openCortex: ARTICLE: Putting on new rubbers




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LINKED PROFILES Andrews, Trevre	ARTICLE Putting on new rubbers OCID cn00000419	LINKED CATEGORIES Tires and Rims

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Putting on new rubbers
by Trevre Andrews
created 4/5/2004
submitted 4/6/2004 12:28:39 AM

A specific explination of how to correctly change a bridgestone ecopia tire on a ngm rim, and perhaps on your own custom rim.

So you got your rubber, you got your rim and you can’t seem to get one on the other. Then even if you do get the rubber on the rim, of course you used a metal screwdriver which probably dinged up your aluminum rim and tore your tire bead, the damn thing won’t seat properly.

The solution to this is somewhat of an art. I have been changing ecopia tires now for almost 2 years and I have perfected my technique. First of all ecopia ships the tires all smashed down and taped together. You will want to separate each tire out so that it can return to its original shape. If you don’t do this the tire will be much harder to seat than it should. Now you got your tires freed up well in advance you want to get your rim out.

Due to my extensive experience changing tires I no longer use any tools, or a rim jig, however for the beginner tools and a jig are very useful. The tools you may want to use are a couple thin round chrome screwdrivers. The jig I made is a old NGM wheel hub bolted to some type of base. Mine was light weight and compact because I knew I had to haul it around, however simply bolting the old hub down to some plywood works just fine. If you don’t have a jig and aren’t going to make one at least put down a sheet of cardboard so you don’t knick up the aluminum rims.

I usually leave the tires out in the sun for a hour or so to get them pliable enough to easily go around the rim, however this is not necessary, more of just a personal preference. The next thing you will need is some lube. Here in lies my secret but it isn’t too hard to figure out. You need something very thin, moist and slippery. It also can’t corrode the rubber(So no oil, grease or soap). So use you imagination, you can find what I am talking about at a drug store.

Lube up only one side of the tire. Make sure the lube is only on the bead otherwise it gets all over the place and is a mess. Bolt down your rim, or hold it with your foot. If you hold it with your foot put your leg through the tire first. Make sure the lube side is down. A common mistake here is to put one bead on at a time. This will take longer and be more labor intensive. Jam both beads of the tire into the inside of the rim on one side. Then use your thumbs to jimmy that baby around the rim. It gets hard at the end. This is where you might need a screwdriver to work it onto the rim especially if your hands aren’t very robust. Do be careful not to cut the bead or knick or bend the rim. You really can’t just use a lever motion to flip the tire on, the rims are not strong enough on the edges.

Once the tire is on you should remove the valve stem so that you can get a high volume of air into the tire in a short amount of time. Apply excessive lube around both sides of the tire on the bead. This will help seal the tire so the air does not escape. I have found you can seat the tires at only 60 psi if you use enough lube, but I have pumped them all the way up to 130 psi. Listen for two distinct pings, one for each bead. When you hear this you know the tire is seated correctly. Also you can visually inspect the tire on each side to see if even amounts of rubber have been exposed. There is a line of rubber around the tire that should be on the outside of the rim, if it drops into the rim then the tire is not seated correctly. You make have to air it up, let the air out, then air it up a few times to get it to seat correctly.

Once it is seated you can quickly remove the compressor attachment and reinsert the valve stem. I usually have another person with the valve stem ready so all the air doesn’t escape. Once the valve stem is back in place the tire can be aired to whatever pressure you like.

If you can’t get a old tire off then you have a problem. Usually a good strong set of thumbs pressing the rubber away from the rim should unseat the tire. It may take a while so be patient. Once you have broken the seal I just put my foot on the rim and pull on one side of the rubber really hard. It has always come off. You shouldn’t need any tools for this part.

Make sure to keep your rims clean. Dirt in the bead can cause the tire to deseat mid rayce. THIS IS BAD. A clean rim is a good one.

909 words | andr0373

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	Related Content (1)

	Tire Jig Photo by Trevre Andrews created 5/14/2003 submitted 4/6/2004 12:44:22 AM Here is the tire jig made to change tires. Yeah it was a little bit overboard but it is pretty sweet!!!