WD40 Tyre change?

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

Hi

I saw a guy on YouTube using WD40 to lubricate the tyre bead making it easier to slip on, I use to use Washing up liquid but found out the salt in corrode the rims so I used a small amount of WD40 and it worked well, very well. Now! Is there any downsides? Obviously only used a small amount on the bead only.

Cheers

[outrunner 4,457]

My local bike shop uses this and swears by it, mind you, he swears quite a bit.

 

Andy.

[Gringo 5,079]

On the rare occasions I've changed a tyre on a motorcycle I've always used a watered down washing up liquid solution. I've never had any issues with salt corrosion. I also use it on stubborn bicycle tyres too, especially new ones. [I know....I'm weak] 

[Bugsy 175]

I always use WD40 to fit tyres and things like rubber grips. The stuff seems to disappear after a short while, probably partly evaporation of solvents and possibly absorption of some other contents. That said, a good old gob of spit can also work wonders, if not for tyre fitting but other things!

[davebike 943]

I would always recomend tyre soap  or hard hand soap 

Washing up liquid  too much salt and glyserine

WD40  may rot the rubber I not trust it exept in an emergency

https://mike.larsson.uk.com/en/category/21018020100/article/589169/

 

 

[fj_stuart 4,753]

Silicone spray is intended for use on rubber & plastics so no issues. I got a can last time I was in Lidl and have some tyres to fit so I’ll give it a try.

 

 

[embattle 332]

I'll leave it to someone else to worry about

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

13 minutes ago, embattle said:

I'll leave it to someone else to worry about

So speaks a man with money😉

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

48 minutes ago, davebike said:

 

WD40  may rot the rubber I not trust it exept in an emergency

https://mike.larsson.uk.com/en/category/21018020100/article/589169/

 

 

Bloody things do stay on long enough to rot

[t5er 74]

with all the power the nc has i would be worried about the wheel spinning in the tyre!!!!!!!!!!

[Andy m 23,522]

Block hand soap and the cheese grater for me. Mix with warm water.

 

WD40 is better than washing up liquid if stuck.

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

[Slowboy 20,445]

Tyre soap for me. A small tin lasts ages, probably last me forever. Works a treat and no issues so far in over 80,000 miles of doing it myself. Even small enough for me to take on a trip as part of the tool kit.👍

[embattle 332]

1 hour ago, Grumpy old man said:

So speaks a man with money😉

 

I reckon it would cost me more to do it myself, I mean the time it takes and then the problems I would probably cause by doing it wrong and that is before you get to it throwing me off my bike 😜

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

7 minutes ago, embattle said:

 

I reckon it would cost me more to do it myself, I mean the time it takes and then the problems I would probably cause by doing it wrong and that is before you get to it throwing me off my bike 😜

You have a point. 

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

1 hour ago, slowboy said:

Tyre soap for me. A small tin lasts ages, probably last me forever. Works a treat and no issues so far in over 80,000 miles of doing it myself. Even small enough for me to take on a trip as part of the tool kit.👍

Yeah I know, but I hate getting things off the internet and there's nowhere around here that sells it🤔

Cheers 

 

[Grumpy old man 4,673]

Thanks all.

[fj_stuart 4,753]

Well that was a pain in the arse. I fitted a new front to my CBF250 this afternoon. It pained me that there was still some visible tread but...winter is coming and it needs an MOT….

 

Home-made bead breaker.

 

The rim was a shocker. Years of winter use (or washing up liquid for fitting?) have resulted in corrosion.

 

Nothing the angle grinder & brush didn’t fix.

 

That when thing went bad. The tyre would just not seat. I lubed the tyre & rim with silicone spray but I don’t think that was the problem. Most tyres are fine but the odd one puts up a fight. I changed to a different lube (shower gel) and a bit of rope round the wheel on the opposite side from the bit that wouldn’t seat….and it eventually popped on (at 60 psi – yikes!)

 

Still, all’s well that end well.

 

I have two more to fit on my SV & FJ – I think a new tub of fitting soap is in order.

 

[fj_stuart 4,753]

From my records I see that the CBF's tyre (Avon Roadrider) lasted 17,400 miles – you’ve got to love small bikes.

[wobble 101]

Stuart, your home made bead breaker is a work of genius.

[fj_stuart 4,753]

12 minutes ago, wobble said:

Stuart, your home made bead breaker is a work of genius.

 

Thanks, I’ve used it successfully for many years. I borrowed a bead breaker from my brother and thought that I could make one. It doesn’t need to be portable so I bolted it to my garage wall for sturdiness. Maybe a little overbuilt – it can break the bead with only a little force on the handle. The main thing was getting the shape and angle of the blade right so that it applies the force right on the bead.

[davebike 943]

Befor I had a tyre machine I had a similar tool made up fro odd steel but at right angle wheel upright portable enough to go in Van back when iI worked mobile !

[fj_stuart 4,753]

Another day….another tyre…. another lube.

 

This evening I fitted a new front on my SV. My good lady donated a tub of the Body Shop’s Coconut Body Butter to the cause. The tyre was a bit of a struggle to get on the rim. I think this is because of its low profile (60%) The shallow sidewall causes the bead to ride on on the shoulder of the rim. Anyway once on it popped into position easily. The Body Butter also smells nice and leaves your hands wonderfully soft.

 

I tried to get my usual Avon Storm but these have been discontinued so I got an Avon Spirit instead. Looks very similar, just costs more.

 

I get my tyres from Bikespeed in Dechmont, West Lothian. Highly recommended. They have an excellent delivery service but I like to visit the shop. www.bikespeeduk.com

 

The job done. I removed the discs to avoid any damage during fitting.

[fj_stuart 4,753]

59 minutes ago, fj_stuart said:

I tried to get my usual Avon Storm but these have been discontinued so I got an Avon Spirit instead. Looks very similar, just costs more.

 

Avon still do the Storm but not in the SV’s front size (120/60 ZR 17)

[Reckless 945]

It must be about ten years ago that I bought a small bucket of tyre soap, cost about £8 if I remember correctly, I’ve only used the first couple of inches from it. At this rate it’s got about another 30 years of tyre fitting. I bought a bead breaker from m&p about two years ago and if that doesn’t work I fall back on my large bench vice, used that for about twenty years, never failed, even on car tyres/wheels