Tires Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes

   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #1  

coffeeman

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Aug 7, 2005
Messages
891
Hi all

Got this flat front tire on front of tractor. The tire is sepearated from the bead so I can't air it up to see where the leak is. I thought I could plug the hole. So I started thinking and that is a bad move for me. I remember reading about someone seating the bead with starting flluid. Now I got a plan.

I lifted the tire off floor. I doused it down with the fluid. I had already cranked a strap around the tire to try and get the tire closer to the wheel. I threw the match in. A slight poof; then flames. The loose strap ends that I squeased the tire with caught on fire. They are nylon and burn fast. Also, the open tire was burning inside. All this in the garage in my house. I gotta tell you all; that burning strap and tire gave me a real start for about 2 minutes.

Here's a question? Can the tire be aired up without good tire equipment? I have it off the tractor now.

Cheers....Coffeeman
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #3  
Years ago i saw a man seat a tractor trailer type tire using ether.. it was sorta cool to watch him, but I dont think i would try that..

Can someone explain to me how that helps seat the tire? Is it the vacuum created when the ether is lit?

thanks

brian
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #4  
thatguy said:
Years ago i saw a man seat a tractor trailer type tire using ether.. it was sorta cool to watch him, but I dont think i would try that..

Can someone explain to me how that helps seat the tire? Is it the vacuum created when the ether is lit?

thanks

brian
Its pressure caused by the rapid heating of the volume of gas inside the tire as it burns. Actually a soft explosion that could go wrong and actually continue pressurizing the tire to failure after it seats if there is enuf combustible mix inside.
larry
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes
  • Thread Starter
#5  
SPYDERLK said:
Its pressure caused by the rapid heating of the volume of gas inside the tire as it burns. Actually a soft explosion that could go wrong and actually continue pressurizing the tire to failure after it seats if there is enuf combustible mix inside.
larry

I was just looking over the tire again. There is no bead to speak of in the rim. So the ether would have trouble seating tire.

There is a radio program: Car Talk. I listen to it sometime. Not long ago they had a riddle on fixing tires. A guy was driving through Mexico and got a flat just as he pulls into this old shop with a lot of junk cars around. The guy has no spare. There's a couple kids around. They have to fix the tire; no tire machine. So they break the bead away from tire and proceed to take the tire off the rim using tire tools and rubber hammer etc. They fix the tube and put tube back in. The kids ask traveler, "Do you have an air pump?" No air pump and they didn't have one either. The used to have one that was run by gasoline as they had no electric. But, it broke and they sold it. "Don't worry" , the kids said. "We''ll get it pumped up." The question was; How did they get tire pumped up?

Cheers.... Coffeeman
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #6  
The either way can be dangerous. I take a good size rope around the tire and start twisting it. Pull a crow bar in the rope to give you leverage and keep twisting. The tire will come up to the rim eventually. It has never failed me to date.



murph
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #7  
coffeeman said:
Hi all

Got this flat front tire on front of tractor. The tire is sepearated from the bead so I can't air it up to see where the leak is. I thought I could plug the hole. So I started thinking and that is a bad move for me. I remember reading about someone seating the bead with starting flluid. Now I got a plan.

I lifted the tire off floor. I doused it down with the fluid. I had already cranked a strap around the tire to try and get the tire closer to the wheel. I threw the match in. A slight poof; then flames. The loose strap ends that I squeased the tire with caught on fire. They are nylon and burn fast. Also, the open tire was burning inside. All this in the garage in my house. I gotta tell you all; that burning strap and tire gave me a real start for about 2 minutes.

Here's a question? Can the tire be aired up without good tire equipment? I have it off the tractor now.

Cheers....Coffeeman

I banned the explosive method in our shop. The guys were having too much fun and I was getting too nervous. We have an old forklift propane cylinder, happens to be aluminum. I fill it with 175 PSI. I have a 2" ball valve and a 12" piece of pipe that is sort of crushed at the end. I put the pipe up against the bead, have someone hold the tank and open the valve all the way. The CFM is tremendous and it works everytime so far. Of course if you use a pipe that isn't flattened and stuff a potatoe in in, then crack the valve...it's a whole new ball game :D .

They make these in a smaller version, you see them on ebay. Search for bead blaster, or something similar.
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #8  
coffeeman said:
"Don't worry" , the kids said. "We''ll get it pumped up." The question was; How did they get tire pumped up?
Cheers.... Coffeeman
Did they use a hose from a spark plug hole in an engine?
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes #9  
putting a rope around the tire and twisting it works well, but the last time I had to do a front tire that had come off(about a month ago) I used one of those straps with a ratchet type assembly; I think you have a lot more control over the process, because once you get the strap(or rope) tight you start putting air in, while holding onto the tire, and about now you need to grow a third hand. If you use a ratchet strap thing, you can tighten it nice and tight, and it stays there, I usually put a little dishwash detergent around the rim and bead, that helps to lubricate and make the bead slippery and slide around a bit better
simonmeridew
 
   / Front flat tire, It wasn't funny for a couple minutes
  • Thread Starter
#10  
JerryG said:
Did they use a hose from a spark plug hole in an engine?

You got it. I had to wait all week to get the answer. I couldn't figure out the solution. The car guys mentioned there would be a little gas also sent into the tire. OK though in an emergency. Lots of pressure can be pumped to the tire.

Cheers
 
 
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