Cant get the tire on

Got a set if BT45s from bikebandit, got the tire iron and I can't get the damn tire on the rim. The tires are stock size, and I have not even attempted the rear yet. Any suggestions?

take it to a shop that has the equipment to install and balance the tire,, beats the hell out of busted fingers.

Ive used dish washing liquid soap to lube them and knocked them on with a rubber hammer to get one side, then the tire irons for the other

How far along are you? I assume tubeless wheels on your bike. That makes it easier. You should be able to pull the tire 2/3 the way around the rim initially then use your irons to lever the remaining part of the first side of the tire on. Now look for the mark on the tire that designates the heaviest point of the tire. Line the mark up with the valve stem. Get your tire irons to work starting to put the tire on. It goes real easy the first 2/3 the way then's when it gets harder. I prefer to do it dry because if you lube usually every time you lever 2" of the tire on, 2" will come back off as soon as you try to move the tire tool. Now kneel on the part of the tire that's already mounted forcing it to the center to be sure the tire is not trying to seat as you finish levering the tire on. You usually will need 1 tire iron on one end of the unmounted point of your tire to hold that point from coming unmounted as you work slowly on the other end. Once mounted is when the real fun part starts, trying to get a seal to allow air to seat the tire. Sometimes easy, sometimes a real bear. Sometimes tying motorcycle tiedown straps around the tire as tight as possible will aid in helping the tire bulge out to seat. Some tires are just rougher than others to mount. Maybe the Bridgestone is one of the rough ones.

To help in seating the bead, bounce the tire/wheel assembly on the floor several times, rotating it a little at each bounce.

I've never used dish soap, just didn't sound like a good idea, and then recently read in some mag that there was a good reason for not using it, don't recall what it was though

PFC FNG wrote:

Got a set if BT45s from bikebandit, got the tire iron and I can't get the damn tire on the rim. The tires are stock size, and I have not even attempted the rear yet. Any suggestions?

You need a minimum of three tire irons: one is the short "starter" iro with a hook slot designed to anchor it to a spoke. That gives you a starting point to work the bead from. You need two more good leverage tire irons to work around the rim from there, one after the other until you get it all the way on.

If you can get an assistant, have them hold the starter iron while you work the rim around from that point. You need to hold one place to start or you just keep chasing it.

BTW, one of the shops I have seen doing this use an old steel garbage can to set the wheel on and had tire irons about two feet long....

Been using the soap for 40 years, cant be too bad. I put the wheel on 2 4x4's about 3 feet long and kneel on it as I use the tire irons so it dont slip off. I dont know, works for me. Others opnions may vary, just trying to help

you cant use to much lube when installing tires.soap and water is good but tranny fluid is better(doesnt induce corrosion like soap and water).

Ok, I managed to get the tires on, and got the back tire to seal and inflate without issue. I can not get my front tire to seal the bead. I have tried the strap around the circumfrence of the tire, I tried bouncing it on the ground. It appears that on installation, one or more of my tire irons deformed the bead for the tire. Any suggestions?

I have lot's of pics on my camera of GPzInfested changing the tires on his 750 Turbo, will that help?

Is the bead not sealing at all, as in air rushing out as fast as you put it in? Or is it just not snapping into place?

A word of warning here, there are two thin lines around the tire on the sidewalls, just outside the bead, one on each side of the tire, these lines "MUST" be visible, and the same distance from the edge of the rim all the way around on both sides. GPzInfested had to break the rear tire down and lube it again three times before it finally snapped into place (covering me in tire lube when it did).

I did my usual fine job of providing technical assistance and supervising

It appears that the bead is not sealing at all. The back tire went on without a problem at all but I can not get the front to inflate at all. Any pics you have will probably help.

Have you tried bouncing it on the floor all the way around the wheel. Its worked for me