"Air Cannon" equivalent for small tires.

[Stephen Newell]

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

If I let the back tires on my Toro go completely flat they will come off the rim every time. I usually have to take the wheel off so I can put enough pressure on the rubber it will take air. Sometimes it takes days of work to get it back on the rim.

 

[Hobo,NC]

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

I got a 10gal version of that one. Its two heavy, bulky and a pain to use, I wish I had got the 5gal version. It does not always do the job : (. I keep a few tubes around to use on small tires I put them in the tire blow it up and set it in the sun are near a heat source. Where the 2X4 idea to wedge open tires I ordered some ZT small front tires I forgot to get a tube for those to spread them. I made the comment to my delivery guy I forgot the tubes he put me on the 2X4 trick.

Personally as much as I despise a tube on a small tire I will throw away a tire before I tube it are slime it : ) If I had to do it over I would get a bazooka style bead blaster with the button air release.

 

[a49deere]

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.

So exactly what i was saying in post #13

 

[Texasmark]

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.

When I got tired of replacing these tires I went to the local tire store. The guy fixing the problem used just what you said to get it to seat....I decided right there that I wasn't going to buy a 5 gallon bucket of that paste to fix one tire every year or so.

 

[a49deere]

When I got tired of replacing these tires I went to the local tire store. The guy fixing the problem used just what you said to get it to seat....I decided right there that I wasn't going to buy a 5 gallon bucket of that paste to fix one tire every year or so.

I like how you think!!

 

[NDIHC]

When I got tired of replacing these tires I went to the local tire store. The guy fixing the problem used just what you said to get it to seat....I decided right there that I wasn't going to buy a 5 gallon bucket of that paste to fix one tire every year or so.

I buy the smaller buckets, about a gallon. I take out some of it and mix it with water in another bucket so I have liquid tire lube. The rest I leave undiluted in case I have a tough tire to get the beads to seat on.

 

[moresmoke]

When I got tired of replacing these tires I went to the local tire store. The guy fixing the problem used just what you said to get it to seat....I decided right there that I wasn't going to buy a 5 gallon bucket of that paste to fix one tire every year or so.

Murphy’s is available in a 2 gal pail as well. Harder to find, but easier to store. I’m about halfway through my 2nd little pail in 25 years.

I’d rather not keep tire repair supplies on hand, but its 50 miles to the nearest tire place. And we never have a flat on a weekday morning when there is absolutely nothing else to do.