Proper pressure to seat the bead?

Bead seating pressure is referring to the inflation pressure of the tire and is not related to the working pressure of the pneumatic system running your tire machine or air hose.

Once the tire is mounted you begin the inflation process and the tire bead should seat prior to reaching the normal inflation pressure. Most automotive tires allows for seating pressures of 40 PSI which is far less than the working pressure of the tire machine.

So to answer the question - No, I don't adjust my regulator on my tire machine when I seat a tire bead. I simply observe the tire pressure while inflating the tire and if the bead hasn't set by 40 PSI then I break it down, re-lubricate it and start over.
 
I worked in the tire industry for a long time. Many lower profile tires would need 80+ psi to seat properly unless you wanted to fiddle with it all day long. Anything over 50-60 psi we would put in a cage.
 
I was just talking about the amount of air to use for it to actually make contact with the rim and actually seat the bead
 
I always regulate the pressure down to about 40 psi. You're just asking for it if you inflate way above the tire rating. In my experience, it's not the pressure that matters as much as the volume when getting the bead to seat. Use at least 3/8 hoses and fittings and get rid of the 1/4 inch ones. Remove the valve stem seals while seating, too.

If you have trouble getting beads to seat, be sure to use bead lube and if needed, a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire can help.
 
Well actually take on air is what I meant, not just blow it out the sides
Oh, on real tires I have to use the ratchet strap as I have a small compressor. On my mountain bike, next time I will turn down the regulator, as I think I did get close to blowing up a tubeless tire! It was looking a bit large for a moment!
 
Oh, on real tires I have to use the ratchet strap as I have a small compressor. On my mountain bike, next time I will turn down the regulator, as I think I did get close to blowing up a tubeless tire! It was looking a bit large for a moment!
I just had the tire shop mount a couple mower tires I bought like 4 years ago as spares, one of them was folded in quite a bit and didn't want to seat. He sprayed some soapy water in the area and she seated right after! I think it takes a while for them to slowly come out of their folded up storage state, but it will after about 20 seconds or so it seems.
 
Folded up tires do well if you stuff chunks of 2x4 between the beads, to stretch them out, and leave them somewhere warm so the rubber gets real pliable.
 
BITOG taught me about the ratchet strap method and that was the cat’s meow last weekend dealing [again] with a deflated ZTR steer tire which totally came off the bead and wouldn’t press outward enough to re-seat. Great method!

-m
 
BITOG taught me about the ratchet strap method and that was the cat’s meow last weekend dealing [again] with a deflated ZTR steer tire which totally came off the bead and wouldn’t press outward enough to re-seat. Great method!

-m
I've heard, but what happens when it seats real quick. Does it break the strap?
 
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