Technical Diamondback Auburn radials

Has anybody mounted a set of these tires yet or am I the guineapig? I recently got my new big and little tires for my 29 tires roadster. The 5.90 fronts went on the 4 1/2 inch steel wheels easily. The 8.20 rears won't stretch out enough to seat the beads on my 5 1/2 inch wheels. These tires are rugged, heavy monsters. They feel like 10 ply truck tires. My tire guys trued every trick in their book and no success. They remounted my old bias ply tires on the back and I took the Auburns home to play with. I stuffed an old leaky innertube in one and inflated the bead out to 8 inches. I have to re air this thing every half hour. Did this last night and again this am. Took the tube out and the beads are just as close together as before. Tire is just as stiff and resistant to stretching as before. Diamondback said to lay them out in the sun, did that and still no go. Has anybody had a similar experience with these tires? If so, how did you get them to air up? Thanks Rich

 

They make an inflatable band for expanding beads. Most tire shops have them, I have used a come-along to do the same thing. wrap it around he center of the tread and apply pressure. Also starter fluid and a match will do it. An 8.20 had an 8" cross section it should stand pretty straight on an 8" rim. I would prefer a 9.00 on a rim that wide myself but the 8" tires should seat.

 

you need a tire cannon. i made one from an old air tank off a truck. never seen one fail to inflate the tire

 

I used them and a solid rubber piece (think of a giant o ring). The come along works also. I watched an older guy use starting fluid decades ago......I stood waaaay back.

The Cheetah works great also, eBay has some off brands for around $60.

 

that^^^^ is what i made. we call them a tire cannon around these parts

 

My rims are 5 1/2 inches wide. We used a bead blaster, which is essentially the same as the Cheetah, put a ratchet strap around the outside, I just borrowed one of these big solid rubber O ring things mentioned above. Tried starter fluid. I suggested acetylene, this is a big name tire shop, liability is an issue for them.$ !00,00 an hour labor is an issue for me. Keep the ideas coming guys! Thanks Rich

 

By the way I am told that steel belted tires do not respond to the strap around the outside idea like bias tires

 

Off road guys do the flammable liquid sprayed liberally around the bead and then fire on the end of a long stick. KA BOOM. I've not tried it myself but I've seen it done several times.

 

One thing I have learned buying tires on line is to open them up a few days before mounting. Unwrap them and bring them in the house where they are warm and allowed to breathe and expand. It makes mounting them easier. I have recently mounted Auburns on 5" front rims but have yet to mount the rears, waiting for wheels. If all else fails I like the ratchet strap method over the explosive one.

 

I had the same problem. The tire shop tried EVERYTHING. I took the tires home and put some 2X4 spacer blocks in them. After about a week (and a couple of days out in the hot sun) I took them back to the tire shop. When they removed the blocks they mounted the first try.

 

I just read on a different thread from @Moriarity that he puts tubes in them and inflates them for a few days to stretch them out.

 

I made the mistake of trying to inflate a collapsed tire while it was on a trailer using ether. Must have used too much 'cause the tire caught fire which caught the weeds on fire which in turn caught the trailer on fire and I singed my hair and eye brows. My advice is don't use this method


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I was thinking the same thing, I've done this with regular radials but those Auburns have a thick sidewall and bead. Maybe really try stretching them out with wood and let them sit in the heat.

 

Remembering my days in a Firestone Tire store in the 70's we had to use those rubber rings around the wheel to inflate tires a lot probably because the tires were all stacked on their sides in the warehouse rather than on Racks standing up. The beads on the tires that came off the bottom of the stack were pretty close together after they had been there for a while. I worked with one of the most knowledgeable tire installers in the business then though and he always figured out a safe way to inflate the tire.

 

Where is your sense of adventure?

 

If you have never used one ,you need to brace yourself because these things have a big kick back And will catch a novice off guard

 

I- Shot, Strong enough to blow your shorts off? I have them stretched out to 8 inches between the beads and sitting out in the florida sun. I am sure they are 150 plus degrees. one is wedged with 2x4;s the other with the tube that I patched{ holds air now} will let you guys know what happens next. Rich

 

by the way, I have watched that video five times now, cant wait to show my friends in the tire shop tomorrow

 

I bought American Classic radials for my Hi-boy and the tire shop had to use something similar to the Cheetah.
It was homemade and they called it the "blaster". Worked like a champ. It basically blows the two sidewalls out to meet the rim bead. On the rears they hooked up an air hose to the valve stem and had, I'm guessing, 50 psi flowing and then used the blaster ... worked!
Google "tire bead seating tank" and you'll get lots of hits and demos.

 

These tires came tightly wrapped in clear plastic, bead to bead. As I said, they were super tough and stiff. I am still reasonably strong and standing on one bead and lifting on the other with all my might could not open them up enough to stand an 8 inch 2x4 between the beads. After spreading the beads with an inner tube and setting them in the sun, I could get the 2x4's in.. By the way I have 600x16 ww cokers on my 46. With 40 lbs of air in them I constantly have people pulling up next to me telling me "I am getting a flat" Rich

 

What beaner said. Nylon tie-down strap

 

Dirt T tire shop tried the ratchet strap deal, didn't work. These tires are so stiff I think you could probably run them without air. Maybe they are Diamondback Run Flats. Rich

 

Finally got them mounted. Two days in the Florida sun, wedged 8 inches apart. My guy dismounted my old firestone bias tires ant took my new auburns quickly out of the sun kind of like hot out of the oven and mounted them. Even with all of this he still had to use the blaster to get them to air up. Took them home mounted them on my roadster dropped it off the jack, as I backed it put of my garage there was a scrunch- scrunch noise that I never heard before. Pilled the wheel off and it was the stick on balancing weights scraping on the old ford safety clips that keep the hub from coming off if you break an axle. [big sigh of relief] I peeled the weights off and am presently waiting for the contact cement to dry so I can move the weights away from the hub retainers. I thought being retired and working on old cars was supposed to be fun!

 

Just took my roadster for a ride, as much of a struggle it was to get the back tires mounted, it was worth every drop of sweat and extra gray hairs. This car drives steers and rides so much better than the bias ply tires that I had on before, I am amazed. The old tires wanted to follow every line and irregularity in the road, the Auburns track straight as an arrow. they look pretty good too! By the way I have Coker old time looking radials on my 46, these tires got them beat by a mile.. Thanks for the support guys Rich

 

Glad to hear your review of the auburns. How about some photos?

 

Been driving the wheels off my car. Would love to put up some pictures but my grandson is not around. I recently graduated from a flip phone to an I phone I can actually text pictures. If you need pictures real bad give me your # or wait till one of my grandsons is around. Don't wait for me to learn how to post pictures we will probably not be around that long! Rich

 

Took a ride in a friend’s A with them on it, SUPER nice ride and good looks. Going to get some for my A in the future......and other cars as needed (or budget allows).

Bias are nice but are soft and wear out quick, plus the sidewalls breakdown over time and start to wonder on the road. All that an they still cost around $200 a tire, a little more and you get Auburn’s. Only thing left to find out is how long they last (time and mileage).


It would be really great if Diamondback was a HAMB vendor.

 

I just got a set of their wide whitewall radials ( wanted the Auburns but they did not have what I needed size wise) I will say the quality is really good and the ride is as well. I paid an extra 50 bucks for quick delivery because I was going out of town for a week and didnt want then delivered with no one home.and got them really quick , their packaging ( wrapping) was done very well.