How to inflate tubeless tires

Front tires on my lawn tractor are flat....how do I inflate them without having to take the tires off...?Beer 4U2

 

stay in, someone on another board reminded me, you need a "cincher" - basically a belt around the tire dead center (from side to side) on the tread - they make one that you inflate and it crushes the center of the tread down toward the rim, so the tire's beads are forced out toward the rim so the air doesn't escape out as fast as you pump it in - i think one of those ratchet straps (cargo straps) will do the job just as well - you might need two - one strap might not tighten down far enough, so after you've taken it down with one, while that one is still tight, a second strap will take it the rest of the way

hope that makes sense

 

What Larry said. Clean the rim bead and run some dish soap around the lip of the tire first. If they still go flat, install a tube.

 

Take a 3/8" rope and wrap it around the tire, make one criss-cross knot leaving a small amount of slack. Take a long screwdriver...not some cheapie but a stout screwdriver or similiar, and place between the tire and rope and start turning the screwdriver like you are knitting, tightening the rope on the tire.

Before you start tightening, take some rope and wrap around the rim right at the bead that's open. You may need to take the tire off and step on one side to seat the opposite bead but may not.

The rope on the bead will make the air harder to escape. Take the valve core out and inflate with air, once the bead grabs, give it a bit more air and release the rope around the bead first before the rope around the tire.

Works everytime.

 

I am attempting to mount a 4 inch tire back on the rim
after installing a tube. The back side goes on fairly
easily but the front side is subborn. If I had some
powerful hands I could force it on, but lacking same
how can I get it on the rim. Clamps do not seem
work either.
John

 

silicone oil works much better than water/soap mix in lubricating metal to polymer or metal to rubber friction points, incredibly better

when i had some 18" wheels with low profile tires, real low profile, the mechanics i used to work with did not want to mount em as they're tuff, major pain
when i went over, they showed me one, on the tire machine, it was straining to get 3/4s of the way around the rim on the second bead, and wouldn't go past

we backed it off, applied some silicone oil, and the tire iron/rod literally flew around the rim

this was an older snap-on tire changer, not the newer gen changer made for the current gen 18/19/22" rims

before you put air in it, wipe the bead and rim off with a rag wet with gasoline

if you leave silicone on there, it will not dry out for 6 to 8 years, and will let the tire spin on the rim, if it were a braking (stopping) wheel, or spin under load when trying to make it up a hill

we didn't do it on my car, and first time i had to stop short (VW R32), the car moved 6 ft from where the wheels had locked up and there was no squealing from the tire on asphalt, the tire had "rolled" while the rim stayed locked.

had to take em off the car, let all the air out, break the beads loose from rim, and clean before re-airring them

but you won't believe the assist silicone will give you

 

ONLY If you have an open space and no children around ,.........

Go to the auto parts store and buy a can of "Starting Fluid"....lightly spray around the rim diameter of the wheel... Remove the valve core....and toss a match at it....The explosion will seat the beads instantly.. After they are seated, wait for the tire to stop Venting (This is why you took the valve core out) replace the core and air them up.

I just got a free lawn tractor, after the owner decided he didnt want to pay someone to replace the tires.. I had them aired up and rolling in less time than it took to take it off of the back of the truck...

 

I just got a free lawn tractor, after the owner decided he didnt want to pay someone to replace the tires.. I had them aired up and rolling in less time than it took to take it off of the back of the truck...Then felt bad about it , so I sold it back to him for what I paid for it

Now... all jokes aside....

ONLY If you have an open space and no children around ,.........

Go to the auto parts store and buy a can of "Starting Fluid"....lightly spray inside the rim diameter of the wheel... Remove the valve core....and toss a match at it....The explosion will seat the beads instantly.. After they are seated, wait for the tire to stop Venting (This is why you took the valve core out) replace the core and air them up. If they still go flat, and arent severely dry rotted, Get a bottle of TIRE SLIME for lawn and garden equipment or ATV's. It may be a bit Pricey ,but ....The stuff works AWESOME.

 

knows how to prepare a fine dinner, including being able to selct the correct wine, and is extremely proficient in the use of small arms AND explosives!!

 

Techmically it is a large PUFF, and not and explosion....
If you forget to remove the core from the valve..the tire will "Overshoot " the rim , and then it becomes an explosion.

The Fine wine was a choice between GASOLINE and the starting fluid...the gas didnt work all that well...

I was extremely skeptical of the theory when it was explained to me, but after seeing it done, I cursed at spending all these years fighting with Lawn and garden tires.....

I know......It sounds "Super Redneck" , but it does work...

 

A Redneck will "Git-R-Done", it is amazing how people with some "inventiveness" get put down because they have to "make do". I'll take a Redneck any day, cause I is one. Have a good one. Geo

 

Well.... Up here in these here parts, we GIT R Done......I is a Redneck two......

Now if I lived in the big City, I would have called it "Ghetto Tire Installation"
All in fun.....And as long as it gets done and no one gets hurt.. No harm done......

 

Go get a set of pry bars..the cheapies at Sears work fine, I use the ones about 10-12", and a vise-grip locking plier.

Don't crank down on the rim but snugly clamp the vise-grip on the bead, then use the prybar to seat the bead a little at a time, using a silicone spray works great to lube the bead. The vise-grip will keep the tire from constantly rotating around the rim.

 

Why not put a $7.00 tube in it & be done with it...Than you won"t care why or how it's going flat & probably cheeper than the tire slime stuff,,,, Sorry,,, Just a thought... Roger

 

I was too afraid to try the "explosion" method , so I went with the cinching and it worked! First, I applied some silicone spray and wiped it around the inside of the rim where the tire beads. Then I wrapped a bungee cord around the middle of the tire, and wound a screw driver on each side of the tire until the middle had pulled in, pushing the tire onto the edge of the inside of the rim. I had to move the screw drivers a few times to get the tire close enough to the rim on all sides. Once I had done this, I was able to inflate the tire.

Note: I also used a high pressure inflation tank, so there was enough pressure to push the tire out. I set the pressure above 100psi. This may not work with a lower pressure pump.

Thanks for the simple but brilliant idea! Happy spring!