Windex, and keep them soaked with Windex while reinflating the tire. The Windex will help make sure the beads seat completely, and are straight all the way around. Jerry.
 
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