[AT] How to seat the bead on lawn tractor tires?

[Bob Brooks]

Matthew;

I cheat and bring them to a tire shop.  I have a Copar Panzer that my 
son is restoring, and that's were the rims will go to get the new tires 
put on.

Bob

Matthew wrote:

>I just got a pair of old lawn tractors (Ariens Emperors) and the tires are 
>pretty dry rotted on them.  These things are built solid as a rock so I am 
>in the process of restoring them back to running condition.
>
>I put a new rear tire on one of them, and it turned out to be a most of the 
>afternoon project.  Getting the old tire off, and the new one on was easy 
>enough.  Getting the bead started was the fly in the ointment.  
>
>I started with crossing my fingers and hoping that my compressor would 
>blast it hard enough to get both sides to catch.  Not a chance.
>
>Next, I tried a ratcheting tie down around the center to pull the beads out.
>This looked like it was going to work, but you reach a point (before the 
>bead starts to catch) where pulling the center in starts to pull the beads 
>in too.
>
>Next, the pyro in me came out and I tried the gas trick.  I have had good 
>results with this on car and cycle tires, but there is something bout the 
>fat little tires that keeps it from getting a good pop..  
>
>I resorted to beating on it with a mallet for a while.  It did no good, but 
>I got some aggression out.
>
>In the end I got it, with a rope around it, and a bunch of sticks to twist 
>the rope with.  As soon as the bead would start to cave in someplace, I would 
>loosen the whole thing up and stick a stick in that place and start over.  3 
>or 4 sticks later and I was able to get just enough air in to get it to seat.
>
>Once it is that far, you are home, but what a long, drawn out trip it was.  Is 
>there an easier way to get these things to seat?
>
>--Matthew
>
>
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