getting air into a small tire

fallon416 · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:03 am Post subject: getting air into a small tire

I had to replace the front tires on my lawn tractor yesterday and found a nice little trick for getting the air to seat the new tires. The tires are small about the size of a go cart tire. Getting them on the rims was easy. Getting the air into them was a nightmare. A friend at one of the tractor forums told me to sit the tire on a bucket that is just slightly larger than the rim and push down from the top while putting the air in. The air will back fill the tire from the rear side. It worked great. I used a 4 quart stainless steel dog bowl, pushed the tire down on it, plugged the axle hole, and it aired right up. Hopefully this will help someone who is fighting with a small tire that the shops can't handle.

Neil

Corm · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:22 am Post subject:

...plugged the axle hole...

I'm confused... What does the axle hole in the middle of the wheel got to do with airing up the tire? I must be missing something.

Corm

Lew Hartswick · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:00 pm Post subject:

fallon416 · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject:

Put the new tire on rim.

The tire is seated at the front side but not on the back side. No way to force the tire to seat on the back side. The tire is to far towards the center of the rim on the back side. The rim is a 6" rim with a 5/8" axle hole in the center.

Take the tire and rim and place it on a small bucket just slightly larger than the rim. The idea is to get air into the tire so that the back side of the tire pushes out and seats. If you force the air into the tire that is sitting on the bucket and do not cover the axle hole the air that is being forced in will come out the axle hole. That is the only place that the air can go considering the back of the tire is not seated and by closing off the hole in the axle you are forcing the air first to fill the bucket and then to fill the tire from the rear.

Neil

Corm · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 9:04 am Post subject:

OK, now it makes sense. Thanks

Corm

ligito · Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

I've also used bungies and tiedowns, to compress the center of the tread enough to bulge it out and allow filling.

cncguns · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:59 pm Post subject:

deadbodyman · Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 8:04 pm Post subject:

I had a real tough one on my lawn tractor someone put on a tire to narrow for the rim.At the shop with plenty of air it was no problem with a ratchet strap,but at home with a tiny little portapressor it was impossible,then I rememberd the fix a flat in the wifes car,I screwed the valve on and let it loose,WAHLA ,it worked ,I was amazed,its been a week now and its still up,I just might put it in all my mower tires

Wile E Coyote · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject:

One of the local motorcycle shops quoted me $100 to change a motorcycle tire that had fix a flat sprayed into it..

It makes a heck of a mess when you demount it..

I got a HF tire changer on a steel plate.. Do my own now.

Sex lube.. rub it around the bead.. the tire pops on so easy you'll wonder why you never did it like that before.. Don't ask a old biker why there is KY jelly around his motorcycle shop.. ok?? you might be scarred for life.. I also have a sentimental old dentist chair in there for taking naps in..

deadbodyman · Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 8:17 pm Post subject:

well, getting cash outa some people IS like pulling teeth.LOL but my repete customers always bring their own lube,theres a good selection for the first timers.I've heard the stories about fix a flat but its saved my azz more times than I can remember,especially when I did construction.Nothing worse than finding a flat tire at the end of the ten hour day and its getting dark.I still keep a can in all my cars even though AAA will come and fix it,sure worked on the mower though,I was impressed.Just some cheap stuff too

J. Randall · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:25 pm Post subject:

Fix-a-flat is great for an emergency, but it is water based and will rust the heck out of the wheel if left in. I hate going in to one that has had it left in.
James

deadbodyman · Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:09 am Post subject:

mattc · Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:09 pm Post subject:

I think most of the fix-a-flat stuff will dissolve in water so you can just wash it out after the tire is broken down but it will make a big mess on the tire machine that is used, that is why most shops get upset about it in tires.
I have an old center post tire machine that I change all my own tires on, I have a gallon of tire lube that I got at NAPA and I just keep a spray bottle if that handy.
that is a pretty neat idea for getting the bead to seat, my tire machine has a ring that blows air in right at the rim on the bottom to seat the bead, same principle for car tires but it wont work on small tires.

Junkman462 · Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 7:36 pm Post subject: Bucket trick

Putting the tire over a bucket is an interesting idea. I'll try it next time I'm struggling with a small tire. Wheelbarrow tires can be a particular problem, and it's hard to get a strap or rope around the circumference to stay put. Another tip is to always take the valve core out of the tire valve when trying to seat the tire bead, since it allows a larger volume of air to enter the tire. There is at least one brand of fix-a-flat type product that does not cause the rim to rust. You have to read the fine print to determine that. It may still, however, make a mess inside the tire. I've used a green goop ( slime?) looking product successfully in my wheelbarrow tire to seal the leaks.

mattc · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:11 pm Post subject:

I like slime for sealing tires, to me it seams to work the best but it also makes the biggest mess when you break the tire down

keithturtle · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:03 am Post subject:

Green slime works well, but after several years the tires always seem to fail in the sidewalls for me.

Or maybe it's just time for the tire to fail...

Turtle

deadbodyman · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:41 am Post subject:

I'll tell ya what... I getting sick and tired of having to pump up my mower tires every time I need to use it ,,,I'm to the point of filling the tires with expanding foam insulation that comes in a can I'm sure I can convert the hose from a can of fix a flat to it. Theres gotta be something

mattc · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:46 pm Post subject:

I dont think it would work to use that foam because as soon as you start putting foam in the tire there is no way for the air to get out so as soon as the tire reaches the same pressure as the foam going in, no more foam
may be if you removed the valve stem and use a long straw you could reach the back of the tire and start from there but if it does not work you would end up replacing the tire and probably the rim.

deadbodyman · Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:15 am Post subject:

I seem to remember someone telling me they use something in tractor tires that is very heavy but they dont go flat...(no air)

KIMFAB · Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:37 am Post subject:

For wheelbarrow tires those solid replacements can't be beat. Got mine at Northern Hydraulics but I've seen them at Walmart.
Having to fix the tire every time you use it gets old quick.

Sand Crab · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:49 pm Post subject:

As soon as I read this I dug out my flat wheelbarrow tire from the mess in my shop. Took me two tries, but it worked!! I hate fixing these small tires and don't even know who I could get to fix it. I'm too cheap to find out. Thanks for the tip! It's a keeper!

My wife says I try to do everything by myself. I take that as a compliment! No point in letting her know, though. I don't think she meant it as such!

Roland

deadbodyman · Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 9:09 pm Post subject:

Sand Crab · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 1:58 pm Post subject:

What worked? Sorry 'bout that.

I grabbed a large (10-inch or so in dia.) stainless cooking pot from the kitchen (yes, my wife was gone) and set it atop the workbench. Then I picked up the mounted tire and set it on top of the open mouth of the pot, valve stem side up.

Then, push downward on the rim so as to seat the bead on the valve stem side. You will be pushing the rim into the pot.

So, we have the back side of the rubber tire pushed against the rim of the pot, with the bead not seated on that side. We have the bead seated against the rim on the valve stem side (the top side) and we have the valve stem pointed toward the ceiling.

Push and hold the rim downward toward the pot and start filling the valve stem with air. The air can't get out through the top bead since it is seated, and can't get out of the pot because the pot rim is sealed against the backside of the tire. Hence, the air pressure expands however it can, expanding the rubber tire carcass to the point that the back side bead seats .

I ought to shoot something for youtube if this is still not clear. The whole process is pretty cool. It sure beats bungee cords, ratchet straps and plenty of bad words!

Roland

deadbodyman · Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:15 pm Post subject:

And skinned knuckles.It does sound a lot easier.Until my wife starts looking for her pot I forgot about.

Sand Crab · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:40 pm Post subject:

Thanks for reminding me. I'd better get out to the garage and get that pot before she misses it.....