hankster
11-12-2004, 09:29 PM
Getting ready to hit the dirt? One of the most important things we need to do is to properly mount our new offroad tires.
It doesn't matter if this is your first set of tires or if you have mounted dozens of sets, you may find some tips here that will help you get your tires running true and to make sure they don't come loose from the rims.
The first thing you need to do is to clean the beads of the tires. The bead is the area of the tire that comes in contact with the rim. I've seen many a tire that has an excess of "mold release" on them and this can prevent them from properly bonding to the rims. Just use some rubbing alcohol on a rag to wipe them clean. This is a simple step that many forget to do.
The next step is to trim the inside edges of the foam inserts. You need to do this to make sure the CA you will be using to glue the tires don't come in contact with the foam. If this happens, the foam has hard spots and can cause your tires to run out of round.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12644[/IMG-LEFT] Just use your scissors and trim the inside edges a bit. I use my lexan scissors as the curved blades help in making the cuts. The cut don't need to be "pretty", just make sure you get a bevel edge about a half an inch back.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12645[/IMG-LEFT] Once you are done and have the foam back in the tire, you can clearly see that the foam is away from the bead of the tire and there is no way for the CA to come in contact with it.
You now need to make a way for the air in the tire to escape. If you didn't do this, once the tires is glued to the rim, the tire would be like a balloon and not only would bounce a lot, but the tire would not work properly.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12646[/IMG-LEFT] I've found the easiest way to do this to drill a number of small holes in the rim. 4 or 5 holes drilled with a 1/16" drill bit will be fine. I like using this method better then cutting a hole in the tire as this keeps water out of the tire when you clean them between rounds.<br clear="left">You now need to mount the tire on the rim. With a lot of careful tugging and stretching, you can pull the tire over the rim. Make sure you don't displace the foam insert when you do this and you need to "seat" the tire bead into the grooves in the rims.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12648[/IMG-LEFT] With the softer tires some of us use, getting the bead of the tire to "seat" into the rim, while keeping the tire round, can be a problem.
I've found that once I have the tire as close as I can can get it, I take the tire/rim and roll it on a table with slight downward pressure. This helps seat the bead and get the tire round. It takes a little practice to get it just right, but taking your time here will make sure everything is just right.
Next on the list is to glue the tires on the rims. I find that using a "hig flow" or thin CA glue is best. The thin CA flows around the tire and into the bead, giving you a good bond without the need to peel back the bead and messing up your previous work.
It's important to remember that CA sticks to "EVERYTHING" which means if you aren't careful, you can glue your fingers (or other parts) to your tires if you don't watch what you are doing. Also be sure to wear eye protection to keep it from splashing in your eyes.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12647[/IMG-LEFT] Just put a small amount on the area where the tire contacts the rim. Before the CA sets up, you can tip the tire slightly allowing the CA to run around the bead making sure you get a good glue line. If you have some "ZAP", you can now use it to cure the CA. If not, set the tire aside and let the CA dry.
Only do one side of the tire at a time. If you don't, the CA can drip down the side of the tire when you turn it over and you'll end up gluing the tire to your table!
That's it! You're Done! You should now have a set of tires that not only look good, but run true and will not come off the rim.
If you happen to notice that the tire is pulling away from the rim after you use them a few times, just clean them real good and put on a little more CA.
It doesn't matter if this is your first set of tires or if you have mounted dozens of sets, you may find some tips here that will help you get your tires running true and to make sure they don't come loose from the rims.
The first thing you need to do is to clean the beads of the tires. The bead is the area of the tire that comes in contact with the rim. I've seen many a tire that has an excess of "mold release" on them and this can prevent them from properly bonding to the rims. Just use some rubbing alcohol on a rag to wipe them clean. This is a simple step that many forget to do.
The next step is to trim the inside edges of the foam inserts. You need to do this to make sure the CA you will be using to glue the tires don't come in contact with the foam. If this happens, the foam has hard spots and can cause your tires to run out of round.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12644[/IMG-LEFT] Just use your scissors and trim the inside edges a bit. I use my lexan scissors as the curved blades help in making the cuts. The cut don't need to be "pretty", just make sure you get a bevel edge about a half an inch back.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12645[/IMG-LEFT] Once you are done and have the foam back in the tire, you can clearly see that the foam is away from the bead of the tire and there is no way for the CA to come in contact with it.
You now need to make a way for the air in the tire to escape. If you didn't do this, once the tires is glued to the rim, the tire would be like a balloon and not only would bounce a lot, but the tire would not work properly.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12646[/IMG-LEFT] I've found the easiest way to do this to drill a number of small holes in the rim. 4 or 5 holes drilled with a 1/16" drill bit will be fine. I like using this method better then cutting a hole in the tire as this keeps water out of the tire when you clean them between rounds.<br clear="left">You now need to mount the tire on the rim. With a lot of careful tugging and stretching, you can pull the tire over the rim. Make sure you don't displace the foam insert when you do this and you need to "seat" the tire bead into the grooves in the rims.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12648[/IMG-LEFT] With the softer tires some of us use, getting the bead of the tire to "seat" into the rim, while keeping the tire round, can be a problem.
I've found that once I have the tire as close as I can can get it, I take the tire/rim and roll it on a table with slight downward pressure. This helps seat the bead and get the tire round. It takes a little practice to get it just right, but taking your time here will make sure everything is just right.
Next on the list is to glue the tires on the rims. I find that using a "hig flow" or thin CA glue is best. The thin CA flows around the tire and into the bead, giving you a good bond without the need to peel back the bead and messing up your previous work.
It's important to remember that CA sticks to "EVERYTHING" which means if you aren't careful, you can glue your fingers (or other parts) to your tires if you don't watch what you are doing. Also be sure to wear eye protection to keep it from splashing in your eyes.
[IMG-LEFT]http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/attachment.php?attachmentid=12647[/IMG-LEFT] Just put a small amount on the area where the tire contacts the rim. Before the CA sets up, you can tip the tire slightly allowing the CA to run around the bead making sure you get a good glue line. If you have some "ZAP", you can now use it to cure the CA. If not, set the tire aside and let the CA dry.
Only do one side of the tire at a time. If you don't, the CA can drip down the side of the tire when you turn it over and you'll end up gluing the tire to your table!
That's it! You're Done! You should now have a set of tires that not only look good, but run true and will not come off the rim.
If you happen to notice that the tire is pulling away from the rim after you use them a few times, just clean them real good and put on a little more CA.