14 replies to this topic

[SlowBeas]

I have a virtually new set of tires, and one of the tires has a broken hub that makes the tire slightly oblong in shape. I hate to toss the tire, since the set was virtually new before running for only a small number of laps.

 

Unless there's a better way to resolve the issue, I'm envisioning removing the rubber from the broken hub and placing it on a good hub. My problem is that I've never mounted/unmounted tires. 

 

Is this idea the easiest way to resolve the issue and, if so, what do I use to remove the rubber without damaging it so that I can place it on a new hub?

[LiqTenExp]

Acetone will break down glue but I don't typically reuse the donut after exposure to acetone. You also need something like 3M trim adhesive to reattach to new hub (after prep).

[SlowBeas]

Thanks for the guidance. I had read online about the possible use of acetone. I have none at home. Looks like it's time to visit the local hardware store.

[Wink Hackman]

Doesn't have to be acetone - white spirit, naptha, or isopropanol will all work if you soak the wheel for a day. Or if you're impatient, dunk the wheel in boiling water for five minutes. It will be a bit more work, but the donut will peel off.

Remount the donut with contact adhesive - Evostik will do, plenty of other options are available.

[Eddie Fleming]

Give it a try by all means,

 

My fear would be how the rubber will be for traction after soaking in any of the mentioned chemicals. 

[Bill Breck]

Thanks for the guidance. I had read online about the possible use of acetone. I have none at home. Looks like it's time to visit the local hardware store.

 

Fingernail polish remover is basically acetone. I don't use it that often so whenever I need some I buy a bottle of remover at the dollar store.

[DeanJ]

What tires are they? Do you have a picture of the packaging?

[SlowBeas]

FYI, they were JK .765" tires with plastic rims. That's what I typically use for the Indy races. They were perfect out of the bottle, but I took a turn too fast, slid into the next lane, and made a "rider" smash into the wall at top speed.

 

The issues I had in the first race significantly reduced my lap total, as you can imagine. After placing another set on the back axle, all was well and my second race totals were more in line with expectations. Take a look at my weekend post from The Doghouse and you can see what a difference it made.

 

Thanks to all for your input.

[Tex]

Just buy another set of tires...

[Mike Patterson]

Lacquer thinner.

 

You'll have to true the new wheel/tire combo up, as well, so don't forget to true the other one, too.

[Jay Guard]

Hi Jim:

 

You could try putting the bad tire on a tire truer and then taking a sharpened piece of 1/16"? piano wire and while the tire is spinning insert the wire between the hub and tire. I have no idea if this will work as I've never done anything like that but this concept is often used to remove excessive rubber from the OD when making new tires. If it does work it would preserve the rubber, whereas using enough solvent to remove the tire from the rim would almost certainly degrade the rubber's "grip" to a certain extent.

 

Good luck!

[Wink Hackman]

Soaking in isopropanol for an hour or so won't destroy the tyre (tire ) - it will all evaporate. Maybe if you pickled it for a week it would be a different story.  Give it a go. Still, as others have said, it's easier to just buy a new pair.

[Bill Seitz]

Isopropanol will not dissolve the adhesive used for mounting a tire. I suspect that acetone or any solvent is going to remove the oil from the rubber and essentially dry it out which kills the grip. You can try anything that's been suggested, but it's likely the tire won't be usable any longer (no grip). Incidentally, I use Isopropanol for cleaning around my cars, and I avoid getting it on tires because it does effect the grip.

 

From experience, applying too much rubber restorative (I use Bar's One Stop oil stop leak) soaks down to the hub and adhesive and will un-glue the tire from the hub. However, a tire saturated with this oily substance is then going to be impossible to re-glue to a hub. Rubber restorative might revive a tire dried out by solvent exposure, but the process is now getting more complex without being guaranteed to succeed. I side with the post that suggests just buying a replacement set.

[pn6]

Yeah there's no way to save the rubber using chemicals. Sure you can get the rubber off the rim but the rubber will be junk after it dries. Now you have a spare in case you wipe out another wheel!

[team burrito]

Just buy another set of tires...

if you don't own a tire truer, you're better off buy a new set.