"Air Cannon" equivalent for small tires.

[Russ from MN]

I just use a ratchet strap, works well for me, even on an 18x24 rear tractor tire!

 

[farmersamm]

Sounds like the old inflator chuck I use. Can't find a pic on the internet, have to take a pic later today of mine.

It's a long steel chuck that's threaded at the business end, BUT DOESN'T SCREW ONTO THE VALVE STEM. The thread is oversize, and only grabs the existing thread on the valve. The weight of the long chuck, hanging to one side sorta, keeps it in place as you fill the tire. It's a straight through design.......mainly a pipe I guess. No need to have the valve core in the valve stem.......it just blows air into the tire unrestricted.

This thing...........................

It doesn't screw onto the valve stem, the weight of the thing holds it on.

The threads only grab the threads on the valve stem. They're too oversized to actually screw on. I was, however, wrong about it being a straight through design..........it does have the button for the Schrader valve.

I dunno if you can even buy them anymore, and I can't recall where I got mine. It's a handy thing though. You can just run air directly into the tire. I like it better than the clip on style.

 

[Mule Meat]

Got to be careful blasting small tires with air straight out of the compressor. Remember you are putting around 125psi into a small soft space.

I have a smaller 3L Bead Bazooka that I use on smaller tires. It can hold up to 140 psi. But normally it only takes about 60 to 80 psi to seat a mower sized tire. Couple of things I like about the Bead Bazooka is it has a trigger instead of a ball valve. Having a trigger it makes it easy to use with just one hand. Kind of like shooting a pistol. It also is lighter weight than a lot of bead seaters which makes it easier to handle.

 

[da.bees]

This reminds me of when mini-bikes came on the market. Tire stores wouldn't take the tires in for repair because there is no way to hold wheel while mounting and dismounting tire. We put a long bolt through a 3' long 2x12 to secure wheel.

 

[NDIHC]

I use a bucket of Murphy's tire mounting compound. Pack it between the bead and rim and air the tire up. Then wipe off the excess after the bead seats so you can reuse it.

 

[farmersamm]

Mine is similar to these................

Standard Bore Lock-On Air Chuck 14"

www.haltec.com

The thread is 1/4", while the valve stems are 3/16" thread. It basically just hangs onto the valve stem thread.

 

[glennster]

heres my set up with the recapper plug and valve core tool. i dont care for the rachet strap method, they can fly off and put a hurt on you

 

[MM-TX]

In my tire mounting post over on the Garden Tractor forum, I kvetched about not being able to get the tubeless tire bead over the step in the rim so it would take air.

I'm aware that on automotive-sized tires, an "air cannon" is used to blast the bead onto the rim.

Got to thinking, there must be an equivalent way to do that on lawn tractor sized tires. It occurred to me that I could make an adapter from air hose to valve thread and just whack the ball valve on the air tank open to pop the bead up over the step.

Then my other brain cell stopped by for a visit and it occurred to me that such an obvious solution must already be out there somewhere. It is...

Milton S-731 M style recapper plug

New lawn tires that have been compressed to ship won't always ratchet strap to come close enough to the bead to air up. The last ones I got came strapped and collapsed in on the tread looking like a pretzel and no amount strapping would force the bead out. Straight through chuck can't overcome an inch gap.

If @Mule Meat 's trick of short 2x4s doesn't work ( it wouldn't have worked on mine since the problem was the dished in tread area ) and you don't want to use an explosion ( I don't ). An air cannon will work on small tires as well as big tires. I have an air cannon that always works in the country but didn't want to wait. Local tire shop used their air cannon and charged me $5 each.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

In my tire mounting post over on the Garden Tractor forum, I kvetched about not being able to get the tubeless tire bead over the step in the rim so it would take air.

I'm aware that on automotive-sized tires, an "air cannon" is used to blast the bead onto the rim.

Got to thinking, there must be an equivalent way to do that on lawn tractor sized tires. It occurred to me that I could make an adapter from air hose to valve thread and just whack the ball valve on the air tank open to pop the bead up over the step.

Then my other brain cell stopped by for a visit and it occurred to me that such an obvious solution must already be out there somewhere. It is...

Milton S-731 M style recapper plug

I recommend coating it well with Ivory bar soap, it's cheap and works for me. gm

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Isn’t there some technique where you pour something flammable/explosive in there then toss a match? Sounds fun and dangerous and might even work.

Acetylene and dangerous if you use too much, but it works. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

Years ago all the local garages had a Red nylon or some fabric covered round rubber tube they wrapped around the tire and blew that up. Worked like a charm. Wish I had one but haven't seen one for a longtime.

 

[Jim.ME]

Years ago all the local garages had a Red nylon or some fabric covered round rubber tube they wrapped around the tire and blew that up. Worked like a charm. Wish I had one but haven't seen one for a longtime.

They are available, if you really want one.

 

[Mule Meat]

I recommend coating it well with Ivory bar soap, it's cheap and works for me. gm

Lube is not the problem. And at times can be a hindrance.
The problem is. Most mower tires are shipped compressed so tight that the tires beads nearly touch. Once mounted on the rim you need to expand the sidewalls far enough apart that the beads grip the rim to be aired up enough to seat the beads on the rim.

The starter fluid trick rarely ever works in this situation. About the only thing that does work is to introduce a large amount of compressed air all at once into the tire with enough force to expand the sidewalks rapidly..

I like to use a lock on air chuck with a trigger so that I can keep air flowing into the tire with one hand while I hit it with the bead seater with the other. And never let off of the air chuck until the beads seat.


Edited to add..
One of the reasons I like to put tubes in my small equipment tires. Makes it easier to mount them and they rarely go flat from sitting unless you get a hole in one. But a lot of people do not cotton to the idea of spending an extra $10 on their mower tires. So you do what you gotta do.

 

[showcrop]

I just use a ratchet strap, works well for me, even on an 18x24 rear tractor tire!

My experience has been that a strap works well on larger tires but not so much on smaller ones.

 

[Ray,IN]

This thing...........................

View attachment 165688
It doesn't screw onto the valve stem, the weight of the thing holds it on.

View attachment 165692View attachment 165694
The threads only grab the threads on the valve stem. They're too oversized to actually screw on. I was, however, wrong about it being a straight through design..........it does have the button for the Schrader valve.

I dunno if you can even buy them anymore, and I can't recall where I got mine. It's a handy thing though. You can just run air directly into the tire. I like it better than the clip on style.

Bought one about 8 yrs ago, mine is 16" length, used to add air to inside dual tire in my case.

 

[Fawteen]

The problem is. Most mower tires are shipped compressed so tight that the tires beads nearly touch. Once mounted on the rim you need to expand the sidewalls far enough apart that the beads grip the rim to be aired up enough to seat the beads on the rim.

Edited to add..
One of the reasons I like to put tubes in my small equipment tires. Makes it easier to mount them and they rarely go flat from sitting unless you get a hole in one. But a lot of people do not cotton to the idea of spending an extra $10 on their mower tires. So you do what you gotta do.

Exactly. Chinese rubber tires don't help the situation either.

 

[Alvin 41]

In my tire mounting post over on the Garden Tractor forum, I kvetched about not being able to get the tubeless tire bead over the step in the rim so it would take air.

I'm aware that on automotive-sized tires, an "air cannon" is used to blast the bead onto the rim.

Got to thinking, there must be an equivalent way to do that on lawn tractor sized tires. It occurred to me that I could make an adapter from air hose to valve thread and just whack the ball valve on the air tank open to pop the bead up over the step.

Then my other brain cell stopped by for a visit and it occurred to me that such an obvious solution must already be out there somewhere. It is...

Milton S-731 M style recapper plug

Can't just wrap a bale string around the tire to expand it to rim ?

 

[Fawteen]

Can't just wrap a bale string around the tire to expand it to rim ?

Nope. Tried that, center crushed, sides didn't move.

 

[Jim.ME]

Takes advanced planning but stick the tube in the tire and blow it up to stretch the tire. Set it in a warm place or the sun for a while. Deflate and remove the tube, mount the tire. Same idea as Hobo's 2x4s.

 

[olddavid]

For passenger car tires I used to use a length of rope around the center of the tread and put the tire iron in the loop and twist it tight. It helped some. The tie down strap will also help. The 2x4 trick helps especially on new tires. It's still a fight somethimes.