I heard something about that....what you do is you get lighter fluid and pour some around the rim....then yuo get a lighter and squirt some fluid as to kinda make a flame thrower and make sure it lands on the rim where you have spread some fluid over and that should do it. I think they showed it once on the discovery channel on some special on 4 wheelin'

 

Just use a can of spray starter fluid. It's the gas expanding once you light it that forces the tire back on the bead. It's not too difficult, just takes a little practice in my experience.

John
95.5 YJ with "stuff"
94 GMC Z71 without "stuff"
http://SonsofThunder4x4.com

 

Yes, it was on the 4x4 edition of Extreme Machines, the Arctic Trucks portion. I think they used ether, due to it's conbustion rate, and they did exactly like what was described. I have never tried it, if you decide to, just don't blow youself up, Gore and the Eco-Terrorists would have a field day.

JEEPN
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
GM151/SM465/NP205 twinstick/7"Lift/33"TSL's/IHC D44's 4.10's Lock'd

 

i have seen it done.... also with ether, but after i saw the 44X18.5 tire bouncing aroung that guys shop, i told myself i would never do it..

~~Elusive~~
tj-7 thingy../wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif..see it at http://www.jeepgod.net

 

Have you tried a belt or a rope around the tread first. I would do everything I could before the pyrotechnics!

 

I too have been a witness to this technique of setting tire beads (actually it was used for my tires!). LIke the previous post said, set the rim inside the tire, spray some starting fluid around the circumfrence and then light that. The expanding gas will cause the tire to *pop* and seat itself on the bead. Pretty slick, but definitely wear welding gloves or something similar for the hands and arms and protective clothing. That flame has a tendency to shoot back towards its origin (the guy holding the match). Always nice to walk away with your eyebrows intact. /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

P.S. Just remember, that little disclaimer on the back of starting fluid cans: "This product should not be used to mount tires" is more than likely there for a reason. Be extremely careful if you do choose to use this method.

--Digger--

 

My brother owns a few big rigs. They use the ether on the rim technique in emergency situations. Which means once every 2 blue moons. I don't ever want to be around someone doing it. However, in an emergency....

 

Seen it done at the salvage yard. Worked really good. Don't go crasy with the lighter fluid. The guy ran a stream from the inside the tire on to the rim and threw the match there. That way you don't have bend down and take any chances.

 

don't forget eye protection!

sounds about as insane as doin' wheelies and street racin' your jeep!

tj
/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif "it was a '76, '77, '78, '79...'83 automobile!" (johnny cash)

 

Just to clarify so I can read the posts tomorrow.
1) Tire on rim
2) Squirt ether, lighter fluid on the edge of the rim.
3) Throw the match
4) Run like hell
I have allready tried the cable/rope trick and still could not get it to lay flat enough to catch. I'll try the combo tonght.
Pigpen

 

Rather than risk life and limb, why not just take it to a tire store and let them do it? They usually have a bead setter that looks like a hat that sits on the side of the tire around the rim. It is plumbed with air and all they do is open a valve and it forces a large volume of air into the tire around the circumference of the rim, seating the bead. You could never force that much air through the valve stem. It would take them all of five minutes and probably wouldn't charge much to do it, if anything.

'75 CJ5,258,T18a,4.27's,33's,On-board air,Warn 8274

 

Once on the Alcan I used this method for re-setting the rim. IMHO it's a very dangerous method to remount the rim to the wheel... and I should have not done it that one time...nor have I ever done it again. I was just too lazy to change the tire. This process sure scared the manure out of me when I tiied it. I've know people who've used this method all thier lives and then I saw a friend killed when he stood over a steam-cleraner and lit it... only to have it explode in his face. He died 3 days later. There is an old saying... God Protects the Stupid and the Ignorant. But after seeing that fiasco, I don't believe it. Once in a while God thins out the herd. Don't be walking on the edge of the herd, limping.

I guess my question is What's your life worth to you? A can of starting fluid, or ligher fluiid isn't too expensive...but the cost climbs rapidly if a mistake were made, especially if you factor in the medical costs, opportunity loss cost, ect. On this one... I'd really advise acting on the side of caution. Jack up the axle, remove the wheel an take the wheel and tire to a comptent tire shop for re-setting. It's the cost you may set on you life...

Good Jeepin'

Larry