Tire Installation Service
For seasoned technicians, mounting and sealing tires may seem like old hat. After all, when you’ve done a thousand tires, you’ve pretty much got the hang of it, right?
Yet myths and misperceptions persist about how to do the job properly.
Some bad practices have developed too. Remember the days when a common way to seal a tire was using lighter fluid and an open flame? Using an explosion to seal a tire may have been dramatic but it was never safe!
Our industry has become much more sophisticated and the most obvious bad practices may be behind us. But even with today’s super-helpful tire equipment, there’s still room for error – especially if you’re new to the job!
Whether it concerns bead breaking, tire removal, rim inspection, or the use of sealers, differences abound. And then there’s TPMS to worry about. This relatively new and particularly sensitive technology complicates the wheel removal and installation process a little bit.
Given the breadth of the topic, we thought it would be worth looking at the prescribed way to seal and mount a tire. Thanks to Jas Singh at Fountain Tire Marine Drive in Vancouver for demonstrating.
Breaking the bead
When breaking the bead of a tire, best practice is to remove the Schrader valve completely from the tire valve. Make sure the tire is completely void of air pressure before pressing the bead breaker shoe against the tire. Position the TPMS sensor directly across from the bead breaking shoe so as not to damage the TPMS sensor.
Removing the tire
Rotate the tire until the TPMS sensor is in the 11 o’clock position before removing the tire. This will have the tire moving over the TPMS sensor and reduce the chance of accidentally damaging of the sensor.
Cleaning the rim or wheel
Corrosion from salt, moisture, and road grime can cause pitting on the sealing surface of the wheel, creating slow leaks that can be hard to find. Many times, this is repairable by cleaning the bead surface or using a professional wheel repair service. If you’re working with chrome wheels, be aware that the chrome may have separated from the wheel. If that’s the case, the wheel is not serviceable and should be replaced. Use a wire wheel or wire brush to remove obvious corrosion and surface grime. Then clean the wheel seating bead on both top and bottom. Use a cleaner to remove any dust or residual particles. Apply the sealing agents as per the manufacturer’s instruction. The sealer can fill in the minor imperfection left by the corrosion
Installation
When installing a tire with TPMS sensors, move that sensor to the 5 o’clock position then rotate the turntable to install the tire. This helps the tire clear the TPMS sensor during installation.
Pressurizing the tire
When inflating a tire, again, make sure the Schrader Valve has been removed from the tire valve. This allows a greater volume of air to enter the tire and enables the tire to seat on the rim. Never exceed the manufacturer’s maximum inflation pressure embossed on the tire. A bead blaster is available for those stubborn tires that don’t want to seat properly.
It all sounds simple enough, right? Like I said, tire mounting is not rocket science, but it does need to be done correctly. After all, your reputation – not to mention the safety of your customers – is on the line.
Tire Installation Services
We hope this page will help you with any questions you may have.
As always, we welcome your call or visit to request more information regarding this and any service we offer.
For seasoned technicians, mounting and sealing tires may seem like old hat. After all, when you’ve done a thousand tires, you’ve pretty much got the hang of it, right?
Yet myths and misperceptions persist about how to do the job properly.
Some bad practices have developed too. Remember the days when a common way to seal a tire was using lighter fluid and an open flame? Using an explosion to seal a tire may have been dramatic but it was never safe!
Our industry has become much more sophisticated and the most obvious bad practices may be behind us. But even with today’s super-helpful tire equipment, there’s still room for error – especially if you’re new to the job!
Whether it concerns bead breaking, tire removal, rim inspection, or the use of sealers, differences abound. And then there’s TPMS to worry about. This relatively new and particularly sensitive technology complicates the wheel removal and installation process a little bit.
Given the breadth of the topic, we thought it would be worth looking at the prescribed way to seal and mount a tire. Thanks to Jas Singh at Fountain Tire Marine Drive in Vancouver for demonstrating.
Breaking the bead
When breaking the bead of a tire, best practice is to remove the Schrader valve completely from the tire valve. Make sure the tire is completely void of air pressure before pressing the bead breaker shoe against the tire. Position the TPMS sensor directly across from the bead breaking shoe so as not to damage the TPMS sensor.
Removing the tire
Rotate the tire until the TPMS sensor is in the 11 o’clock position before removing the tire. This will have the tire moving over the TPMS sensor and reduce the chance of accidentally damaging of the sensor.
Cleaning the rim or wheel
Corrosion from salt, moisture, and road grime can cause pitting on the sealing surface of the wheel, creating slow leaks that can be hard to find. Many times, this is repairable by cleaning the bead surface or using a professional wheel repair service. If you’re working with chrome wheels, be aware that the chrome may have separated from the wheel. If that’s the case, the wheel is not serviceable and should be replaced. Use a wire wheel or wire brush to remove obvious corrosion and surface grime. Then clean the wheel seating bead on both top and bottom. Use a cleaner to remove any dust or residual particles. Apply the sealing agents as per the manufacturer’s instruction. The sealer can fill in the minor imperfection left by the corrosion
Installation
When installing a tire with TPMS sensors, move that sensor to the 5 o’clock position then rotate the turntable to install the tire. This helps the tire clear the TPMS sensor during installation.
Pressurizing the tire
When inflating a tire, again, make sure the Schrader Valve has been removed from the tire valve. This allows a greater volume of air to enter the tire and enables the tire to seat on the rim. Never exceed the manufacturer’s maximum inflation pressure embossed on the tire. A bead blaster is available for those stubborn tires that don’t want to seat properly.
It all sounds simple enough, right? Like I said, tire mounting is not rocket science, but it does need to be done correctly. After all, your reputation – not to mention the safety of your customers – is on the line.