Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/34500
THERE ARE 3 EASY STEPS TO HELP MINIMIZE MISMOUNTED TIRES: 1. Use a generous amount of tire lube. Make sure that you only dilute the lube to the specifications of the manufacturer. Some shops will try to dilute the lube additionally to save money. This is a bad idea because the dollar or two you save on a bucket of lube won’t be worth replacing a tire due to irregular wear caused from mismount or damaged beads. from touching the ground. The reason you want to seat the beads with the tire horizontal is that if the initial inflation is done with the tire and wheel standing vertically, the weight of the wheel pushing down on the two beads must be overcome in order to center the wheel on the tire. A MICHELIN ® X One ® tire wheel weighs between 70 and 125 lbs. and it can be very hard to overcome gravity if tire beads are seated with the tire/wheel inflated standing up. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines require the tire to be inflated in an approved safety cage. However, the first 3 to 5 psi of air pressure may be applied to the tire outside the safety cage to properly seat the beads. 3. Inspect the guide rib to ensure that the tire is concentrically mounted. Using a small machinist’s ruler (available at most hardware stores for ~$2), check the wheel flange to the guide rib on your inflated tire. The maximum variation allowed is 2⁄32". You should check the wheel flange to the guide rib at 4 locations: 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00. 2. Inflate the assembly enough to seat the beads with the tire laying horizontally or parallel to the ground. A good practice to follow that will ensure the tire beads are seated properly is to lay the tire and wheel horizontally on the ground, or better yet, use a 5 gallon bucket as a stand, which will keep the bottom sidewall 12 9 6 Five gallon bucket filled with weights. MICHELIN X One Tire Maintenance 31 ® ® 3