"Air Cannon" equivalent for small tires.

[Fawteen]

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

 

[Mcrafty1]

I doubt you could get the amount of air pressure through a standard size air hose needed to 'pop' the tire onto the rim, the 'Air Cannon' you speak of has a much bigger pipe from the tank to the wide mouth outlet for the air to escape from the tank and into the tire to 'pop' it into the rim. Jmho, I don't see that happening through a stand air hose. I might add that I've been wrong before and may be this time but I'm willing to be schooled by others.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

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

You're thinking in the wrong direction.

Build a vacuum chamber & suck it out, onto the rim.

Mike

 

[Fawteen]

You're thinking in the wrong direction.

Build a vacuum chamber & suck it out, onto the rim.

Mike

Uhhhh...couple of problems with that.

1. Bead isn't on rim, therefore massive leaks, therefore no vacuum.

2. Even if it was air tight (in which case there wouldn't be a problem in the first place) it'd collapse the tire, not expand it.

I'm guessing yer pulling my chain?

 

[MarkB_MI]

I just wrap a ratcheting cargo strap around the tire and tighten it up. No problem to get the bead to seat with a regular air chuck.

 

[olddavid]

I have fought those before and at least once gave up and got an inner tube for it. The small ones are difficult. Pulling the Schrader guts out of the valve will sometimes help. And of course, dish soap on the beads.

 

[560Dennis]

Smaller racket strap has worked for me on fronts and rear tire of my Garden Tractors . I have not done a lot ,so tri ribs on a cub cadet 1000 was the hardest I remember .

 

[glennster]

I use the recappers plugs when mounting tires. They work good. Amazon has them. I tried Napa but they could not get them. Get the valve core tool that looks like a small screwdriver. When the bead pops up, you can un couple the air hose and install the core right thru the recappers plug.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Uhhhh...couple of problems with that.

1. Bead isn't on rim, therefore massive leaks, therefore no vacuum.

2. Even if it was air tight (in which case there wouldn't be a problem in the first place) it'd collapse the tire, not expand it.

I'm guessing yer pulling my chain?

Yessir!

Though it could be done....

For example....

Building up a chamber for the wheel (bonus points if it is Lexan, etc.), porting the valve stem to the atmosphere & putting a valve on that. It should.... in theory (he he).... draw outside air rapidly into the tire, causing a jet & use the atmospheric exchange to expand it onto the rim, after evacuating "X" amount of lbs from the chamber.

After some thought, I don't know that I have enough coffee & chalkboard to figure this one out.



Mike

 

[showcrop]

I put new wheels and tires on my big Ferris a few weeks ago. I took them to a friend's shop and got them blasted with the same tank they use on 22.5 truck tires.

 

[chuckthin]

I finally just gave up trying to fix the thin bald faced front tires and put green slime in them.
Now I can see a whole lot of little green dots all over them and just smile.

 

[RedMF40]

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.

 

[a49deere]

I just take stuff to my local tire shop!! No fuss, No cuss.!

 

[Hobo,NC]

Maybe this will help ya the next time. I keep a bucket of different length 2X4's. I wedge the new tire open then place it in the sun are near a heat source. Most of the time this opens the tore up enoufh it beads up without a problem. In the last few weeks I built a small tire changer I been to busy to try it out. I patterned it after this one.

Tire changer

 

[farmersamm]

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.

Starting fluid

LIttle back story about this.

I was at the tire store, and some young guys were trying to mount what appeared to be a baler tire. Big flotation tire.

They tried "the trick", and they put too much in there, and the stuff actually caught fire after it popped. As it burned, it ignited the bead on the tire.

These guys just stood there and watched it, until one had sense enough to slap the fire out with a shop rag.

I was out the door at that point.

I'm assuming these young scientists probably mounted the tire eventually..............I'd hate to be the owner of that baler.

 

[Keith True]

I used the 3 gallon air can on the 8 inch tires on the front of my Wheelhorse,no problem.It has a narrower bill on it than the 5 gallon blast tank I have.Years ago I blew them on with ether,like everyone else did around here.I learned how to do it,and got used to it,but never did like it.

 

[farmersamm]

I too am a fan of the ratchet strap method for small tires. Just make sure to center it on the tire. K'kins ratchets while I hold it centered.

Another thing that SOMETIMES works is packing the crack with tire mounting goo. On occasion it will hold air long enough to push the bead out. But it's not a usually successful means of doing the work.

I have a bead blaster I use on large tires............I'd assume it would work on small tires, although I've never tried it. Probably be fine if you just charged the tank up to maybe 50lbs.........not the full 100lbs.

 

[miangus]

I have been using the recapper chucks for years, a couple of bucks on Amazon. They allow you to put air directly into a tire without the valve in the stem. If you ask at most auto parts places they don't have a clue. Another handy item that I use is the one-man brake bleeder screws. The local auto parts place thought I had lost my mind.

 

[farmersamm]

I have been using the recapper chucks for years, a couple of bucks on Amazon. They allow you to put air directly into a tire without the valve in the stem. If you ask at most auto parts places they don't have a clue. Another handy item that I use is the one-man brake bleeder screws. The local auto parts place thought I had lost my mind.

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.

 

[Fawteen]

I tried the ratchet strap trick...actually a piece of rope and a stick, tourniquet-style. No joy.

Maybe this will help ya the next time. I keep a bucket of different length 2X4's. I wedge the new tire open then place it in the sun are near a heat source. Most of the time this opens the tore up enoufh it beads up without a problem. In the last few weeks I built a small tire changer I been to busy to try it out. I patterned it after this one.

Tire changer

That might've helped, that tire was stiffer than a June groom.

I have the Harbor Freight small tire changer, works pretty good most of the time. Worth the $39.95 or whatever I paid for it anyway.