resetting a bead tricks

[travel dodge]

I need to reset the bead of my supper swamper for my plow truck. I have always heard it can be done with starting fluid and I also have seen (on youtube) useing a rachet strap around the center of the tire tread a filling it with air from a compressor. any tips for my first try..

I should not of let it come off the rim but it has a very slow leak and it had not snowed in awhile. I guess it was more flat then I thought and it came off the rim. The tire looks fine to me the bead is intacted as far I can tell. There are a few scuffs in the side wall but the walls must be 1/4" thick. I had to work tonight and my girl said she would drop it off at BIG O tire for me. She said the guy looked at it told it was unrepairable but they could order a new one.. I can't see any problems with it at all. I feel they were just trying to take advatage of a girl with a supper swamper... If it does work I will besure to call and tell them to let them know how I feel..

 

[Grim Reaper]

Yep the starting fluid trick does work but you need to get a Air hose with a clamp on chuck. As soon as the tire pops on the bead you need to start pumping in air or the tire will suck off the bead when the air cools.


Ratchet strap is a lot safer but no where as much fun.

 

[SEREvince]

I've reseated multiple beads with just my ARB compressor and clip on chuck as well as my on board CO2 with a regular chuck. Never needed a strap or starter fluid. I've only tried this on 35" and smaller tires. The only difference with a larger tire should be the amount of time you need to run the air.

I alway do it with the tire on the vehicle still, not sure how that would change ops.

Jack up truck so the tire clears the ground.

Clip on chuck or have someone else hold the air on.

Push, pull or prod the tire somewhat close the correct position and wait for that nice "pop" sound of the bead reseating.


Thought I had some better pics, guess not. Pretty simple though. This is the set up, I hooked up the chuck and was on my way in no time.

Cheers

Vince

 

[4x4freedom]

resetting beads

Hello,

I've found that most of the time you can reset beads quite easily as mentioned above without the use of ether. With the tire off the truck, and a good high pressure compressor you can just "work" the tire around the bead while filling and most of the time she should start to catch and fill. If not the ratchet strap works really well (in fact one of the best "tools" to have on the trail IMO). Ether - while fun, is not that reliable a method, and not too practical on the trail, unless you carry some that is....

Here are some pics of our last tire moment on the Mog. Oh - and if your tires are the right size for your rim width, it should be quite easy.

http://www.4x4freedom.com/swift.htm

Good luck,
Tim
www.4x4freedom.com

 

[crawler#976]

Odd as it may seem, I carry a can of foaming window cleaner in the truck, specifically for slicking up a tire bead. As mentioned a ratchet strap is handy - almost a necessity in my estimation. I used a 2" cargo tie down strap with a huge ratchet.

I spent the last few years in the rock crawling segment of the OHV crowd. Hence, I've worked with more than a few popped beads. I carried a CO2 tank for that reason alone. The CO2 regulator was set at 120PSI, and with a 3/8" ID hose delivered a huge volume of gas. Beads went back on very easily on tires ranging from 35's to 42's.

I haven't had the opportunity to try and re-seat a bead with my ViAir 400 yet. I'm somewhat skeptical that it will have enough volume to do the trick. Now that I'm back to running small tires (32's), and carrying a full sized spare, it may be a while (yeah, there I went and put the Murphy whammy on myself with that one) before I do need to reseat a tire.

Mark

 

[ntsqd]

If you do try the ether method it is very important that you spray some in a line on the ground as a "fuse." You don't want to be too close when the fireball erupts. I know a couple who've lost all of their facial hair (& more) from this antic.

 

[BigAl]

I've found you can leave the tire on the truck as long as you jack it up so the tire is not touching the ground. Use a wet rag to make sure the wheel and bead are clean, 2-3 second spray of starter fluid in the tire. Spray some starter fluid on the wet rag, light the rag and throw it at the tire. Pops right on. I did 2 this past weekend on a snow run. We were running <6lbs and trying crawl thru snow covered rocks

 

[UK4X4]

The main issue with re-seating a bead is the contact between bead its self and the rim.

If you use a low volume air system, you will need to strap the tire to get some seal

If you have a high volume air system and a large bore hose...it works

If you use the explosive detonation method....just use a little fluid....stand well back and wear eye protection...

I prefer the later for show effect...:jump:

 

[Grim Reaper]

I've found you can leave the tire on the truck as long as you jack it up so the tire is not touching the ground. Use a wet rag to make sure the wheel and bead are clean, 2-3 second spray of starter fluid in the tire. Spray some starter fluid on the wet rag, light the rag and throw it at the tire. Pops right on. I did 2 this past weekend on a snow run. We were running <6lbs and trying crawl thru snow covered rocks

Re-seating beads, yeah on the truck is the way to go. Pulling off a muddy tire brings the suck and as long as its not packed full of mud no point in taking it off.


Last one I did I managed to catch a valve stem on a chunk of tree and rip it off. By the time I had even realised I done it the tire was off the bead.

Got out and looked for the gash in the tire I was sure I had with how fast the tire went down. My buddy I was following backed up to me and got out to see what happened. We saw the missing valve stem and we both grinned, looked at each other and said "ether"!

Buddy yelled for his wife to time us.


His wife got on the CB told the rest of the group of about 8 trucks we had a flat. They all start unloading to come watch the tire change figuring it would be 15-30 minutes depending on how much talk about how we should take care of the problem was involved.

I keep a stem removal cap on a spare valve stem for airing down so it was in the center console.

Buddy has a York converted for on-board air and ports on both ends of his truck and a 5gallon tank. My Hilift was right on the back of the truck easy to get at.

We had the truck off the ground in about 3 minutes just as the crowd gathered.

With the bead rolled already I was able to put the new stem in without any trouble.

Buddy was waiting with the air hose and ether in hand by the time I had the stem seated.

Quick shot of either dropped the hose on the valve and threw a match at it.

BOOM! it was on the rim.

15 psi on the gage and yank the hose off

Kicked the truck off the jack and throw it on the back where it mounts as the last spectator came up from the back.

Was sitting in the truck waiting for all the spectators to get back in there trucks.

Event from the time we got Deb (buddies wife) to start timing us till we were ready to roll was just a hair under 7 minutes.

:wavey:


Dangerous as hell but it was fun! unk03:

 

[travel dodge]

4x4freedom, sweet mog, what year and model is it
Grim Reaper, I can see that being a fun time

I am off in the AM so I can get it going again thanks everybody for the tips

 

[RoundOut]

Lighter fluid or Ether - Safety first?

Heck yeah, I'd love to watch someone do this, it sounds really fun to see.

BUT, because I've never seen it done, it sounds dangerous as all heck. Why would someone not take the tire off the truck when doing this? The tire, or something close to it in the fender well or near by (read: fuel lines, etc.) could so easily catch fire, then burn up the truck? Maybe I'm a whuss, but I just can't imagine having to explain to my wife why my money-pit has just been totaled because I was too lazy to take the tire off the truck.

Also, does it matter whether the rim is aluminum or steel? The fire/explosion/rapid oxidation of that accelerant has to be hot!


.

 

[BigAl]

Heck yeah, I'd love to watch someone do this, it sounds really fun to see.

BUT, because I've never seen it done, it sounds dangerous as all heck. Why would someone not take the tire off the truck when doing this? The tire, or something close to it in the fender well or near by (read: fuel lines, etc.) could so easily catch fire, then burn up the truck? Maybe I'm a whuss, but I just can't imagine having to explain to my wife why my money-pit has just been totaled because I was too lazy to take the tire off the truck.

Also, does it matter whether the rim is aluminum or steel? The fire/explosion/rapid oxidation of that accelerant has to be hot!


.

It is really less of a "boom", it is more of a "woomph", then it's all gone. It is not really that violent, but you are probably right, the safer thing would be to remove the tire from the truck. The safest thing would be to call AAA.

 

[jim65wagon]

It is really less of a "boom", it is more of a "woomph", then it's all gone. It is not really that violent, but you are probably right, the safer thing would be to remove the tire from the truck. The safest thing would be to call AAA.

Hey Al, since you are quite the pyrotechnic genius, perhaps you could arrange a demonstration at Monongahela this year...

 

[BigAl]

Hey Al, since you are quite the pyrotechnic genius, perhaps you could arrange a demonstration at Monongahela this year...

If by genius you mean that I still have all my fingers and most of by natural eyebrows, then yes I will have my jeep w/air, so we could do one.

 

[jim65wagon]

If by genius you mean that I still have all my fingers and most of by natural eyebrows, then yes I will have my jeep w/air, so we could do one.

Just don't forget to shave your head so the camp doesn't smell like burnt hair this year...