Possible Tire Bead Damage
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 399
Likes: 2
From: Newtown PA
Possible Tire Bead Damage
I just had a set of BFG drag radials mounted on a set of new Z06 wheels. My brother-in-law who owns a local service station with brand new tire mounting machine, mounted them for me. He told me that he had to fill the tire to 120 psi to get the bead to snap onto the rim flange on one of the tires. The other tire took 80 psi to seat the beads. The stickers on the tires says not to exceed 40 psi when mounting and seating the bead. Various sources on the web say 40 psi also. My brother-in-law says he has to use at least 80-100 psi to seat the beads on low profile tires and not to worry about about it. Anybody know anything about this? I'd hate to have a tire failure on the drag strip.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,363
Likes: 1,592
From: Western NY
IMHO, I'd be more worried about damage to the carcass of the tire at that kind of pressure. That's WAY over what the tires are designed to handle. (If your bro-in-law does this on a regular basis, he's got some defective tire mounting/inflating equipment. MOST tires will seat the beads at 15-20 lbs. of air pressure, sometimes even less)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,826
Likes: 39
From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'08-'10
I own a service station and agree w/ you bro-in-law. The "never exceed" warnings while mounting is for installer safety, not the tire itself. Occasional we do have to go well above those pressures to get the beads to "pop". Using lots of bead lube helps. Go racing! 
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 399
Likes: 2
From: Newtown PA
EdsC5,
Do you regularly inflate low-profile tires over 100 psi to seat the bead. I can understand 60-80 psi, but 100+ psi? I think my bro-in-law doesn't use the correct lube, although he disagrees with me. He claims he lubed the hell out of the tire and wheel and still had to use that pressure.
Do you regularly inflate low-profile tires over 100 psi to seat the bead. I can understand 60-80 psi, but 100+ psi? I think my bro-in-law doesn't use the correct lube, although he disagrees with me. He claims he lubed the hell out of the tire and wheel and still had to use that pressure.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,737
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
I wouldn't worry about it...it's far more dangerous to your brother-in-law than the tire 
I would suggest smacking the sidewalls with a big rubber mallet first. If that doesn't work, inch the pressure up and keep your head clear.
I would suggest smacking the sidewalls with a big rubber mallet first. If that doesn't work, inch the pressure up and keep your head clear.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,363
Likes: 1,592
From: Western NY
Originally Posted by resipsa
EdsC5,
I think my bro-in-law doesn't use the correct lube, although he disagrees with me. He claims he lubed the hell out of the tire and wheel and still had to use that pressure.
I think my bro-in-law doesn't use the correct lube, although he disagrees with me. He claims he lubed the hell out of the tire and wheel and still had to use that pressure.
Last edited by leadfoot4; Jul 28, 2005 at 06:02 AM.
