Changing a tire, is there a certain way tube should be?
- Thread starter morph999
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mrgarci1
100 W
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2008
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- 239
make sure you put the tube in so the valve comes out the hole :wink:
The procedure I follow is to inflate the tube just a little so it's not folded up anymore and holds it's shape, before you put it on the rim. that way, when you put it on and inflate it fully, you an make sure it wont have folds or pinches that will cause a flat very quickly.
The procedure I follow is to inflate the tube just a little so it's not folded up anymore and holds it's shape, before you put it on the rim. that way, when you put it on and inflate it fully, you an make sure it wont have folds or pinches that will cause a flat very quickly.
Zoot Katz
100 kW
What I always do is make sure the label on the tire lines up with the valve hole on the rim. That makes it easier to find what it was that punctured your tube. It often remains inside the tire and if you don't get it out you're likely to have another flat before you get home.
When seating a tire the tube should be partially inflated. Then go all the way around the rim on both sides to make sure none of it caught between the tire bead and the rim. Inflate it in stages and keep checking that the tire bead is seating evenly. A tire that has sat deflated for awhile can be hard to get to seat properly. Sometimes overinflating it a bit helps get the bead seated. Then you can take it back down to its usual air pressue.
When seating a tire the tube should be partially inflated. Then go all the way around the rim on both sides to make sure none of it caught between the tire bead and the rim. Inflate it in stages and keep checking that the tire bead is seating evenly. A tire that has sat deflated for awhile can be hard to get to seat properly. Sometimes overinflating it a bit helps get the bead seated. Then you can take it back down to its usual air pressue.
mrgarci1
100 W
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2008
- Messages
- 239
I'd be really careful about leaving the partially inflated tire with weight on it - if you're lucky, it'll be fine, but if you're not, the rim (esp. with the weight of your batt/motor on it) can pinch the tube against the inside of the tire and cut the tube. If the tube isn't inflated enough to keep the rim well off the ground, you'd be safer to flip the bike or otherwise get the weight off that wheel. or take the tube back out of the tire and leave the bike sitting on the rim - shouldn't hurt the rim any.
MidniteTweeker
100 W
- Joined
- May 16, 2008
- Messages
- 121
I inflate the tube before putting it in the tire. Blow it up until it holds shape, but it doesn't need to begin stretching like a balloon. Then fit it into the tire. I usually have one bead of the tire over the rim at this point. Having air in it makes it easier to handle as you slip the tube into the tire and past the rim.
As someone else said, locating the valve stem next to the brand name on the tire helps locate punctures in the tube later on if you're doing an on-the-road repair because you can measure the distance around the tire to the nail from the valve and then transfer the measurement to the tube to get an idea where to look.
An advantage to using a tube with a Presta valve is that it has a threaded shank with a nut that screws over it. This helps hold the valve in place later when you try to put an air chuck on the valve.
When you're ready to slip the final bead in place, start opposite the valve. If you can seat the bead without using a tire lever, you don't need to deflate the tube. If you plan to use a lever, you probably should let the air back out to create additional room for the tip of the lever. It's real easy to pinch a tube with the tip of the lever as you get towards the last few inches of tire, and you won't know it until you reinflate. Either way, pinch the two beads together and push them as deep into the center of the rim as possible opposite the valve. Then begin working the bead clockwise and counter clockwise around towards the valve.
A common mistake is to try and get too large of a section of bead to slip over the rim. Don't rush it & work about 1/2 inch at a time. A little secret is to use a tiny bit of liquid soap, or else wet your fingers and wipe them over a piece of bar soap a couple times, and then rub them onto the inside surface of the bead where it contacts the rim as it tries to slide over. (A sliver of bar soap in the took kit can come in real handy, not only for lube but for cleanup afterwards.) It doesn't take much. As a matter of principle, I try to keep the soap away from the rim and bead surfaces that touch once the tire is in place, because those surfaces generate the friction that keeps the tire from sliding on the rim when driving or braking. The soap eventually will dry so it doesn't really matter if it gets all over, but go easy on the throttle and brake for a while if it does.
Make sure that the valve sticks straight out of the hole in the rim. During the assembly process it's easy to rotate the tire a little while you're working on it and drag the tube along with it. End result is that the valve stem is crooked. If so, grab a handful of tire and move it and the tube back where it belongs.
Check for tube pinches as best as you can. Then do a partial inflation (if you deflated it earlier, then back to like it was or a bit more) and check that the tire looks to be even on the rim. Tires that have been shipped folded up inside a small box sometimes want to seat lopsided. If the tube is pinched it sometimes will show as an irregularity where the bead meets the rim. I like to flex the tire in my fingers to give things on the inside one last chance to settle into the right spot. Then do the final inflation (or overinflation and then back down.)
As someone else said, I'd be leery about letting it sit overnight with the tire pinched because of only partial inflation. It could pinch the tube or temporarily deform the tire and interfere with proper seating. Can you block it up?
FWIW, I used to run my tires at the max rated pressure, in some cases 120 psi. Over the years I've gotten away from that practice and now use the tires as an active part of my suspension system. I run 50 psi now on a 2" wide tire and have had no problems. Me + bike + batts > 300#. Another advantage of running lower pressure is that I can go longer without having to pump it up.
MT
As someone else said, locating the valve stem next to the brand name on the tire helps locate punctures in the tube later on if you're doing an on-the-road repair because you can measure the distance around the tire to the nail from the valve and then transfer the measurement to the tube to get an idea where to look.
An advantage to using a tube with a Presta valve is that it has a threaded shank with a nut that screws over it. This helps hold the valve in place later when you try to put an air chuck on the valve.
When you're ready to slip the final bead in place, start opposite the valve. If you can seat the bead without using a tire lever, you don't need to deflate the tube. If you plan to use a lever, you probably should let the air back out to create additional room for the tip of the lever. It's real easy to pinch a tube with the tip of the lever as you get towards the last few inches of tire, and you won't know it until you reinflate. Either way, pinch the two beads together and push them as deep into the center of the rim as possible opposite the valve. Then begin working the bead clockwise and counter clockwise around towards the valve.
A common mistake is to try and get too large of a section of bead to slip over the rim. Don't rush it & work about 1/2 inch at a time. A little secret is to use a tiny bit of liquid soap, or else wet your fingers and wipe them over a piece of bar soap a couple times, and then rub them onto the inside surface of the bead where it contacts the rim as it tries to slide over. (A sliver of bar soap in the took kit can come in real handy, not only for lube but for cleanup afterwards.) It doesn't take much. As a matter of principle, I try to keep the soap away from the rim and bead surfaces that touch once the tire is in place, because those surfaces generate the friction that keeps the tire from sliding on the rim when driving or braking. The soap eventually will dry so it doesn't really matter if it gets all over, but go easy on the throttle and brake for a while if it does.
Make sure that the valve sticks straight out of the hole in the rim. During the assembly process it's easy to rotate the tire a little while you're working on it and drag the tube along with it. End result is that the valve stem is crooked. If so, grab a handful of tire and move it and the tube back where it belongs.
Check for tube pinches as best as you can. Then do a partial inflation (if you deflated it earlier, then back to like it was or a bit more) and check that the tire looks to be even on the rim. Tires that have been shipped folded up inside a small box sometimes want to seat lopsided. If the tube is pinched it sometimes will show as an irregularity where the bead meets the rim. I like to flex the tire in my fingers to give things on the inside one last chance to settle into the right spot. Then do the final inflation (or overinflation and then back down.)
As someone else said, I'd be leery about letting it sit overnight with the tire pinched because of only partial inflation. It could pinch the tube or temporarily deform the tire and interfere with proper seating. Can you block it up?
FWIW, I used to run my tires at the max rated pressure, in some cases 120 psi. Over the years I've gotten away from that practice and now use the tires as an active part of my suspension system. I run 50 psi now on a 2" wide tire and have had no problems. Me + bike + batts > 300#. Another advantage of running lower pressure is that I can go longer without having to pump it up.
MT
Zoot Katz
100 kW
When a 2" drywall screw buries itself in your rim, it's not hard to find the leak. I was talking about "the blood test" wherein you run your fingers around the inside of the tire until you find the sharp that popped your tube. Once it was a piece of fine wire that had worked in and couldn't be removed at night with frozen wet fingers. I had to boot the tire to protect the tube so I could get home and pull out the wire with pliers.MidniteTweeker said:
Ask me how to repair a tube with a coffee stir-stick sometime.
SamSpeed
1 W
And make sure the tire goes on the right way. My tires have a herringbone pattern. I put one on backwards once and was it ever noisy. Surprised me, never knew it would make a difference.
I like that idea of aligning the label with the valve stem. Never thought of that.
I like that idea of aligning the label with the valve stem. Never thought of that.
Drunkskunk
100 GW
once you got the tire on the rim, its a good idea to go around the tire, and pull it away from the rim a little. the tire bead can sometimes trap a piece of the tube inder it against the rim, and that will cut the tube once it gets inflated, or has weight on it. by pulling the tire, you give the tube a chance to slip out from under the tire.
I've used baby powder before to help the tube slide around inside the tire and avoid pinches. It works well, but i've found that makes it harder to patch later.
I've used baby powder before to help the tube slide around inside the tire and avoid pinches. It works well, but i've found that makes it harder to patch later.
That tire lever I gave you should make it an easy task. First put one side(bead) of the tire on the rim, then slightly inflate the tube, just so it will hold its shape, then pull the other bead of the tire towards the rim(where the other bead is) to expose the valve hole and pop the tube in, then making sure not to twist it at all stuff the tube into the tire and use the tire lever to force the rest of the tire onto the rim, some tires are harder to get on than others, don't be afraid to use some muscle 
When you air it up bounce the rim on the ground every now and then to make sure the tube seats properly.
When you air it up bounce the rim on the ground every now and then to make sure the tube seats properly.
In addition to everything said above...
I use thick nylon hockey stick tape and wrap the inside of the rim to cover the spoke holes with at least 3 layers, and more.. before mounting the tube and tire.. prevents spoke nipples from dirring into the tube, or the sharp edges on the holes of double walled rims.. :wink:
I use thick nylon hockey stick tape and wrap the inside of the rim to cover the spoke holes with at least 3 layers, and more.. before mounting the tube and tire.. prevents spoke nipples from dirring into the tube, or the sharp edges on the holes of double walled rims.. :wink:
thanks everyone. I got both tires on but I messed up. I got the tread on the wrong way. I don't know whether I'm going to change it or just leave it. It's on the motor rim and I'd have to mess with wires again. I thought my bike would be a lot faster but right now, it doesn't seem to be all that faster. Well, my front brakes came loose so I'm unable to do a speed test with my new tires so that'll have to wait until tomorrow. I got a kit today to also fix my back brakes so I'll have to do all that some day.
Also, the tire was start to buckle out of the rim so I'm glad I only did a short run today. I unflated it and then worked it around a little and then re-inflated it. Hope that solves the problem. Anyone know what that could be from? Maybe the tube isn't sitting properly ?
Also, the tire was start to buckle out of the rim so I'm glad I only did a short run today. I unflated it and then worked it around a little and then re-inflated it. Hope that solves the problem. Anyone know what that could be from? Maybe the tube isn't sitting properly ?
