Fitting my own tube/ tyre

[eltax91]

Hi all

I have a ride on mower with rear tyres that are 20 x 8 size. Unfortunately i nicked the sidewall of one on a dastardly placed tree root. I have broken the bead using my 2 post lift and ended up needing to cut the tyre off with my multi tool because i couldn't lever it off no matter how hard I tried (it was all very slippy, it was full of some kind of grease/ gunk presumably used by a previous owner)

I have purchased a replacement tyre and tube in the correct size. So, what hope of refitting them myself? Can I just lever it on and then inflate the tube? OR should i stop being silly and just take it to my local tyre place with a machine?

[KTMsm]

I do this kind of stuff because despite the first few times taking ages, you get quicker and better with practice

Once you understand that you have to get the opposite side of the tyre into the centre wheel well, you should be able to get tyres on and off quite easily with a few levers

Whether that is worth the time / the money, only you can decide

[b2hbm]

I've done all 4 on our ride on mower and if you're using an inner tube then it's not so bad. However I do have very long home made tyre levers, I doubt I'd manage the job with shorter ones.

If you've got the old one off, there's no reason not to at least try. I use washing up liquid as lubricant to get the tyre over the rim, drop in the inner tube and lightly inflate; not enough to fill the space, just enough so that you aren't going to nip the tube with a lever or the tyre bead when the last sections are going over the rim.

But if you've got a tyre place within easy reach, it's a job they'll do in less than a minute and you'll be walking away all sorted !

[xstian]

Lubricant is very important, tyre grease is cheap enough. Also the advice above about the well is good, also worth noting, the well is often offset, so you want to put the tyre on the side which is closest to the well.

Small tyre can be harder to do than larger ones, but I assume they aren't low profile.

[shakindog]

Better off doing it yourself as tyre machines usually only go done to 10 in rims if lucky and most tyre places have no idea how to fit tyres by hand nowadays.
Or a commercial tyre place will do it.
As said above the key is lots of lube and don’t use screwdrivers or anything daft like that or you will rip the tyre bead and tube most likely.
They are just like doing a bike tyre but need more leverage for last bit of top bead.
Use molegrips clipped to rim to save chasing it round when fitting top bead

[PaulKemp]

The gunk is probable puncture sealant for when you nick the tyre on branches etc
If you had put a ratchet strap around the tyre and pulled it up so the bead sealed then filled with air it would have probably been fine for another hundred lawn mows

[xstian]

PaulKemp said:

The gunk is probable puncture sealant for when you nick the tyre on branches etc
If you had put a ratchet strap around the tyre and pulled it up so the bead sealed then filled with air it would have probably been fine for another hundred lawn mows

Does tyre sealant work with inner tubes?

[Griffith4ever]

Gunk is puncture sealant.

Certainly with quads, removing tyres is mental. They kind of weld themselves to the rims. But, fitting new ones is a piece of cake and takes no effort at all.

[bimsb6]

xstian said:

PaulKemp said:

The gunk is probable puncture sealant for when you nick the tyre on branches etc
If you had put a ratchet strap around the tyre and pulled it up so the bead sealed then filled with air it would have probably been fine for another hundred lawn mows

Does tyre sealant work with inner tubes?

I used to use the stuff that you put in before you get a punture ,oko i think it was called , this was when trail bikes all had tubed tyres .

[eltax91]

I (eventually) found a place with a tyre machine small enough. £18. Job jobbed