"Air Cannon" equivalent for small tires.

[a49deere]

$10 at the local tire shop and you're done!! No fuss! No cuss!! Or is it the machoism factor that no tire is going to beat me?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Saw a tire guy once put enough Murphy’s compound on the tire he more or less created an air dam anywhere he had a leak on glopped another handful. It works pretty “slick” we had an old super single on a wagon the cheetah wouldn’t quite seat and it worked with me just with a normal chuck valve core still in. I think dad about fell down when he saw it work

Pick the extra up and back in the pail it goes. Tire gets a quick bath checking for leaks

Sometimes the little ones can be more of a pain than the big ones though

 

[scootergmc]

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.

Them're facts about shipped garden tractor tires. I had a set arrive as you described, band clamped compressed tight as could be. After everything we tried had failed- starting fluid, straps, clamps, air cannon, chucks of all sorts, etc., we finally took it down to Les Schwab and I expected to get bent over for the mounting job. Well, they took it as a challenge after seeing the tires, tried a couple different things and it finally took three guys with air cannons spread 120 degrees apart with a generous amount of tire lube and the most air I've ever seen flowing into a rim all at once. The newbie kid they put on the air chuck had to move fast once it inflated. It was nice of them to let us in the bay to watch the whole ordeal. Slow evening for them as well. No charge.

 

[MM-TX]

Them're facts about shipped garden tractor tires. I had a set arrive as you described, band clamped compressed tight as could be. After everything we tried had failed- starting fluid, straps, clamps, air cannon, chucks of all sorts, etc., we finally took it down to Les Schwab and I expected to get bent over for the mounting job. Well, they took it as a challenge after seeing the tires, tried a couple different things and it finally took three guys with air cannons spread 120 degrees apart with a generous amount of tire lube and the most air I've ever seen flowing into a rim all at once. The newbie kid they put on the air chuck had to move fast once it inflated. It was nice of them to let us in the bay to watch the whole ordeal. Slow evening for them as well. No charge.

That’s pretty funny. The guy that made mine seat is a one man shop. He had a special snout on his cannon ark shaped about 14 inches wide and only 1 inch tall opening. Maybe home made.

 

[Fawteen]

$10 at the local tire shop and you're done!! No fuss! No cuss!! Or is it the machoism factor that no tire is going to beat me?

A. No local tire shop. 20 mile minimum one way and those crooks will bend you over as soon as you walk in the door.

B. $10 will get you a dirty look and directions to the exit.

C. The "real" (as opposed to boutique) tire shop up the street - dirty, smelly and cluttered - is right out straight and I wouldn't bother them with my little problem. I save them for REAL issues like full-sized tractor tires.

 

[MarkB_MI]

$10 at the local tire shop and you're done!! No fuss! No cuss!! Or is it the machoism factor that no tire is going to beat me?

Many tire stores flat-out refuse to mount tires they didn't sell.

 

[Mcrafty1]

Many tire stores flat-out refuse to mount tires they didn't sell.

True that here in my area, however most service stations and repair facilities are happy to oblige and that's were I head when I have tires that the local tire store didn't sell me.

 

[Wdj]

A. No local tire shop. 20 mile minimum one way and those crooks will bend you over as soon as you walk in the door.

B. $10 will get you a dirty look and directions to the exit.

C. The "real" (as opposed to boutique) tire shop up the street - dirty, smelly and cluttered - is right out straight and I wouldn't bother them with my little problem. I save them for REAL issues like full-sized tractor tires.

I'll add D. It's Saturday evening, tire shops closed and I need it NOW!

 

[Fred Werring]

I've used starting fluid over the years.

A few things:

The tires/wheels are held down so they can't fly off when the fluid ignites. I've got a Harbor Freight manual tire changer I use on bigger tires, and a piece of 1/2" all thread bolted through my steel workbench for small lawnmower size tires. These setups also allow me to stand off to the side rather than over the top of the tire when I light it off.

YOU DON'T NEED MUCH FLUID!!!! I've watched some of these yahoos on youtube, and they're spraying waayyyyy too much in there. Which is why they're in a youtube video when things go sideways. If you don't get a seal on the first try, give it a couple minutes to make sure there's no little sparks in there when you try again.

Use a grill lighter, keep your fingers out of there.

Remove the valve core. It'll still seat, but usually allows enough air through as things cool down that it won't suck the bead back off the rim. I've got an open chuck I can use if the core removal isn't enough.

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

I've let tires sit out in the sun for a couple hours to soften up, that can help.

 

[a49deere]

True that here in my area, however most service stations and repair facilities are happy to oblige and that's were I head when I have tires that the local tire store didn't sell me.

I guess I should have clarified "tire shop"!! Around me, they don't care as long as you pay!!

 

[a49deere]

Many tire stores flat-out refuse to mount tires they didn't sell.

That's why I said tire shop, Not tire store!

 

[a49deere]

A. No local tire shop. 20 mile minimum one way and those crooks will bend you over as soon as you walk in the door.

B. $10 will get you a dirty look and directions to the exit.

C. The "real" (as opposed to boutique) tire shop up the street - dirty, smelly and cluttered - is right out straight and I wouldn't bother them with my little problem. I save them for REAL issues like full-sized tractor tires.

I can remember a while back I commented about doing something mechanical myself at home in the shop. I got a comment that "Your time is worth money, so factor that in. I'd rather spend my time doing something I want to do" I guess that doesn't apply here!!

 

[MM-TX]

A. No local tire shop. 20 mile minimum one way and those crooks will bend you over as soon as you walk in the door.

B. $10 will get you a dirty look and directions to the exit.

C. The "real" (as opposed to boutique) tire shop up the street - dirty, smelly and cluttered - is right out straight and I wouldn't bother them with my little problem. I save them for REAL issues like full-sized tractor tires.

Given all that - If you don't want to spend for an air cannon or try explosion ( I never have and probably never will ). Buy cheap tubes on Am..zon, put them in. When they go flat your tires will be reshaped normal and putting back tubeless should be easy.

It only doesn't work because the new small tires have an exaggerated shape that pulls the beads in and are caved in around the tread so a strap doesn't push the beads out.

 

[Texasmark]

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.

And soap up the rim of the tire good before you start. Also throwing the tire down on the floor with the soap and strap applied, tread down can help to get it started.....aka trying to bounce it off the floor type thing.

The real PIAs are the tires that come to you mashed flat and stacked on each other if more than one, with some clear plastic around them with a shipping label attached.

 

[ss55]

A. No local tire shop. 20 mile minimum one way and those crooks will bend you over as soon as you walk in the door.

B. $10 will get you a dirty look and directions to the exit.

C. The "real" (as opposed to boutique) tire shop up the street - dirty, smelly and cluttered - is right out straight and I wouldn't bother them with my little problem. I save them for REAL issues like full-sized tractor tires.

Yeah, the going rate is $25 per tire. Offering $10 is like offering to buy corn for only $1.50 per bushel or $2 for a small square bale of good alfalfa. If the tire is over eight years old many shops will not work with it for safety reasons. Might be cheaper to buy a new tire an have that shop mount it.

Auto plants use a huge blast of air under the rim to seat tires in under one second. Maybe something on a smaller scale would work for you.

TUFFIOM 5 Gallon Air Tire Bead Blaster Seater, Wheel Seating Tool Inflator 85-116PSI - Walmart.com

Buy TUFFIOM 5 Gallon Air Tire Bead Blaster Seater, Wheel Seating Tool Inflator 85-116PSI at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

 

[ss55]

Yeah, the going rate is $25 per tire. Offering $10 is like offering to buy corn for only $1.50 per bushel or $2 for a small square bale of good alfalfa. If the tire is over eight years old many shops will not work with it for safety reasons. Might be cheaper to buy a new tire an have that shop mount it.

Auto plants use a huge blast of air under the rim to seat tires in under one second. Maybe something on a smaller scale would work for you.

TUFFIOM 5 Gallon Air Tire Bead Blaster Seater, Wheel Seating Tool Inflator 85-116PSI - Walmart.com

Buy TUFFIOM 5 Gallon Air Tire Bead Blaster Seater, Wheel Seating Tool Inflator 85-116PSI at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Try an ATV shop?

 

[Mule Meat]

I have dealt with a lot of these type of tires and I don't think some of you get it.

Those tires are shipped pressed flat as possible with as many as they can get into a crate.

When you try to put them on the rim. It's about like trying to get the beads of a bicycle tire to seal on a 6" wide rim. At times you can have a real fight on your hands.

Many times. Lube is not your friend. For being slick, a lot of times when you blast the tire it will just slip off of the rim and collapse once the pressure drops inside of the tire.

The simplest solution is to put tubes in the tires. Having tubes the air pressure will not leak off like it always does on soft mower tires. And they will still hold air once the sidewalls dry rot like they all do over time.

 

[a49deere]

Try an ATV shop?

Ya, ATV shops around here charge $175 an hour!!

 

[ss55]

Ya, ATV shops around here charge $175 an hour!!

OK, a riding lawn mower shop then? Might have to buy a new tire and let them mount it.

This is getting to sound like collector tractors, look for a parts machine with good tires.

 

[Mule Meat]

OK, a riding lawn mower shop then? Might have to buy a new tire and let them mount it.

This is getting to sound like collector tractors, look for a parts machine with good tires.

Be it a lawnmower or a farm tractor.

Would you want to put old dry rotted wore out tires on something that you were restoring?