Tire Mounting and Dismounting 101
You need to have a practiced touch to accurately mount and dismount your tires if you hope to avoid damage. It takes more than sheer force to replace tires safely, and Bauer Built Tire & Service has you covered.
Dismounting Your Tires
Never dismount tires while they’re inflated and avoid tools that will damage the sidewalls or tire beads. Lubricate the rim flange and tire beads to assist the removal process.
Lubricate Tire And Wheel Components
There are plenty of moving parts during mounting and dismounting, and all that motion can take a toll on your tire and wheel components. Lubricating facilitates mounting, dismounting, and adjustments, so you won’t have to worry about punctures or tears.
Before fitting a new or existing tire back onto the wheel, lubricate:
- The inside and outside of the tire beads
- Rim seats
- Rim flanges
- The wheel’s drop center
Avoid any lubricant that will damage the tire like silicon or hydrocarbon-based products.
Properly Mounting Tires
Inspect the wheel and rim for damage, cracks or corrosion. Clean with a wire brush to remove flaked or excess paint, rust, and debris. Any irregularities will prevent the tire from laying flush once the clamping force is applied.
Pay attention to the studs. If you replace a single damaged stud, you’ll need to replace the two studs adjacent to it as well. Two or more damaged studs require replacing all ten.
Position the wheel on the ground with the drop center facing upward. With the valve hole at the bottom of the wheel, line up the first bead is at the rim’s edge. Place the tire on the wheel with the proper tools, do not force it on with your knee or foot, and use a rocking motion to fit it properly.
Inflating Mounted Tires
Inflate the tire to 5 psi and check that the beads are positioned correctly. Your service technician should verify the correct inflation pressure with the tire manufacturer’s load. Tires must be placed in a cage during inflation as a safety measure. The tire will have to be deflated, removed, lubricated, and replaced if the beads do not sit correctly.
Inflate commercial truck tires to 20 psi to inspect that sidewall cords are good. Upon completing this inspection, over-inflate by 20 psi the manufacturer’s standard psi to confirm that there are no cracks in the sidewall cords. Then achieve the final manufacturer’s psi by deflating the air pressure until the correct psi is reached while not exceeding the air pressure recommendations of the wheel.
Bauer Built also offers a wheel reconditioning program to correct surface corrosion and rust found during our inspections and mounting and dismounting of tires for our commercial accounts. Contact us to learn more.
Categories: News, Tire Care Tips
