MTFCA Forum

Installing tubes and flaps and new tires on demountable rims. I have a three leg universal rim spreader that does not connect to the square bolt hole lugs on the rim, but overhangs the outside lip of the rim while spreading and retracting, which causes a little distortion in the rim while doing so. But my issues is I get the valve stem straight up and the rim is collapsed an inch or so and when I spread the rim to latch, the valve stem has bent over almost sideways following the rim shape. If I preload the bend, it is never enough and I am ending up with a valve stem that is tilted and will not go through the inner spoke wheel.
Is this a baby powder on everything before installing the rim thing? Or is this a soapy water on everything before installing rim thing?

What am I doing wrong. Getting a little frustrated, so walked away for a few hours and thought I'd seek assistance.

Thanks in advance. Don't know if it matters, most are flat strap and window latch style and one is a Canadian pin in the tube type. Same issue with both styles. Notice little holes on each side of the latch in the side of the rims on the Canadian style. What are those for?

Use baby powder only inside the tire for the tube. To straighten stem - remove the core, pull the stem past the desired direction to get straight. Add air, let deflate, repeat untill the stem is straight. Then put core back & final inflate.

I am trying that approach, but it seems that with the rim latched, it is very tight against the tire bead and the rubber flap and the tube with no core. I bend the valve stem, but no movement of the tube and flap combination under the rim and it just falls back into it's bent location.

Read the section in the Model T owners manual on changing tires.

signsup wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 26, 2024 12:42 pm

I am trying that approach, but it seems that with the rim latched, it is very tight against the tire bead and the rubber flap and the tube with no core. I bend the valve stem, but no movement of the tube and flap combination under the rim and it just falls back into it's bent location.

Plenty of baby powder in the tire & between the flap & tube. Baby powder is the lube.

Robert,
Position the stem at an angle while the rim is split so that as you spread the rim the stem straightens. As you have found out, starting with the stem straight up it has nowhere to go but angled as you expand the rim.

Go easy with the rim spreader, putting the legs in the wrong place and using brute force can damage the rim and turn a round rim into an egg shaped rim. You will need to use tire irons AND a rim spreader. Lots of older threads on how to install a tire on a split rim.

Have you tried putting inflating the tire then letting some air out so it still has some air in it but not completely empty. Then bounce the tire up and down for a while. Then inflate and pull out the valve and let all the air out. Keep trying until you get it into place. I have not had that much trouble doing this. When you used the tool to spread the rim, did you put the hook opposite the stem and then the two legs spread equally on both sides of the split so that both sides of the split are pulled equally? before you push out the sides of the rim, the valve should be toward the split so that it is pulled toward toward the base of the valve. I wish we lived closer so I could come over and help you.
Norm

Well, I'm walking away again for the evening. Put so much baby powder on this last attempt that my wife thinks I'm having an affair with the nanny next door. After getting the rim installed, no air or even core in valve stem, it is bent over and all the tugging and pulling and inflating and deflating isn't budging it once the rim is seated.
I fought this GD flap as I installed the rim with a tire spoon and really had to push this flap into the tire and tube as I went along. almost like it is undersized. I was one flap short and made that my spare tire with the worse rim and worse tube and worn tire and it went on with no issues and valve stem is so straight, it looks like it is hapy to see me.
So, I hate to do it, I'm sure it is something i'm not doing correctly, but I'm doing to take this flap out and cut it in half along it's width so that is has some room to expand and slip around a little. Then reinstall and keep my valve stem T wire tool on the stem and keep it straight as I expand the rim. I'm hoping the tight flap will be my issue and when it is all said and done, I'm still protecting 99 percent of my tube.
Will report back tomorrow.
I've got to hit the shower to get this white powder off me or the neighbors will think my tire mounting has driven me to cocaine.

Two points Robert. The pair of holes on either side of the split in the Canadian rim are there for a special tool used when collapsing and expanding the rim. Because it pulls evenly on both sides of the rim, there is no tendency for the rim to be twisted like the three legged tool can do. This Canadian tool is rarer than hen's teeth. I have only ever seen one.
Secondly, cutting the flap is not something I would do. Some were made that way, but I have found them in all sorts of positions when demounting tyres, even up under the tread side. If you must, make sure the cut is well away from the valve stem hole and the split in the rim. The main function of a flap in a split rim is to protect the tube from mis-alignment/damaged ends of the rim at the split.

Hope this helps,
Allan from down under.

Maybe this’ll help :

Robert,
Here is a link to an older post I did on the steps to install a tire on a split rim.


https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30794

Thank you for the tutorial. Reversing the spreader is a valuable lesson. I'll go down this morning and give this a try. I will still split the flap as I believe they are a very tight fit and do not have to be so. Plenty of powder if I have any left from yesterday, although my shop odor has gone from old canvas storage shed to Kids R Us. I'll split it opposite the valve stem hole as I believe the valve stem and rim slip area is the primary source for potential tube damage.
I'll report back.

One down and four to go. Slow and steady, steady and slow, that is the way to go. The slit flap and the repositioning of the screw spreader did the trick. Thanks to all who offered input. Painting wooden spoke wheels this weekend and then baby will have a new pair of shoes.

What brand tires &tubes are you installing? Also, what does the tread look like? Maybe you could post a photo of the tread? Thanks

On my previous military Model T, I went with a more aggressive, knobby tread design, but on the ambulance, I went with a more traditional tread design. I've had these on the shelf for a while. Universal tires. Tubes were what came out of the depot hack, all held air and contine to do so.