tire not beading up to rim

Two stroke

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Aug 12, 2018
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BC Canada/ Portland Oregon
so ive tried the ratchet strap trick and everything is lubed... I had better luck withought it! one side has sat up (beaded) nicely to the rim, and about 90% of the other side is good too... short of the starter fluid trick, whats the part im missing? How do yall do it in the bush?? Once again, I thank you for your support!
 

steve68steve

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Oct 23, 2014
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Seacoast, NH
I had a MT 07 Dakar that I fought with for 2 days before giving up and taking it to a tire place. They bead blasted it. Done in less than a second.

Good luck. That's a frustrating problem.
 

RCinNC

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If you mean that 90 percent of the one bead is seated, then try bouncing the tire on the 10 percent side that isn't seated while you're filling it. Did you pull the valve core out of the tire before you tried seating the bead? If you're 90 percent seated on one side, then a good application of RuGlyde to the unseated part should be enough. Try pushing the unseated part a little bit closer to the center with your hand, and then try lubing the part of the rim that had previously been covered by the tire. What pressure are you reaching in the tire while you're trying to seat it? Is it warm enough in Oregon right now to set the tire out in the sun for a while and warming it up? Or maybe a space heater placed close enough to the tire to warm the carcass? A warm tire is way easier to seat.

I know how frustrating it can be, but I've managed to seat the beads on my tire changes (including a Mitas E07) using lots of RuGlyde, a warm tire, and one of those cheapie WalMart 12 volt compressors you keep in your trunk.
 

4jranch

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May 11, 2014
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Brenham, Texas
I was working to get a bead set yesterday on a KLR 650. Putting tubeless tires on with tubes on a bike without a tubeless rim. I guess the bead and side walls are different. Ended up deflating the tire and putting saddle soap around the contact area where the tire would not seat. Then inflated to 85 PSI before the bead finally set. Pain in the butt, but it finally worked.
 

Cycledude

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Rib lake wi
I had trouble seating the bead on a Goldwing tire once. The reason was apparently the tires were stacked on there sides pretty high somewhere before they were shipped to me and that narrowed the space between the beads. What I wound up having to do was take the tire back off the rim and use some wood blocks to spread the beads over night, the next day when I remounted the tire the beads sealed fine.
 
R

RonH

Guest
If the tire is 90% on then the bead should be seated enough to allow the tire to hold air and seat with added pressure. I used to have this problem years ago when I was still using soap as a lube. It could take close to 100psi before some tires would pop on. Now using nomar lube, all tires pop on with under 20psi, even the E07 Dakars I put on a few weeks back. When you have a situation like cycledude mentioned, where the tire is too narrow to even begin to seat is where the ratchet straps, lighter fluid, bead blaster techniques may be needed.
I just mounted 4 truck tires 235/85-16 on stock 6.5" wheels and I swear the tires were 3" wide at the beads. Tying to get to seat on 6.5" wheels took some creative measures. Motorcycles are easy normally, but must use correct lube, not soap.
 

RCinNC

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I used to use dish soap too when I first started changing tires, and there would be times when the bead just wouldn't seat and I'd have to lug the tire down to a garage to use their air compressor. I switched to RuGlyde a couple years ago, which is actually cheaper than dish soap. I bought a gallon of it for about 11 bucks at NAPA, and it'll last another couple years probably. Since I started using that, the tire goes on the rim easier, and I've been able to get every bead to seat just using my cheapie 12 volt compressor.

Lubricant and a really warm tire are the two keys to changing a motorcycle tire, which means that trying to change one this time of year by hand can really suck.
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
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Jun 20, 2015
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Ventura, CA
So is it sealed (i.e. holding air) and just not fully seated or is part of the bead still open? I've never had any luck getting the beads to seal, let alone seat, using a small 12V compressor - just not enough flow. If it's the former problem (sealed but not seated) I think the ratchet strap is working against you, in the latter case where you can't achieve a seal, try a larger compressor like at a local service station or tire shop.
 

steve68steve

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Oct 23, 2014
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Seacoast, NH
So is it sealed (i.e. holding air) and just not fully seated or is part of the bead still open? ....
Well questioned - this is the reason for the varied answers.

When I had my problem, my compressor was putting out a 100+ PSI from a 40 gallon tank and it wasn't fast enough. Like Cycledude, my tire had taken a "set" with the beads too close together (and sidewalls too stiff) for my compressor pushing air thru a 3/8" hose. Trying to spread those beads apart inside the rim isn't about pressure, it's about volume. You need to get a whole lot of air in there FAST.

Failing that, you have to figure out some mechanical way to spread the beads, which ultimately might end where it did for Cycledude - take it back off and try and counter the way the beads are set too close together.
 

patrickg450

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Jun 20, 2012
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Memphis TN
if it is holing air at 80 PSI mount the joker and take it for a ride. Obviously be careful but it will heat up and get soft. If you have a portable comp take her with you. I have seated a few tires using starter fluid and a Mapp Gas Torch. Yea it can be risky but be smart, have the valve stem out so it will blow some air out after she pops on, try not to do it on carpet or near a stack of old newspapers. Other than that it is kinda cool....I saw it on Mega Machines. The ice crawlers kept busting beads cuz the air was so low to get traction. And it was cold as heck up there.


Good luck
 

madman4049

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Sep 10, 2018
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Northwest Louisiana
Use windex not dish soap and spray generously, dish soap stays slimy windex doesn't and put your compressor up past 100 should should pop on each side and then done. I just replaced mine a few weeks ago put Pirelli Scorpion Trail II's on.
 

Two stroke

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Aug 12, 2018
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BC Canada/ Portland Oregon
If you mean that 90 percent of the one bead is seated, then try bouncing the tire on the 10 percent side that isn't seated while you're filling it. Did you pull the valve core out of the tire before you tried seating the bead? If you're 90 percent seated on one side, then a good application of RuGlyde to the unseated part should be enough. Try pushing the unseated part a little bit closer to the center with your hand, and then try lubing the part of the rim that had previously been covered by the tire. What pressure are you reaching in the tire while you're trying to seat it? Is it warm enough in Oregon right now to set the tire out in the sun for a while and warming it up? Or maybe a space heater placed close enough to the tire to warm the carcass? A warm tire is way easier to seat.

I know how frustrating it can be, but I've managed to seat the beads on my tire changes (including a Mitas E07) using lots of RuGlyde, a warm tire, and one of those cheapie WalMart 12 volt compressors you keep in your trunk.
20181025_132949.jpgyes sir!!
Got a gallon of Ru Glide (12.99$ @ napa) and talked to her nicely, and voila!
Mitas E07 front
Pissy little compressor
Nozle needs valve to operate
Thank you for you're insights...
If anyone local to me wants a Masson jar of this Ru Juice, I have more than enough!
 

Two stroke

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Aug 12, 2018
Messages
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Location
BC Canada/ Portland Oregon
Have your air pump ready. Spray some starter fluid in the tire. Light it, it will seat but you have to add air or it will cool and unseat. Try to be careful.
I know the trick from rimming semi wheels... I've seen those things come up to eye level once the match finally made .
So from one crazy fuker to an other, I thank you for your encouragement
I had a MT 07 Dakar that I fought with for 2 days before giving up and taking it to a tire place. They bead blasted it. Done in less than a second.

Good luck. That's a frustrating problem.
 

RCinNC

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Aug 30, 2014
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North Carolina
I'm really glad it worked for you, Two Stroke. There are few sounds more satisfying than the two loud "pings" of a bead seating on a tire that you changed yourself. Tire changing by hand was one of the more satisfying maintenance tasks I learned to do, probably because so many people said it was so hard to do that you might as well take it to a shop.
 

richarddacat

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Jan 27, 2015
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574
Location
Tennessee
All of my issues with seating a bead have been from a pissy little air compressor also.....and using cheap lubes.

I upgraded recently and gave my PLAC to my son who will never do such a task.
Also found that NoMar’s paste lube makes the job easier.

I’ll be putting my big boy compressor to the test before too much longer.
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
I have not had the honor of seating a tubeless motorcycle tire. If I have issues I'll just use my C02 cartridges and Yamaha spray lube.
 
R

RonH

Guest
Also probably been mentioned, but you need an open air chuck, or at least a chuck that will supply air with the valve core removed. Trying to fill through the valve core is really limiting the air flow. I have something in the range of 6 different chucks that I can put on, and once checked how long to fill a 235/85-16 truck tire, and I don't remember exact specs, but for sure the core increased the inflate time about 3x regardless of the chuck. Faster you add air the better to seat tires.
 

RCinNC

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I've had some tires that were fighting me a little when I was trying to seat the bead. You could tell by the bubbles from the lubricant that there was still some air escaping, and the compressor wasn't quite able to push enough air to overcome the resistance of the tire. To ovecome it, with the compressor attached and running, I sat the tire upright on the ground, dipped a small paintbrush in the RuGlyde, and touched it to the point where the tire was touching the rim. Capillary action would pull the lubricant around the circumference of the tire. Sometimes that momentary water seal that was created by the lube would be just enough to get the tire to move a tiny bit towards the bead channel, which was enough to make a better seal and finish the job of seating the bead. More than once, that's solved the problem.
 
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