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cajunfj40 · 05-30-2017, 09:10 AM

Something to add to this useful thread: re-seating and re-inflation.

To help in getting air to fill the tire and hopefully seat the beads properly, wrap a ratchet strap around the OD of the tire in the approximate center of the tread, and cinch it down pretty good, then monkey the tire around enough that the bead touches the rim all the way around. Cinch more if needed to help hold it in place. It'll help spread the sidewalls out and hold the tire bead against the rim well enough to hold air. Now you can use a regular air pump to re-inflate the tire. With soapy rims/beads and softish sidewalls this ought to work well. I've mostly used the trick on lawnmower tires, etc.

It also worked on a 31x10.5R15 Big O Radial AT tire that I got a sidewall cut in while off-road. The group I was with had a guy who was really experienced changing tires and he made quick work of demounting, patching, and remounting the tire. The sidewalls were so soft on that tire that he just "spun it on the rim" without any tools. He commented that it was the easiest tire he'd ever mounted. I believe we used the ratchet strap method on that tire. A different tire off another truck at another time, they used the "flammable spray inside the tire and toss a match" method. Foomp! Note: do *not* fall for the temptation to put your finger over the valve stem to try and catch the escaping pressure. You'll burn your finger (gases are hot) and if you did get the valve stem in the tire would just shrink back down and suck itself off the bead again as the expanded gas cooled off.

(Yes, I know you are not supposed to patch a hole in the sidewall of a tire. We did it anyway, it held, and I drove another ~15,000 miles on that tire. It was not the one that had a sidewall blowout at 65mph.)

Other method to break beads on tires: Use a jack under the frame of the truck to push down on the tire by the bead. Repeat as needed to get enough spots busted loose that you can work on the tire.

05-30-2017, 09:10 AM	#10 (permalink)
cajunfj40 Lurking Eco-wall-o-texter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: MPLS, MN area Posts: 128 Thanks: 0 Thanked 65 Times in 45 Posts	Re-inflation tip Something to add to this useful thread: re-seating and re-inflation. To help in getting air to fill the tire and hopefully seat the beads properly, wrap a ratchet strap around the OD of the tire in the approximate center of the tread, and cinch it down pretty good, then monkey the tire around enough that the bead touches the rim all the way around. Cinch more if needed to help hold it in place. It'll help spread the sidewalls out and hold the tire bead against the rim well enough to hold air. Now you can use a regular air pump to re-inflate the tire. With soapy rims/beads and softish sidewalls this ought to work well. I've mostly used the trick on lawnmower tires, etc. It also worked on a 31x10.5R15 Big O Radial AT tire that I got a sidewall cut in while off-road. The group I was with had a guy who was really experienced changing tires and he made quick work of demounting, patching, and remounting the tire. The sidewalls were so soft on that tire that he just "spun it on the rim" without any tools. He commented that it was the easiest tire he'd ever mounted. I believe we used the ratchet strap method on that tire. A different tire off another truck at another time, they used the "flammable spray inside the tire and toss a match" method. Foomp! Note: do not fall for the temptation to put your finger over the valve stem to try and catch the escaping pressure. You'll burn your finger (gases are hot) and if you did get the valve stem in the tire would just shrink back down and suck itself off the bead again as the expanded gas cooled off. (Yes, I know you are not supposed to patch a hole in the sidewall of a tire. We did it anyway, it held, and I drove another ~15,000 miles on that tire. It was not the one that had a sidewall blowout at 65mph.) Other method to break beads on tires: Use a jack under the frame of the truck to push down on the tire by the bead. Repeat as needed to get enough spots busted loose that you can work on the tire.