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Old 03-10-2010, 09:01 PM
  #19  
Galeleo
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I have glued several sets of tires and all have come out great and none have come apart. I have used jc concepts, aka and proline wheels with their respective rubber.

The process I use is rather simple.

First, I boil my rims for 10 minutes and let dry and cool.

While the tires are drying/cooling, I place the foam inserts into the tire, then using denatured alcohol, I moisten a lint free cloth and then wipe down the bead of the tire. I usually put on a pair of latex gloves while I do this to prevent my sweaty fingers from contaminating any of the surfaces that are to be glued.

Once the rims have cooled and are dry, I then wipe the sections where the tire will sit with a cloth moistened with denatured alcohol.

I then ensure that I have some AKA glue with the application tubing ready and cut to length.

With gloves on, I mount the tires to the rims, and massage the tires to ensure that the foam and tires are seated properly. You will be able to feel if the foam is buckled or pinched. It important to ensure that the tire is properly contoured and seated. I double check the edges of the tires to ensure they are in the groves and that there is no lint/hair/fuzzies between the rim and the tire.

Once all the tires are mounted, and everything looks good I set the tires on the table on a piece of wax paper, front side up.

I then open my glue, check the hole and remove any crud or dried glue from the tip, then insert my applicator tube. Ensure there is a snug fit and that the glue will flow through the tube. (For those that are unfamiliar with this applicator tube, it is a plastic tube that is about the same diameter as syringe needle, that can be cut to length. This allows the glue to be put precisely between the rim and the tire bead with flow control of the glue.)

Once the glue is ready, I grab my first tire, and with one hand I GENTLY pry the tire from the rim with my finger and thumb enough so that the tube on the glue bottle will fit in the gap. I gently squeeze the bottle so that a small amount of glue will flow, but no too much that when I let the tire free, it ooozes all over the rim and sidewall of the tire. I work my way around the tire until its completely glued. Once complete I set the tire aside from the others, glue side up, and grab the next tire and repeat. Once the front side of the tires are done, I grab the first tire and repeat for the back side of the tire. When its done, I set it aside from the others, freshly glued side up. Repeat this for the other tires. It only takes a few minutes for the glue to set, but I usually give them an hour to sit before mounting them and running on them. Before I run on the tires I inspect them to ensure they are fully secured and that there are no spots that didn't adhere to the rim.

I glue the whole tire bead to the rim, I always have, and never had any problems with the tires coming off the rim. I always have problems removing the tires from the rim when doing this glue method, boiling and acetone don't work. I usually have to use a sharp utility knife to cut the tires from the rims when the tires need to be changed.

For those that are wondering why I boil the rims, its for two reasons:
1. It softens the plastic and makes it more flexible and less prone to cracking.
2. It cleans the rim and removes any residue/oils from the rim. The boiling allows the glue to adhere to the rims MUCH better.

When boiling I have never had a rim deform or become too soft.

Anyhow, that is the method I have been doing, hope it helps some people out. I know its not the best way, but it works for me.
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