Topic: Mounting Tire Hints

[BenelliSEI]

If you mount your own tires, you know they often arrive taped together and tightly wrapped. In the past, some manufacturers slipped in hard cardboard spacers to keep the sidewalls spread apart. My Dunlop K70’s (S/C Project) didn’t have any...... When they arrived, each set of tire beads where almost touching! This makes it very difficult to stuff in the tube, when the tire is 1/2 on the rim. Inserting these pieces of scrap plywood opens the tire back up. It’s hanging in the furnace room (warm), until the wheel is built.

Any hints you want to share?

[PeWe]

Thanks for the good hint!
I'll try it next time.

[MauiK3]

I leave mine in the sun to warm up, not hard to do here in paradise:-))

[Tracksnblades1]

In the flyover bread basket, and when baby powder
wasn’t deadly. We use to powder the inside of the new
Tire. Powder the new tube or preferably the old tube.
Put the tube in the new un mounted tire and inflate the tube a little.
Or at least till it worried you a bit..Time is your buddy now.
Wait a day or two and mount your new tire…

[Alan F.]

Dump some powder into the tire and slosh it around well while rotating the tire to coat all areas, then dump out the excess and use it to powder the tube by hand. Insert tube into rim and give it a few psi.

[BenelliSEI]

Keep your “spoons” clean and polish out any nicks or scratches.

I cut old windshield washer jugs up into strips. The plastic is great to slip in between the spoons and the rims, to protect the rim. That plastic is slippery and virtually indestructible! Use only the same number of strips as you have spoons. Make sure you have them all when finished. I can tell you (from experience) the tube won’t last long if you leave one in there.........

[PeWe]

My tire irons had a square shaped tip I grinded more rounded to avoid pinching the tube which happened more than once so I had to fix it.
One tube was OK for over a year. I saw the marks after the tire irons corners.

Polish the tire irons surface another thing. It was a harsh molded surface no good for rim.

The rim protection could not always be used.

Really bad that the tire irons cant be perfect from the very beginning.
Maybe not made with tube wheel in mind.

[Alan F.]

I cheated and bought a no-pinch tire tool. I got this one:
eBay item number: 313618981128 eBay links seldom work so just search for the item number. It works on the same principle as this one: but it's cheaper, heavier and poorly made in comparison. With 2 'Bead Buddies' it's simple as can be to mount tubed tires.

[PeWe]

I ordered front and rear tire today so the tire hints are well timed
I'll use the small balancing kit I bought after last time.
Will order weights for spokes, not messy ugly glue on rim version.
Try with nuts first fastened with wire and tape on a spoke where needed, probably other side of the valve.
When good use a scale and find how heavy weights to order.
Alu rims so not that visible weld as the stock rims have.

[CaseyH]

ordered a set from Fortnite and arrived nicely with the spacers.
Tubeless for my little 500 Ninja project so that will make them easier to set after install

[Tim2005]

One useful thing I've made for mounting tyres is a wheel stand- I took an old rear wheel rim and welded 4 legs onto it, with a few cross-pieces to add strength and provide a central mounting point for a spindle, then I cut open a length of rubber hose lengthwise and fitted it over the upper side of the rim. Now I just drop a wheel onto it and can change the tyre without all that kneeling on the floor

[ekpent]

One useful thing I've made for mounting tyres is a wheel stand- I took an old rear wheel rim and welded 4 legs onto it, with a few cross-pieces to add strength and provide a central mounting point for a spindle, then I cut open a length of rubber hose lengthwise and fitted it over the upper side of the rim. Now I just drop a wheel onto it and can change the tyre without all that kneeling on the floor

I work off the floor on some 4x4 pieces of oak wood. I find my knee or foot comes in very handy getting some of the bead in. Big +1 on trying to warm the tires before mounting especially in the colder temps. My wood burner stove has come in handy during some winter projects warming up the rubber. Definitely makes the old tires come off more easily also.

[Bankerdanny]

The 2nd best benefit I got from my MotoGuild membership years ago (after access to a fully stocked heated shop) was use of the pneumatic tire machine. If I ever finally get to build a fancy shop for myself I will definitely try to track down a used one.

[Stev-o]

The 2nd best benefit I got from my MotoGuild membership years ago (after access to a fully stocked heated shop) was use of the pneumatic tire machine. If I ever finally get to build a fancy shop for myself I will definitely try to track down a used one.

No doubt.  One of my buddy's has one, I have a couple tires that need to be mounted  [the K4 & the Z1] so I will just bring him the wheels and he'll do it for beer money. Win/Win!

[CaseyH]

one down one to go

[grcamna2]

ordered a set from Fortnite and arrived nicely with the spacers.
Tubeless for my little 500 Ninja project so that will make them easier to set after install

Casey,have you run those Kenda tires in the past ?

[HondaMan]

If you mount your own tires, you know they often arrive taped together and tightly wrapped. In the past, some manufacturers slipped in hard cardboard spacers to keep the sidewalls spread apart. My Dunlop K70’s (S/C Project) didn’t have any...... When they arrived, each set of tire beads where almost touching! This makes it very difficult to stuff in the tube, when the tire is 1/2 on the rim. Inserting these pieces of scrap plywood opens the tire back up. It’s hanging in the furnace room (warm), until the wheel is built.

Any hints you want to share?

Sorry, but I just had to say this: I broke out laughing (loudly) when I saw what is being called a "K70" tire today!

[70CB750]

I leave mine in the sun to warm up, not hard to do here in paradise:-))

Yup, same here.  I use Shinkos exclusively and sometimes I have to seek big honking compressor to seat the bead.

I mount my jeep tires too - bike tires are easy 

Edit:  I have only comstars to deal with now  - tubeless.  I really dont miss messing with tubes but for Dorothy I used baby powder everytime.

[ekpent]

 Nothing worse then going through all the work of taking off an old tire and mounting a nice fresh new pretty one and then realizing the arrow is going in the wrong direction !  Sure I am the only one here who has experienced that pain. If it does happen it makes you much more careful in the future to never do it again. 

[70CB750]

Nothing worse then going through all the work of taking off an old tire and mounting a nice fresh new pretty one and then realizing the arrow is going in the wrong direction !  Sure I am the only one here who has experienced that pain. If it does happen it makes you much more careful in the future to never do it again. 

No, you are not the only one 

Guilty

[PeWe]

Have not done tire in wrong direction, only wheel flipped wrong in tire!
It is rather easy to fix direct when the new tire is soft and has the tire assembly lube.

I do not like:
Wrestle with the old tire that do not want to release its grip of the rim. Even when one side is out.
This without scratching the rim......

Easy on -off type of tire is one good parameter.

[Bankerdanny]

When I put the new rear tire on my first 550 back in 2011 I punctured the rear 2 twice. I ended up having to reuse the original 1977 tube because the new one was damaged beyond repair the 2nd time.

[BenelliSEI]

Nothing worse then going through all the work of taking off an old tire and mounting a nice fresh new pretty one and then realizing the arrow is going in the wrong direction !  Sure I am the only one here who has experienced that pain. If it does happen it makes you much more careful in the future to never do it again. 

No, you are not the only one 

Guilty

+1 on that!

[grcamna2]

I leave mine in the sun to warm up, not hard to do here in paradise:-))

Yup, same here.  I use Shinkos exclusively and sometimes I have to seek big honking compressor to seat the bead.

I mount my jeep tires too - bike tires are easy 

Edit:  I have only comstars to deal with now  - tubeless.  I really dont miss messing with tubes but for Dorothy I used baby powder everytime.

I prefer tubeless on a tubeless applicable rim;have you ever tried a tubeless tire(special application)on a spoked rim?

[70CB750]

I leave mine in the sun to warm up, not hard to do here in paradise:-))

Yup, same here.  I use Shinkos exclusively and sometimes I have to seek big honking compressor to seat the bead.

I mount my jeep tires too - bike tires are easy 

Edit:  I have only comstars to deal with now  - tubeless.  I really dont miss messing with tubes but for Dorothy I used baby powder everytime.

I prefer tubeless on a tubeless applicable rim;have you ever tried a tubeless tire(special application)on a spoked rim?

No, but Red's Comstars are not marked tubeless and I have to use special bolt in valves. Technically the 78 SS wheels were suposed to use tubes.

I know people did tubeless on spoked rims, there is some kind of a band to use - or duct tape afaik.

[grcamna2]

I leave mine in the sun to warm up, not hard to do here in paradise:-))

Yup, same here.  I use Shinkos exclusively and sometimes I have to seek big honking compressor to seat the bead.

I mount my jeep tires too - bike tires are easy 

Edit:  I have only comstars to deal with now  - tubeless.  I really dont miss messing with tubes but for Dorothy I used baby powder everytime.

I prefer tubeless on a tubeless applicable rim;have you ever tried a tubeless tire(special application)on a spoked rim?

No, but Red's Comstars are not marked tubeless and I have to use special bolt in valves. Technically the 78 SS wheels were suposed to use tubes.

I know people did tubeless on spoked rims, there is some kind of a band to use - or duct tape afaik.

I wonder how those tubeless tire kits work on spoke wheels? The mid 80's Honda 450 Rebel has special spokes and rims that are tubeless:I like'em and would like them in the sizes for mine.

[PeWe]

Make sure that the tire is pressed down into the deeper part of the rim when bending the last part.
Professional tire wrestlers have a tool pressing it down.

Here enough with just a little.

This tire has a red dot.

[BenelliSEI]

+1 to what PeWe says above. I use a couple of the plywood scrap bits in my first post photo, to hold the bead down in the  “valley” opposite where I am pulling the bead over the rim.

If you look closely in PeWe’s last photo, you will see a raised line on the tire sidewall, just above the edge of the rim. When you are finished and inflated, make sure that line appears consistently around the rim. If it disappears below the rim at any point, deflate, break the bead in that area, lubricate and try again. Get it perfectly even, all around.

[PeWe]

Now after balance check.
I had to rotate tire for better balance.

So, dot at the valve is very dependent on the wheel too I suppose.
Most pros that had done my tires before did not bother about the dot.


I should have checked the balance before mounting the tire and maybe been able to place tire better from the very beginning.

[BenelliSEI]

Once my wheel and disc assembly are built, I’m going to wrap the tube (slightly inflated) on the assembly and then see where the heavy spot is. The Dot will go there…..

[PeWe]

That must be the way!
Marker pen on rim before forgetting where the heavy spot is

[Don R]

 That tire tool is amazing, I also polished my harbor freight tire spoons, bought rim savers and also previously cut up plastic coffee cans to make rim protectors.
  Lol on toxic baby powder, and they wonder why folks don't trust big pharma.

[CaseyH]

ordered a set from Fortnite and arrived nicely with the spacers.
Tubeless for my little 500 Ninja project so that will make them easier to set after install

Casey,have you run those Kenda tires in the past ?

I just noticed your post
This is the first time I tried them.
The size I needed was only available in the Kenda brand.
I have not had them before.
They look and mount great.
Proof is only going to be after the 2 feet of snow and winter loses its grip on us in Ontario.
I hope to take it for a few rides and then sell it.
At 6'5" and 250lbs I look a little funny on smaller bikes.
Casey

[grcamna2]

I've had very good results using Murphy's Tire Bead Lube,whether the rims are tubeless or tube type.The product needs to be spread around the inside edges of each tire bead and it will allow the bead to seat nicely when first filling the finished tire with about 40-50lbs air pressure to 'seat the beads'.I do this with the valve core removed for maximum filling volume,then re-insert the valve core after the tire seats fully:you'll hear a 'snap' on both sides.  The next time you watch a tire man install an automotive tire,you'll see what I mean.
BenelliSEI/John has mentioned in reply#27 that the sidewalls have a line all around the bead of the tire on each side which needs to be evenly seated the same way all the way around.

[PeWe]

Lots of tire lube is a must when mounting tire and the trickier, tire off.

Ensure that the tire sides will be free from rim, pressed together into center where rim is deeper so rim can move so tire can be lifted easier.

I have struggled too much when not lubing enough when trying to get the tire off the rim.
Risk to scratch the rim when finally go berzerk....

[dave500]

i have full size truck tyre irons,do em with a beer in hand.

[ekpent]

And if your doing a tire lets say on a new project and it has a steel rim and a very old tire be prepared and have the tools ready to try and get all the old rust slag off on the inside of the rim   I use a wire wheel on the end of my corded drill with some good safety googles. Don't forget to have your new rim strip handy also.

[PeWe]

I noticed that new D.I.D rims had very sharp almost burrs where it was welded together and grinded very rough.

I grinded the sharpest off and sprayed with the paint I had that matched,  engine paint.

Surface much smoother, no risk for tube even if most is covered by the rim rubber band.

I should paint old rims with rust inside after wire wheel massage.