Used to be a common thing with tractor and heavy truck tires. We used ether (starting fluid) though. It's really not a VIOLENT explosion and with some of the old heavy walled bias ply tractor tires, it was about the only way you could do it in the field without a tire truck and big compressor.
John Stricker
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05:42 PM
phreakboy4 Member
Posts: 644 From: Coatesville,PA,USA Registered: Oct 2000
This is actually a very common practice among offroaders, since tires tend to become unseated from airing down, you dont have too many choices out in the middle of the woods. I have also seen offroad tires since they are generally way wider than the wheels, fly up into the air about 5-6 feet with enough ether used.
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06:17 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
I have been using Starting Fluid & a Match to set the bead & fill the tire with air out in the brush for years. Old backwoods mechanics trick.
That, and busting all the glass off of a sparkplug, then welding an airhose nipple to it. Remove one sparkplug, install altered plug, plug in airhose. start truck (will be missfiring on one cylinder), and fill tire, raft, blow-up doll, etc.................
[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 03-14-2009).]
I have been using Starting Fluid & a Match to set the bead & fill the tire with air out in the brush for years. Old backwoods mechanics trick.
That, and busting all the glass off of a sparkplug, then welding an airhose nipple to it. Remove one sparkplug, install altered plug, plug in airhose. start truck (will be missfiring on one cylinder), and fill tire, raft, blow-up doll, etc.................
Fill a 12ft weather baloon, with air / gasoline mixture. Attach something to make a spark?
Like Master Charge says, 'Priceless'. ------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke....... OK, we're trying to quit.
[This message has been edited by DtheC (edited 03-14-2009).]
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08:27 PM
texasfiero Member
Posts: 4674 From: Houston, TX USA Registered: Jun 2003
I have been using Starting Fluid & a Match to set the bead & fill the tire with air out in the brush for years. Old backwoods mechanics trick.
That, and busting all the glass off of a sparkplug, then welding an airhose nipple to it. Remove one sparkplug, install altered plug, plug in airhose. start truck (will be missfiring on one cylinder), and fill tire, raft, blow-up doll, etc.................
My dad used to carry one of those (early 50s). It came with one of his cars. Never saw it used tho.
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08:28 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003
Like Mr. Sticker says that is the common way to bead a tractor tire in the field. Gas works well also.
I have in a real bind used a come along to squeeze the tread on a really cold cold tire then poured a bit of Diesel in the wheel then lit it to get some heat going so it would bead. Probably not real good for the inside of the tire but when you are 60 miles inland off road working some god forsaken Plateau you will do just about anything to get your equipment and you back to the landing.
I also helped and old timer on the same job weld a a chain into a make shift coupling on a drive track off a D6 cat dozer. He used three big tractor batteries and jumper cables and various bits of metals we could scrounge up including coins. Man was an artist. He was old way back when I was a teen ager so I fear he is gone by now but damn what a waste when he went with all his krazy knowlegde and experience.
Another common thing we did was used barbed wire we found out there to mend chains that ran spokets for different equipment. Even used barbed wire to literally sew to chains togethr to make one. We have wrapped broken LoveJoys together with barbed wire and then wrapped them in duct tape. That works for days even.
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09:31 PM
cliffw Member
Posts: 37553 From: Bandera, Texas, USA Registered: Jun 2003
Originally posted by Boondawg: That, and busting all the glass off of a sparkplug, then welding an airhose nipple to it. Remove one sparkplug, install altered plug, plug in airhose. start truck (will be missfiring on one cylinder), and fill tire, raft, blow-up doll, etc.................
Never thought of that, good idea. Got me to thinking. I just checked my engine compressor tester. It has a one foot hose with a quick disconnect (male). A female hose quick connect sure enough fits perfect.
It's really not a VIOLENT explosion and with some of the old heavy walled bias ply tractor tires, it was about the only way you could do it in the field without a tire truck and big compressor.
