MTFCA Forum

I have tried to mount my 30 inch clincher tire on my rim and between my back and wrong tools I can not do it ,is there anybody that could help me in Portsmouth, VA ?.I could pay a reasonable amount. MEL.

Did you try your local tire shops? Maybe you'll get lucky like I did and find one with not one, but two fellas that actually like to mount them. Or a motorcycle shop. Good luck.

Leete Tire Petersburg VA.

It's much easier to mount a clincher tire with the wheel on the car.

You can mount the tire without using any tools except perhaps toward the very end of the mounting process if at all.

The last couple times I did it, I did not need any tire irons to mount the tire - just my hands.

With the above being said, you may have a friend, relative or neighbor willing to help you.

See this thread and scroll down to where Royce Peterson shows how he installs clincher tires - this is exactly how I have done it:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/25 ... 1343386992

If you don't have any tire irons, pick up a couple at Harbor Freight - I see they have a store in the Portsmouth area:

https://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-g ... 93230.html

Before using the Harbor Freight tire irons, check them for sharp edges and dress them with a file if necessary.

Mounting (and removing) model T type clincher tires/rims is much more about technique than it is about strength. My point in saying this is to point out that a friend or neighbor that does not know them is likely not going to be much help. Good model T people that become masters at fixing T tires start out taking a couple hours fighting with one tire before they begin to "get" it. I have seen 80 year old owners fix a flat in less than a half hour after refusing help from younger club members on T a tour! That less than a half hour was the full remove tire, repair tube, replace tire (portable air compressor to air it up, hey, the fellow wasn't crazy at his age!). Done during the lunch stop, and still had time to eat!

I am not deriding Mel King's abilities. Just saying the help he needs is someone familiar with clincher type tires. Besides, if his last name is King? And from Virginia or anywhere around Tennessee? He may be a distant cousin of mine! (Actually, almost any last name with family going back to the revolutionary war time in that area is likely a distant cousin of mine!)

I know a few people here have said they found tire shop personnel that knew clinchers. But those are rare. Motorcycle shops are a bit more likely, as some motorcycles did use clinches, and not so long ago. Tom Hicks may know the shop he recommended?

I tried the "bag trick" unsuccessfully and decided to take my tires to a local tire shop (not a big name franchise). For $10 a tire they mounted the tires complete with flaps and did a nice job. They were actually excited to work on something that old so I took the car over after I got it running and took them for a ride. I made some friends and have my future tire problems solved.