Tried the ether trick on a flat tire... fail

[leesonic]

I have a lawn tractor tire that came off the rim, and I wanted to see if I could do the ether trick to get it back on. You know, you've probably seen the YouTube videos where somebody squirts ether into a tire, throws a match at it, and boom, the tire is back on the rim.

Maybe it was because I used starting fluid, is that not ether? All that happened was the fluid on the tire caught fire, and I had to roll it over in the grass (thankfully not too dry) to put it out.

Lee.

 

[squirrelnest]

I use a couple of big flat head screw drivers to muscle the tire back on the rim

 

[leesonic]

It was actually off the rim on the inside, not the outside, if that makes any sense. Like, the tire was sitting with one bead on the rim, the other with the bead in the center recessed part of the rim.

 

[Old Ears too]

Why risk getting hurt?
Wrap a rope around it and cinch it down, or get a ratchet strap and do the same.

 

[Djcoolray]

Funny....

The bead on the tire is broken, going to have to replace. I think Sears sells a tire, tube and wheel as one unit and will mail it to you. Plus you can get a hard plastic replacement....

 

[dosmalo]

If Sears doesn't, try Home Depot or Lowes.
Lowes hooked me up with one for my wheelbarrow.

 

[jcamero]

My Dad changed tires by this method in the driveway. He broke the bead by driving over the tire with another car. The guy would do anything to save a buck. Forgot to insert quote from Old Ears too.

 

[beat_truck]

My Dad changed tires by this method in the driveway. He broke the bead by driving over the tire with another car. The guy would do anything to save a buck. Forgot to insert quote from Old Ears too.

That's not too far from what I do. Except I have a manual bead breaker/tire changer like they sell at Harbor Freight.

The ether/starting fluid method does work. It's a little scary, but I've done it. Sometimes it's just about the only way when doing some equipment, ATV, and race car tires. Especially if you're in the middle of nowhere.

Last fall, I was putting new tires on my Escape. They were cold and stiff, and they were banded together in shipping, so the bead area was sunk in even more. No matter how much I pissed with the one, it would not take air and seat the bead, so I got out the starting fluid and lighter. I broke the lighter, but I got the tire mounted up.

 

[beat_truck]

The bead on the tire is broken, going to have to replace.

Not very likely.

Lawn tractor tires are actually very easy to pop a bead off the wheel if they go flat. I've had it happen many times over the years. Even breaking down a nearly brand new lawn tire is fairly easy.

 

[Djcoolray]

Not very likely.

Lawn tractor tires are actually very easy to pop a bead off the wheel if they go flat. I've had it happen many times over the years. Even breaking down a nearly brand new lawn tire is fairly easy.

Depends on your own interpretation of the situation, if the bead isn’t stretched out of shape....it’s not just going to just pop off under pressure when you hit a large rock. If the tire is put on correctly using undiluted liquid dishwashing soap to lube the bead it’s less likely to happen, then if you use the proper spoons and lube pushing the bead down to the middle of the rim. I ran the family gas station selling and repairing tires so I know my way around the proper tools and proper lube. It’s when you get someone with more braun than brains that forces any tire on dry that the bead gets stretched.

 

[sKiZo]

Another vote for the rope around the tire - just cinch it tight in the center and it should air right up.

I've given up on ever getting an older tire to seat again and not leak though. Lot better results just adding a tube.

PS ... I use an old dog leash ... just the right length when you hook the loop, then just twist with a piece of wood till it's tight and right.

 

[ETLS]

Foam filled. Never goes flat.


Same thing happened to my gut, from all the keg parties.

 

[SoCal Sam]

I filled a wheel barrow tire using the ether trick. Still have both my eye brows.

 

[Pio1980]

Squeezing the tire around it's circumference until the bead contacts the inner rims and pumping it up always works for me.

 

[nasadowsk]

I used a strap the last time I had this. It worked so well it was stupidly easy. Just run the strap around the outside tread and crank it down until the walls are snug against the rim, add some air and go.

 

[BigElCat]

x4 on the strap around the tire.

I use a 1" wide ratchet strap.

...and I tube my tires if they won't hold air.

 

[2011etec]

When you use the ether method its ether or,lol.

 

[beat_truck]

+1 on a tube for a tire that goes down constantly. They are usually less that $10, depending on the tire size.

 

[Jimerson]

Several years ago a guy at the local track was literally cut in half by his own rim using the ether method while mounting a race tire. Not recommended.

 

[Djcoolray]

If a tire constantly looses air, take a wire brush and clean the surface where the bead and lip of the rim meet with a wire brush. Then spray paint the area to stop corrosion which can cause leakage. After the tire has air in it run water all over it or put the tire in a horse trough filled with water and check for leaks. Learning how to plug a hole in the tread of a tubeless tire will be useful when repairing your own flat tire without removing the tire from the car as long as you have a source of water and air to find the leak.