Need some help trying to go darkside

Hey guys maybe you could help me out with whatever I'm doin wrong here...I've got a 205-70/15 GYTT that I'm trying to seat the bead on the rim...I've already got the tire on and everything...I'm running a tube just because I didn't have the time to try and seal the rims before putting on the tire it's a metzler tube designed for up to a 200-70/15 so I figured if I aired it up enough it still wouldn't have any problem popping on...

Unfortunately I can't get the bead to pop...I've even run the bike on the stand with psi at 80 lbs. and ran the bike at over 100 mph for over 20 some seconds...even tried riding on the thing at like 20 mph on a straight away and nothing will pop this darn thing on...anybody got any ideas? I've been trying different things for a couple weeks and I still can't get it to work

my thought is i wonder if that tube is wide enough to pop the bead?
Craig

I've heard of guys using the old stock tube to do it so I assumed it would work if I got a slightly bigger one

For one you're going to need more than 80psi. For whatever reason, tubes make it a bitch to seat the tire, and it takes lots of pressure, and time. I put mine up to 110 psi and just left it there for a half hour to get one side seated. To get the other side seated I deflated it, and shifted the tire so it would seat at another spot.

You're going to need to use copious amounts of lube as well.

110psi is not unreasonable. Over 80 for sure.

I think the lube is where it's getting stuck. Pull off the tire and clean the rim really good. use steel wool to check for any imperfections (dings, gouges, etc) in the surface. Rub these out.

For lube, folks use pam, veggie oil, and other elixirs. Use copious amounts on the rim and tire making sure not to get a lot of left over lube inside the tire after it seats.

Air up the tire to 100psi. Leave it out in the sun or under a heat lamp to get it warm. Cold tires are harder to seat.

Your tire has been used with success before, so it will go on. Good luck.

thanks for the info guys...I'm gonna try all of your suggestions...will keep posted on progress

veggie oil did it for me, fought it for 2 days trying everything then late the second day I said to hell with it and got real liberal with the veggie oil, it popped first side on at 40 something pounds and the other went at just under 80.

Good luck

See you out there
Smokey

If I were in your situation I would grease the rim with some very soapy water. Then inflate the tire.
Im not so sure anymore but tubeless tires had differant shaped beads than tube type tires.

starider wrote:If I were in your situation I would grease the rim with some very soapy water. Then inflate the tire.
Im not so sure anymore but tubeless tires had differant shaped beads than tube type tires.

I think you're referring to half inch truck rims, which do have a very different lip for the bead to seat on. I don't think there has been any change in standard rim design. Remeber, all car tires had tubes in them at one point, but now those classic cars are running tubeless tires.

When I went to get tires installed on my '67 Buick, one of the tires still had a tube, from who knows how long ago. Some of the guys at the tire shop didn't even know what they were looking at.

starider wrote:Im 54. When I started pumping gas at 12 years old most tires had tubes still. But in 1968 it was old school then. Tubeless was in. At our gas station we had an inflatable belt that we strapped onto the tires radius. Then inflated it to push the sidewalls out. This pushed the bead to the rim so when inflated the air didnt escape and the tire inflated. The strap was removed and the tire was inflated to full pressure.
When motorcycles began using tubeless tires there were tires for tubes and tires for tubeless. The lip on the rim was basically differant. I remember reading some about there were some concerns way back about using tubeless tires on tube type rims. Something about the lips on the rim not matching up.
Similar concerns began again when the industry began replacing Bias Ply tires for radials. Many speculated that radial were unsafe because the sidewalls had more flex than bias. And we would all be killed using the radials. Shear paranoia.
If your tire doesnt seat properly, put a differant brand on the rim.
I say try it. If you dont like it, change it. Keep playing with what your interested in until your happy with the results. Beats watching TV....

I've used a ratchet type tie down strap to do the same thing on my lawnmower tire while it was still on the mower. It worked great to push the sidewalls out enough for the air to quit escaping. And, I've seen the same style done on heavy equipment tires.