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Tight tires - Bead won't seat right

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Tight tires - Bead won't seat right

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Old 01-31-17, 01:21 PM
  #1  
Jicafold
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Tight tires - Bead won't seat right

So we have all had problems putting some tires on the rim where the tire is a tad small or the rim is a bit big and they can be a pain to mount. Well, what do you you do after you mount them and the tire bead won't seat properly? I have a brand new and supple set of Continental Ultra Sport 27 x 1 1/8" tires on set of Ukai 27 x 1 1/8" rims. Rims are dead straight. Tires were difficult to mount and when inflated the lip of the bead at one point on the tire won't sit properly and is too low...meaning it won't expand far enough for the tire bead to properly seat itself. I have tried releasing most of the air and working the tire bead into the channel all the way around and slowly adding air while doing this. Same thing. So the end result is a low spot on the circumference. What to do?
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Old 01-31-17, 01:32 PM
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A low spot implies a high spot 180º away. Is the valve area of the tube seated in the tire properly? Reduce the pressure and push in on the valve stem to be sure.

My son also had a tire that he couldn't get to seat properly and that was the problem.
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Old 01-31-17, 01:41 PM
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dabac
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Soapy water, eye and ear protection and excess pressure.
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Old 01-31-17, 01:58 PM
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Are the rims rated for high pressure?
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Old 01-31-17, 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by dweenk
Are the rims rated for high pressure?
This. Double-check that the rims have a lip (i.e., that the inside vertical surface of the rim is not perfectly flat where the tire bead is supposed to seat).
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Old 01-31-17, 02:10 PM
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Bill Kapaun
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Originally Posted by dabac
Soapy water, eye and ear protection and excess pressure.
+1
How much pressure have you applied?
Maybe let it sit overnight with full pressure and a couple more molecules will stretch
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Old 01-31-17, 02:44 PM
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Jicafold
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The valve stem area is fine and the tire is seated well there. Tires are rated for 102 PSI. The rims did not have any damage or flat spots on the lip....they look like new. Like what was said, I was going to let them sit at full pressure for a while, maybe put them out in the sun and try again with the soapy water. Thank you.
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Old 01-31-17, 03:36 PM
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Jicafold
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Wow, fixed already. That soapy water was magic! Tire is on and properly seated and as a bonus....my hands are clean!
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Old 01-31-17, 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Jicafold
Wow, fixed already. That soapy water was magic! Tire is on and properly seated and as a bonus....my hands are clean!
Sometimes the simple non-brute-force methods are the best.
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Old 01-31-17, 05:42 PM
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I've found that bouncing a nearly fully-inflated tire sometimes makes it seat.
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Old 01-31-17, 09:36 PM
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Andrew R Stewart 
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No mention of tire seating pliers? Andy
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