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

[George Willer]

Larry,

I think you've just been lucky.  You haven't had to inflate  a 12 ply tire
that has sat flat for a few months on a loaded dozer trailer that's in a
position that makes jacking or removal impossible.  (within 3" of a wall)
You haven't lived until you've inflated one of the badly distorted stiff
ones.  No amount of strapping or sealer or other gadgets will help.  That's
the time to learn about the ether method.  It saved the day.  A gentle
"whump" and it was ready to inflate.

George Willer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry D. Goss" <rlgoss at evansville.net>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'"
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2004 5:54 PM
Subject: RE: [AT] How to seat the bead on lawn tractor tires?


> I used to have those problems before I discovered that bead sealer takes
> most of the work out of that job.  On occasion, I need to use some sort
> of rope or ratchet hold down or what have you to expand the bead a bit,
> but the liquid bead sealer bridges across the gap well enough that I
> just don't seem to have to fight that problem any more.  Maybe I've just
> been lucky.
>
> Larry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Matthew
> Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2004 7:57 AM
> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> Subject: [AT] How to seat the bead on lawn tractor tires?
>
> 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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