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Faunsdale, AL | I’ll even mount the tire with the old tube if it’ll get the beads seated. If I don’t have any real need for a big bore valve stem, once I’ve got the beads seated, I can let the air out, unscrew the retaining nut and let the old tube fall into the tire before pushing a large size rubber tubeless stem into the rim hole with a blunt screwdriver. Helps to grease it up good with tire soap.
If I need or just want a big bore two piece stem in a tire, I can usually just push a small area of the bead off the rim and put the stem in from the inside. Again, leaving the old tube in unless I want it out. Have never seen that old tube flopping around inside to cause a problem.
It’s good to have a few different tubes around that I keep blown up with air to keep them from cracking. While they’ll last forever inside a tire they won’t do the same when exposed to air and light. They used to say keep away from electric motors but motors don’t have brushes any more, so no ozone produced from the sparking commutator. They still get cracks in a few years even if I keep them aired up and don’t let them fold and crack in the folds.
The biggest thing about the manufactured bead blasters is the quick release valve. Much better than a ball valve. I made my own out of half of an old “double barrel” RV under body style LP tank that had rusted through on one barrel. My only problem is it’s HEAVY which ain’t all bad when you open the valve, but the ball valve is slower than the instant open valves on the bought ones.
Tire paste is great as long as you keep moisture out of it. Lid snapped on tight or it’ll get slimy and won’t pack in the gaps. Still good for lube and small cracks but not the inch or more wide ones that resist all other methods.
Starting fluid is always my ace in the hole. One thing many folks don’t understand about starting fluid is you can put in so much that the mixture isn’t really correct for a fast burn. If it just burns slowly, blow that all out with compressed air and start over with less starting fluid. Air hose needs to be already connected to valve stem but not flowing air until you set off the ether and it whoofs. Then it must be flowing air or the beads will suck back in as the hot gas inside the tire cools rapidly. You can have an air hose ready to go with a standard air chuck and usually can catch the tire before it sucks back in, but a large bore air connection to the valve stem that you can turn on as soon as the beads touch the rim can make all the difference! I’ve seen the professionals hook up the air hose and just hold it with a crimp in it until they set the ether off.
Edited by ccjersey 3/25/2025 19:47
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Ag tire bead seater
