unable to reset tire bead on 13.6x38 tire

[Sutton]

I have a tractor tire 13.6 x 38 with a 10 inch rim and has a tube. The tire is over 20 years old, went flat and lost the inner bead seating. the outer bead is ok.

I am trying to reset the inner tire bead to no avail. It seems the inner bead has shrunk and won't get up on the lip (about 2 feet won't pop up on lip).
I've tried soap, silicon lubricate, up to 30 psi, pry bars, deflate, reflate etc.
The tire says "BLEMISHED" on the side wall. Would this be why it won't seat? Maybe it is because the tire is so old and is not elastic anymore?
Maybe it is to cold (50 degrees) and needs to get heated somehow?

Anybody have any experience with this type of problem?

thanks,
Sutton

 

[Dmace]

Try putting a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire and tighten it as much as you can to help push the lip towards the rim and try the air. If not, the only other way I've been able to mount large tires is with a little starter fluid.
How to inflate a tyre with a can of WD-40 - YouTube

 

[SSdoxie]

Is the rim still on the tractor? If so turn wheel so that part of the tire that won't seat is at the top then lower the tractor to put slight squat to the tire, to push tire up square with the rim. Tire could be cocked a little on the rim.
If the wheel is off on the ground stand it up and try it.
Use plenty of lube on both tire and the rim and if rust on the rim, wire brush it off.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Try putting a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire and tighten it as much as you can to help push the lip towards the rim and try the air. If not, the only other way I've been able to mount large tires is with a little starter fluid.
How to inflate a tyre with a can of WD-40 - YouTube

The tire has a tube, the starter fluid trick won't work. Well, I shouldn't say it won't as I have never tried it with a tube but I don't think it would be a great option.

Personally I would run the tractor a little and limber the tire up. Then deflate and reinflate if the tire didn't seat itself during you running it around the driveway and property/road. I had this issue with a 18.4-34 and it worked for me.

 

[Sutton]

The tire is still on the Tractor and is 7 ply with 12" rim. (not 10"- my bad)


Thank you for the responses and it is great to talk to someone that even knows what I am talking about.
The tire is sort of weather checked but no cracks, has good amount of tread (over half). I estimate it is around 25 years old.

I have pryed the whole inside bead off the lip and as Dennis suggested landed it on the inside bottom portion of the tire, I even put wood spacers around the bottom to space the tire off the lip. The tire did shift up somewhat but even with pry bar I could not get the bead up on the lip (tire deformed). The tire is really hard and not flexible. I even dropped the tractor off the jack from about 6 inches, 4 times. (thinking if I can get that part of the tire on the lip maybe the other part of the bead would snap in under pressure).
Dmace, I will try running around if it doesn't work then I think I might have to wait until summer or heat the tire and then run it around, try anything.
Dereck, I will look at u-tube and see what the wd40 does, of course this tire has a tube, if it resorts to that I will move the tractor farther from the house and dig a hole to jump in when I ingnite it. Just kidding....

Thanks,
Sutton

 

[Soundguy]

robert and SS are giving you good advice for that tubed tire.

you can also polish the rim in the bead / seat area and put some paste tire soap onit ( or grease ) and then air up enough to keep it from damaging hte tube or rolling off the casing and run around the road / pavement.. then air up and let set.

I've remounted tons of old hard tires that the bead didn't seat, untill a day or two later on a lubed bead.. and just popped on while not looking. puttin the off section at the top is a good idea..

 

[Doppelgangar]

I am asuming that you have a cleen bead.

Lube the tyre and rim with dish washing liquid. that is the stuff you put in the sink and not the stuff you put in the Automatic dish washer.

Pump the tyre to the 30 lbs or even 35. While flat on the ground were the beed hasn't poped back a bit more dish washing liquid and water (about 50/50 ) and then hit the side wall of the tyre with a big malet (wooden or rubber)

warning: doing this will get you covered in the lube when the beed pops back on. You cloths are now ready for washing as no soap will be needed.

Other soaps that can be used is plain hand soap (cake) Rub on boath surfaces and add watter when poping tyre.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I know I cannot seat the inside bead on these tires as one would do with a car tire. (found that out the hard way) I only did this 2 times both on the old farmers John Deere up the street. These were 38" rims. The way he taught me was to first put the upper lip of the tire onto the rim and behind the rim flange. Next I came down and seated the left part of the tire and then the right part of the tire and then the bottom. He kept reminding me by saying, "put the iron first at the west, then the east and do the south last. There was no sliding of the tire iron around the rim. We then put the tube in and then seated the outside wall. Everything just kind of fell into place by prying the tire iron at those 3 locations. Might work for you if you hadn't already tried it this way.

The way I read his post is that the tire is already on the rim now and inflated, just one small section of the bead hasn't set which happens occasionally.

 

[Soundguy]

The way I read his post is that the tire is already on the rim now and inflated, just one small section of the bead hasn't set which happens occasionally.

same way I'm reading it too.

I'd even try the tire hammer after lubing with soap too.

whatever it takes.

just did tires on my farmall C and they were a pITA.. but not as bad as on the 850 ford..

 

[Sutton]

Ok, hope everyone hasn't this cough, going back out to try new ideas, will hold off on the explosion part.

Yes, the unseated bead is at the top, even by prying i can't even get the bead up on the lip. maybe I will put spacers on the bottom and drop it off the jack with about 5 psi or 10 and see if the top bead will get on the lip, then if I get the deformed tire part on the lip,remove the spacers, then pump it up to 35 psi (using dishwasher soap, yes i cleaned the lip all around)
Then wait for the tire to seat tomorrow or next week or this summer.

Nice to be retired, can make my own problems now.

Thanks again,
Sutton