How to seat a flattened tire

#1
I buy my tires from Royal distribution, the duro ones, fit well on the Db30. The only problem is they ship them completely flat, they squish them down, and is almost impossible to open them up, let alone get them on the tire. I got it onto the rim, but I cant seat it because it just flattens itself out around the rim of the tire. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know, thanks.
 

jeep4me

Active Member
#5
Wrap a ratchet strap around the outside of the tire. Connect the ratchet hooks together and tighten the strap up until it looks like the bead is touching the rim all the way around. Start filling the tire with air until the bead seals. Loosen the strap an continue to fill with air.
 

CarPlayLB

Well-Known Member
#6
I flatten mine out the best i can, tie a rope around the, and twist with a big screwdriver. However, i would like video of the combustible version!
 

T-Town Mini

Well-Known Member
#7
Strap it like jeep4me says and, you might also remove the valve core from the valve stem to allow maximum air flow in order to seat the bead.


Hibdon Tires beaded some tires for me for free. I managed to get the tires on the rims but was unsuccessful in beading them due to the distortion as you described. So, you might try your local tire shop. :smile:
 
#12
I buy tires from Summit. They're always squashed flat. I bought a tube at tractor supply for like $6. I put the tube in the flat tire and air it up until it's bulging. Then set it in the sun for awhile. Let the air out then mount the tire on the rim. Sometimes it still needs the ratchet strap but usually after the sun baked stretch it works just fine. Back in the day I used starting fluid to seat beads. It works but you never get used to it
 
#13
yeah on a chinese tire youre taking your chances blowing it up like that . A good ol american carlisle or goodyear would never arrive flattened. ofcourse theyre all crap now so youd have to buy used
 
#17
For my front brake install, I put a tire on a rear wheel and I used the starter spray method! Boy, the tire went POOF and seated in the blink of an eye after the spray was lit...


Whoever discovered this back in the day is a genius!! It most likely isn't obvious to most people that the tire would react that way to starter fluid burning around its bead....
 
#18
We do all our own tire work on the farm and when a tire is stubborn and will not seat, we use the starting fluid method. We have used starting fluid on tires ranging from small motorcycles to truck and even tubeless tractor tires that are 6 ft tall. We spray a little inside the tire and continue the spray away from the tire right on the ground or shop floor. With the air hose hooked up to the valve, we just throw a match or use a small torch to light the fluid trail on the ground. It is a heart thumping moment when it expands the tire, especially if we have put more in than we needed! It is better to use less the first time and if the bead does not seat, to increase the amount for the second try. Of course I am not telling anyone to do this themselves:laugh:
 
#19
I would second the tube. I go off road often and like the thicker slime tubes. We have these stupid straw liike sticks and if they catch the tire just right they and make a small hole, but they dont seem make it thru the tube; if they would get thru the tire and tube , the slime would fill the hole, and not get all inside the tire.
Also i dont need 60 lbs of pressure to pop the tire to the rim to fiil it up with air. Just a simple cigarette adapter air pump will fill the tube and tire quickly.
Lastly if for some cray reason you hit somthing hard it wont knock the tire flat. I actually knocked a dirt bike tire off the rim.
 
#20
Wrap a ratchet strap around the outside of the tire. Connect the ratchet hooks together and tighten the strap up until it looks like the bead is touching the rim all the way around. Start filling the tire with air until the bead seals. Loosen the strap an continue to fill with air.
Good advice! I used a ratchet strap and wd-40 as bead lubricant with success this weekend for a valve stem replace and tire remount on a rear wheel for a Baja MB165. I used a bicycle pump to refill and then release the ratchet strap when bead mounts, and finish filling with air.
 
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