Don't use brake cleaner to seat your beads

[tundrawolf]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/wolfmangk/ATC/0329101918.jpg

Picture says it all. There go my days of riding fun. A new tire costs more than I paid for the trike, and even that really cut into the budget. I guess starting fluid is less flammable than brake cleaner? trailpro

[3wheelmecca]

Brake cleaner has a lower flashpoint. Starting fluid is more flammable, but does not expand as much. It dosen't really matter, its just the rapid expansion of air. looks like a bit of a belting failure due to the wavelike form of the rupture. I feel for ya man. just curious, how much did you pay for your trike ??

[dajeepman]

I had that happen before... used too much brake cleaner... it expanded too much and if their was a weak spot it would have found it real quick.

[jk5blazer]

What size tire?

[tundrawolf]

Brake cleaner has a lower flashpoint. Starting fluid is more flammable, but does not expand as much. It dosen't really matter, its just the rapid expansion of air. looks like a bit of a belting failure due to the wavelike form of the rupture. I feel for ya man. just curious, how much did you pay for your trike ??

$35. It's the most fun I have had in years and years. It would have been better to buy an inner tube. Right now I am trying to get my VW beetle together to start a drain cleaning business and I am already under budget. The other tire uses a tube, and was ridden on over 5 miles flat, so it is cracked pretty bad but it still works.

[tundrawolf]

What size tire?

"AT" 22x11-8

[3wheelmecca]

Nice deal, you're kind of like me, finding good deals. What model trike do ya have? I have never seen one that runs tubes.
you should PM me on the VW, I am kind of a VW guy.

[tundrawolf]

I have an ATC 110. It's a perfect fit for me. Not fast like the 450X I had and almost got killed on, great on gas, has a two range transmission. The only problem I have had with it is on hard right turns because I am 6'1" my knee sometimes hits the throttle and shoots me in a direction I did not intend to go. About the VW, I live on 2 miles of desert dirt road that eats cars and small trucks. The only things that will take it are a 4x4 truck, or a VW Beetle. I am trying to build a budget mileage motor, ever hear of Jon Karcey? Right now a stock SP 1600, but when I have the $ a Jon Karcey replica. I am scouring craigslist for maybe a used tire for the ATC. Man, it is such a relief to just go riding.

Oh, the rims and tires are tubeless, but one tire was so thrashed, I guess the previous owner put a tube in it because it wouldn't hold air.

[cattle-dog]

i can hook you up with a good cheap used tire with way more tread if you need it

[3wheelmecca]

havent heard of him. I go thru CB Performance for my stuff. I mounted a Weber DCOE48/Dell'Orto DHLA48 on a Harley, really screams. I have worked on a few VWs, but not much performance stuff, just engine rebuilds. I hate worn out cases, a pain to weld.

[tundrawolf]

i can hook you up with a good cheap used tire with way more tread if you need it

PM sent, and thank you.

[tundrawolf]

havent heard of him. I go thru CB Performance for my stuff. I mounted a Weber DCOE48/Dell'Orto DHLA48 on a Harley, really screams. I have worked on a few VWs, but not much performance stuff, just engine rebuilds. I hate worn out cases, a pain to weld.

When VW engines get worn out, they beat an egg shaped pattern where the main bearings are, because the cases are soft. So, my case right now is being "Align bored". Also, the cylinders squished ridges in their seats so they are also being machined flat. I have jugs and pistons. I originally just wanted a running engine but it has exploded into a full rebuild.

[3wheelmecca]

Nice, do you go through CB for parts, or local?
The magnesium/ aluminum cases were faulty from the start, the new CB DP 044 heads' alloy is now used in their cases, makes for a strong engine. My buddy bought a turnkey 1911cc from them and they really stand up when he hot rods it.

[tundrawolf]

I wish I could afford a new case. Maybe when I build the Karcey motor. I go local, man, do I save a lot of money that way. Two VW guys really "Hook me up". One guy I work for and he gives me parts when he needs help. I spent hours and hours looking at parts online and making a spreadsheet to get costs and shipping, and nothing comes close to getting parts through my contacts here in the high desert. I like your signature about the cigarettes. So true.

[Autophysn]

wow! That is kinda why I like using a ratchet tie strap, keep one on my grab bar at all times for the just incase tow or bead pop
thanks for sharing

[200XMichigan]

A ratchet strap works great, I have even use some old cloth and just tied it around real tight, wouldn't work for real hard casing tires but it helps on softer tires. Never seen the fire seating trick before coming on here.

And by the way the trike on the back of the bike is cool. I used to have a rack to carry a bicycle on my 750 and that got some crazy looks. Can't imagine the looks you get with a trike on the back.

[tundrawolf]

The problem is, I only have one of those small 12V cigarette lighter air compressors. It has worked great, but I have had to rebuild the reed valve (I used soda can tin. I drilled out the rivet, and threaded the hole and put in a small screw in it, with teflon tape to seal) once. I found the compressor years back on a trail ride, dirt had gotten into the motor and the shaft needed to be turned and it worked fine. I don't have a big air compressor. Do you think the strap trick would work to at least get some pressure in the tire? I have seated beads with this small air compressor. The fire on the cardboard kept going out, God was telling me "Stop it man! You're going to blow it up!"

[200XMichigan]

If you got a ratchet strap the small compressor could do it, when its good and centered it pushes the bead out to the rim. I used a bike hand pump with a ratchet strap and got a small garden tractor tire to seat. It took a lot of messing with but it did seat.

[200XMichigan]

Maybe if you got something lying around you could make a portable air tank with a few parts? That would give you a higher volume of air all at once, but you could fill it with the little compressor.

[tundrawolf]

The portable air tank is a great suggestion, thanks. Yesterday I tried a ratcheting tie down to try to seat the bead, with my small inflator. No dice. So, I tried two ratcheting tie downs. No dice. Then, I soaked the bead seat and tire with soapy water, and after some working of the tire, I was able to seat the bead just using my little inflator!

[Dirtcrasher]

If you got a ratchet strap the small compressor could do it, when its good and centered it pushes the bead out to the rim. I used a bike hand pump with a ratchet strap and got a small garden tractor tire to seat. It took a lot of messing with but it did seat.

Fantastic suggestion!! :beer My local guy I use to pay for work ALWAYS used a strap on the OD of the tire, he said it helped seat the bead and in some cases you can make one tire a bit larger OD wise and it will pull to one side....... Just like when we have one low tire, it heads in that direction......

I never tried brake cleaner; Just starting fluid, otherwise I always seat beads with just air and a strap. I cannot buy bead GOOP anywhere (I gave up) so sometimes I'll just put some SLIME on the bead merely as a lubricant.

I've never seen a tire explode like that, thats crazy!! Glad you weren't hurt!! :D

And BTW, I HATE tubes. I always end up shearing off the air nipple; But, we run in tough terrain. If your just bouncing around the yard and lil trails they'll work fine. I just run a bit more air in them, maybe 8psi............ I still hate them :lol:

[3wheelmecca]

With ya on that DC. do you slime your tires and how many pumps/ ounces? I ran 10 on my 200S with 22/11-8 tires.
Thats pretty cool that you rebuilt a little compressor.

[Logan Mathwig]

we used ether on dirt track stock car tires at the machine shop i worked at.. some of those suckers were like 14" wide! if you sprayed to much in, when the bead poped up those things would jump like 4 feet of the ground!

[Autophysn]

simple dishwashing soap works every time for me, for lube. Safe, and cheap too. At work we have the tire goop, it sucks, I use a simple green spray bottle that has been cut down to 60 water/40 simple green.

Seating the bead with a flammable substance is hella fun, but much safer with some sort of strap ;)

just my 2cents

[dajeepman]

Yall guy's ever use CO2? I'm getting me a 20lb tank for my jeep so when i air down i can air back up pretty quick. I know if you turn up the regulator you can push out a lot of air pretty fast on up till you blow a air line.

I would think a 5lb tank would work on atv's if you ever need to air back up or such.

[tundrawolf]

I am actually thrilled with my rectifier discovery. I used a rectifier to convert the lighting coils output to DC, and I was able to run a small cigarette lighter inflator to 30 PSI which is more than enough. If I used a regulator and a battery I could go even higher.

[Autophysn]

if that's the case, I use this everyday to set the bead on heavy truck tires ;)

http://www.eagleequip.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/tsich5.jpg

[Logan Mathwig]

Ahh! you know tires I see! the worst bead I ever had to seat were my 34x950-15's TSL's on a 8" wide chevy rim, bead blaster, ratchet straps, and alot of cursing! those things were stupid when they were new!

[tundrawolf]

How does one use that bead seater? I have seen those protrusions, I take it it doesn't have anything to do with the Schrader valve?

[Logan Mathwig]

First you would fill the main tank from a compressor, to 100+ PSI or so, then you line up the nossle type end between the bead and the rim( when the bead is not seated of course), then you see that yellow lever type thingamajig? Its a ball valve, you pull the lever and hang the f**k on! it dumps all the air in the tire right now, and whalla! bead is seated! thats a real quick lesson anyway, probably wouldnt need 100psi for atc tires tho

[Nick_R_23]

Heres a little tip for seating beads...if you have a regular air compressor hose with a fitting on the end for attaching air tools, you can use that fitting right on a valve stem with the valve taken out. Ive been able to seat tires up to 38.5"+ first try with out any problems.

-Nick