Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Please help. I am a new homeowner with a new problem for me. After storing my snowthrower for the winter the tubeless tires have gone flat and come partially off the rim. I cannot figure out how to seat them back so that they will hold air. I've tried oiling the bead and pulling a roap tightly aroung the circumferance of the tire, close but no cigar. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Tommorrow is the second heavy snowfall and I am late in getting this problem resolved. Sears wants to send the machine one state away to fix it, but I told them that it's snowing here!! My driveway is 100' long and I also have 36' plus of walkways.

About ten years ago, I had a tire that wouldn't hold air on my old Craftsman.  I lined the bead with silicon.  Never leaked again.    

sorry i have the same problem but i dont understand how you guys fixed it, can you guys explain it plz? thanks!

oyugay wrote:

Separate tire bead from rim.  Apply liberal coat of silicon on both beads.   Re-inflate tire. 

If the tire still leaks, check your tire for holes and check the valve and valve stem.  If it still leaks,  Take the wheel off, inflate it with at least 20 psi and submerge the whole wheel in water.  Look for bubbles.  Find the source of bubbles then proceed toward fixing the problem.  You may even have a defective rim.  The submersion leak test will let you know if you do.  

thanks for info about using an extention cord. I used one of those self ratcheting nylon strap downs and was able to do it  myself. i just put the nylon strap around the center of the tire and ratched it snug and put the air in.

borat wrote:

I've seen that technique used by Surf Fisherman that have broken the bead on their tire due to airing down too much. They used starting fluid (ether). It worked but not for the faint of heart.

Marc  

I had this problem before as well with my old blower and found that I could never get the ratchet strap tight enought (small 4" rim). to get the bead to seat right. I found that tying a sturdy piece of rope or strap and tying a simple knot, then use a long socket extension (sub any long piece of metal) to twist it like a tourniquet could get it tighter and allow the bead to seat with little problem. Once the bead seats just untwist it and good to go. Just an idea for people looking for another method, much easier than pulling on ropes, or fussing with ratchet straps.

At this point I have the following implements that all require air in tires :  A Wheelbarrow, A four wheel cart that can be a handtruck, a John Deere Lawn Tractor, a Little Wonder three wheeled Leaf Blower, a Jeep SUV and a Toyota Prius, so I also own a Campbell-Hausfeld air compressor with two tires of its own.  The air compressor helps clean these machines of leaves, dust etc. without wetting them each time, the tires are checked on the Jeep and Prius once a month, and the tires on the rest as they are needed.   The compressor is about 10 years old, and it is a very useful device.  Just putting air in the tires of a car can be difficult because so many gas stations have inoperable air hoses, air pumps, and chanrge for their use.  How many of you check the 'Donut Spare' tire under the trunk floor ?  Alomost nobody because you have to empty all that junk in thebtrunk just to get to the tire you'll wish you'd maintained if you ever have a flat tire.  I clean out and vacuum the trunk twice a year, and because I can roll my air compressor right up to it, the spare gets its obilgatory 60 PSi of air replenished.  Uses for a personal air compressor are numerous, and easy to fund, once you have one that's handy.