Bad tires

[vaughn]

I just bought a new Dunlop Elite 3 for the front of my 83 wing. After getting it installed on the wheel I went to air it up and it would not fit up around the rim even. About 1/4 did not come out even. I tried several times with no luck. I have changed lots of tires and this is a first. It seems to be out of round.
I got it from Bike Bandit as I have all my other tires and this is a first. I am trying to have them send me another tire and send this one back.

On the left side of photo you can see the problem.

[702scottc]

Let the air out of the tire and break the bead down. Then spray the wheel and tire beads with armor- all and re inflate the tire. I've had the same issue on my 1100 when installing new tires. I've used armor -all for years mounting tires, works great. Give it a try.

[vaughn]

Thank's, I'll try it.

[HawkeyeGL1200]

I just over-inflate mine until they pop up on the bead, then let the air back out so I can fill them to the pressure I want in them. These stiffer side wall tires on heavier bikes don't act the same way the thinner walled tires do... they make you work for it when you change them.

[702scottc]

I forgot to mention that you don't need to drown the rim and beads with armor-all, just spray it on and wipe the excess off. You want to coat it not kill it..lol.

[Aussie81Interstate]

use a bit of washing up detergent - watered down, it will do the trick and wash off with no residue

armor-all will stay on and be lethally slippery - imho

[702scottc]

Armor-all works great, it doesn't take much and you just want it on the tire bead and the wheel lip, not the whole tire. If some gets on the tread just wash it off with soap and water. There really is no reason to coat the tread
And you certainly would have a problem if you didn't clean it off. The problem with using soapy water is it will oxidize the aluminum wheel where the water gets trapped between the tire and rim bead,armor-all doesn't. Most new tire manufacturers don't recommend using water based tire mounting compounds, they use grease.

[Viking]

Most new tire manufacturers don't recommend using water based tire mounting compounds, they use grease.

And this reeks havoc with balance beads. If using balance beads, do not use grease as a mounting lube. I really like the Armour All suggestion.

[WingAdmin]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the tire, the bead just hasn't slid out on the rim far enough. I've had this happen many times before. I agree with all the suggestions here - Armor All is a good bead lubricant, and doesn't remain slippery enough for the tire to slip on the bead once it's mounted. Soapy water - no, chemicals in the soap will corrode the aluminum rim, causing pitting, and eventual slow leaks.

I've used tire mounting grease on tires that have beads installed in them, but I use it VERY sparingly, and on the tire bead surface only - not on the rim.

When the tire is mounted on the rim, I will spin the tire and check both beads - you'll see lines in the tire molded around it, just outside where the rim ends. I check that the distance between the line and the rim remain perfectly constant all the way around the tire, on both sides. If it doesn't, I air down the tire, break the bead, and re-seat it again. In your picture, it is very obviously not constant, as the line completely disappears on the left side. This basically means that the tire bead is stuck in the rim, and did not slide out properly to meet the rim edge when the tire was aired up.

[vaughn]

Got it. Thanks to all the responses. I used a small amount of Armor All on a rag on the tire bead and rim lip. Aired up and down several times and it finally seated even. I installed a new metal valve stem on it. It is the front wheel and I can get the gauge on it easy. Not so with the rear wheel. Any problems using metal stem on a 1100?

[WingAdmin]

Nope. I used metal stems on my 1100 with no problems. I prefer them - they don't rot and crack and fail unexpectedly.

[wlkjr]

I use Astroglide. Bit of a waste but has many uses.

[moneypit]

Keep pounding the air to it .. It will go and then adj. to the right psi.