Sunday, July 13, 2008

Changing tyres in under 30 secs

I recently came across a video, uploaded onto the internet, of a person beading, removing and replacing a go kart tyre. Granted he appeared to be endowed with arms that would put hydraulic machines to shame, we (JOSHUA of OB Racing and I) decided to put our combined mettle to the test or at least demonstrate to our go karting compatriates how normal humans can perform the same task.


1) Remove tyre from vehicle and place on the floor face up.
















2) Unscrew the air tight screws from the inner tyre rim walls.
















3) Push down on the sides of the tyre, bending or pinching the surface of the wheel that when being driven comes into contact with the tarmac. Push it as far down as you can. As these tyres are tubeless, the seal around the wheel and rim will be very tight.















4) When you have managed to create some space between the rubber tyre and the metal rim, you will need to apply a soap solution to lubricate and loosen the seal. This assists the beading of the tyre and is an essential aid.
















5) You may use a tool as a lever to wedge the rubber tyre away from the rim. You will have to

be very careful not to scratch the rim or damage the rubber tyre. For this reason, i suggest to refrain from using a screw driver.















6) Push the rim down and pull the rubber tyre over the rim.






























7) To replace the tyre, push the rim down into the rubber tyre. Remember that you will need to use the soap solution to lubricate the trye and rim to make the process easier, as the tyre rubber is very inflexible.
















8) Once the tyre has been pushed around the rim, you will wonder how to properly align the rubber seal with the rim. We will use air pressure to "pop" the wheel into place.
















9) replace the air tight screws but screw it just enough to be flush with the metal surface or the rim and not past it, as it will impede the rubber tyre from snapping into place.















10) Inflate the tyre slowly, using soap solution as lubricant between the tyre and rim. WARNING, DO NOT USE YOUR FINGER TO APPLY THE SOAP SOLUTION. The tyre can snap into place at any time, pinching or even slicing off your finger.





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