Anyone experience problems seating the beads on 820x15 American Classic bias look radials on 7" rims?
I learned to keep them in the house for a couple of days after unwrapping them to allow them to get some shape back in them before mounting them...That and taking them to the local tire store and paying some kid to mount them for me.
I've ran into this issue on motorcycle tires more than once. I'll cut some spacers from scrap wood to hold the beads apart, then let them sit for a few days. It helps a lot….
I appreciate the feedback but I need it concerning specifically 820x15 American Classic bias look radials on 7" rims. I used inner tubes to open them up and the result is pictured.
Are these much different that the American Classic regular radial? The fore mentioned have worn well but will rattle your fillings.Keep us posted!
are those cracks on the sidewalls? I have zero experience with radials as all of my cars have bias plies. My 40 has 8.20's on the rear and mine are on 6 inch wide rims. the tread width on mine is only 5 inches or so. are the radials a similar width? I was always told no more than an inch difference between tire and wheel width...
Just a guess, but I'll bet that crazing will wash off. The tires were probably coated with something to shield them from oxidation and possibly ultraviolet degradation during storage. When you flexed the rubber, the coating cracked. If the rubber is actually cracked, send them back.
If that isn't a protective coating, and won't wash off, I'd send it back. Doesn't look good, no matter what kind of tire it is.
Yep, they wrap them so tight that the beads are practically touching. Mounting them cold in that condition is a real pain in the patootie.
Local tire company who is Aussie Coker agent need 2 to 3 days warning before fitting these. They will not even try to fit them straight up. They use the inner tube method and even then it took them awhile to get them to seal. I have them on my coupe and had to wait the 3 days to get them fitted. Not cheap at over $1800 for a full hot rod set and I guess they're more now that our $$ has dropped further.
The mold release agent is completely cleaned off. I can just catch my fingernail in the "webbing" Pictured is one of the tires that sat for at least a week before removing the tube. The bead gap was opened to 8 inches all the while and even sat in sunlight. Originally it was impossible to get fingers into the bead gap. They say I ballooned the side wall past it's limit. Seems to me that radial side walls balloon some in normal operation. They recommend bead stretchers but the tread is too stiff to collapse and force the beads to separate. I'll probably end up eating these tires as it too often its the buyers fault.
Boy, those look so close that the "can of ether and a match" method wouldn't even work. If you do run tubes, make sure you get tubes for radial tires.
I had a similar issue with Firestone bias ply. My tire guy used a pressurized air tank, while having the air nozzle on the valve stem, to blow high pressure air to seat the bead. Works well if they know how to do it.