What's the best way to install a new tire tube ?

[[email protected]]

I have an ASW-15B. Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? The tire tread
looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.

I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. If anyone
has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
really like to know. I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
are roughly the same. Any knowledge....please advise.

SA

[[email protected]]

Have you tried 'Fix-a-Flat' from an aerosol can? Worked well for me so
far.

Bob

On Mar 6, 10:32*pm, wrote:
> I have an ASW-15B. *Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
> and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? *The tire tread
> looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.
>
> I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
> end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. *If anyone
> has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
> really like to know. *I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
> have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
> are roughly the same. *Any knowledge....please advise.
>
> SA

[shywon]

On Mar 6, 9:32*pm, wrote:
> I have an ASW-15B. *Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
> and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? *The tire tread
> looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.
>
> I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
> end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. *If anyone
> has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
> really like to know. *I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
> have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
> are roughly the same. *Any knowledge....please advise.
>
> SA

Have you tried tightening or replacing the valve stem yet?

[Eric Greenwell]

wrote:
> I have an ASW-15B. Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
> and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? The tire tread
> looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.
>
> I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
> end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. If anyone
> has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
> really like to know. I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
> have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
> are roughly the same. Any knowledge....please advise.

How old are the tire and tube? If it's more than 10 years, I recommend a
new tire and tube; if it's less than 5 years, remove the tire and tube
and inspect it. In between - probably worth doing either one.

I have no idea how to do this properly unless it's a Cleveland wheel,
the only kind I'm familiar with.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[Uncle Fuzzy]

On Mar 6, 8:31*pm, Eric Greenwell > wrote:
> wrote:
> > I have an ASW-15B. *Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
> > and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? *The tire tread
> > looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.
>
> > I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
> > end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. *If anyone
> > has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
> > really like to know. *I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
> > have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
> > are roughly the same. *Any knowledge....please advise.
>
> How old are the tire and tube? If it's more than 10 years, I recommend a
> new tire and tube; if it's less than 5 years, remove the tire and tube
> and inspect it. In between - probably worth doing either one.
>
> I have no idea how to do this properly unless it's a Cleveland wheel,
> the only kind I'm familiar with.
>
> --
> Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
> * Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> * "Transponders in Sailplanes"http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
> * * * Sections on Mode S, TPAS, ADS-B, Flarm, more
>
> * "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" atwww.motorglider.org

Most glider wheels that I've seen have a hub that bolts together.
It's a LOT easier to change out a tire/tube than most types of tires.
Let all the air out, then unbolt the wheel halves. Once they're
unbolted, it may take a bit of effort to get it loose from the tire,
but once you get one wheel half out, it should be very easy to remove
the tube and replace it. With the new tube in place, put enough air
in it to keep it from being pinched when you bolt the wheel halves
back together. Avoid cheap tubes. I bought and installed a cheapo
last year, and regret it. I have to add air to the tire every other
week.

[bumper]

"Uncle Fuzzy"

Most glider wheels that I've seen have a hub that bolts together.
It's a LOT easier to change out a tire/tube than most types of tires.
Let all the air out, then unbolt the wheel halves. Once they're
unbolted, it may take a bit of effort to get it loose from the tire,"

What Uncle Fuzzy said *except*!

If you plan to re-use the tube, and maybe even if not, you do not want to
unbolt the wheel halves until after you break the tire beads. Let the air
out, break the beads, then unbolt the wheel halves.

If you do unbolt the wheel halves first, and then have difficulty breaking
the beads, it's easy to pinch the tube between the wheel halves as you work
to get the beads pushed towards the center of the wheel.

bumper
zz
Minden

[Uncle Fuzzy]

> What Uncle Fuzzy said *except*!
>
> If you plan to re-use the tube, and maybe even if not, you do not want to
> unbolt the wheel halves until after you break the tire beads. Let the air
> out, break the beads, then unbolt the wheel halves.
>
> If you do unbolt the wheel halves first, and then have difficulty breaking
> the beads, it's easy to pinch the tube between the wheel halves as you work
> to get the beads pushed towards the center of the wheel.
>
> bumper
> zz
> Minden

Yeah! What HE said....

[bildan]

On Mar 6, 8:32*pm, wrote:
> I have an ASW-15B. *Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
> and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? *The tire tread
> looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.
>
> I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
> end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. *If anyone
> has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
> really like to know. *I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
> have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
> are roughly the same. *Any knowledge....please advise.
>
> SA

What everybody else said - plus I'd suggest coating the tube and
inside of the tire with talc to prevent the tube from sticking. That
helps the tube even itself out reducing the chance of wrinkles and
pinching.

[Darryl Ramm]

On Mar 6, 11:05*pm, "bumper" > wrote:
> "Uncle Fuzzy"
>
> Most glider wheels that I've seen have a hub that bolts together.
> It's a LOT easier to change out a tire/tube than most types of tires.
> Let all the air out, then unbolt the wheel halves. *Once they're
> unbolted, it may take a bit of effort to get it loose from the tire,"
>
> What Uncle Fuzzy said *except*!
>
> If you plan to re-use the tube, and maybe even if not, you do not want to
> unbolt the wheel halves until after you break the tire beads. Let the air
> out, break the beads, then unbolt the wheel halves.
>
> If you do unbolt the wheel halves first, and then have difficulty breaking
> the beads, it's easy to pinch the tube between the wheel halves as you work
> to get the beads pushed towards the center of the wheel.
>
> bumper
> zz
> Minden

But then what do you do with those cans of Fix-a-Flat? Luckily there
you don't need to waste those cans. The propellant can give you quite
a buzz... so if you stick the hose in your nose and give it a little
quirt you can get a convenient high. Just *don't* shake the can
beforehand and hold it perfectly upright because you don't want too
much of that goo going up your nose (a little won't hurt).

---

Grrr. If your tire or valve is leaking *fix it*. Who wants to spend a
flight worrying about whether some junk fix-a-flat repair might have
failed or whether it is masking some serious problem like a pinched
inner tube. Who even wants to waste a trip to the gliderport to fly to
find the Fix-a-Flat has failed. And Fix-a-Flat et al takes a while to
set, how are you supposed to spin the wheel long enough to get the
stuff to coat properly? I bet you'll feel the out of balance from the
ball of latex snot in the bottom of the tube.

Sigh


Darryl

[Tim Mara[_2_]]

there is only one way....remove the wheel, split the hub after removing the
5 bolts on 5" wheels (only three if it's the older type 4" wheel) that hold
the two halves together and remove and replace the old inner tube with a new
one..reverse the procedure and re-install.....You probably might as well
replace the old tire too unless it is only a few years old....tires do
degrade with time so even one with plenty of tread (I rarely see glider
tires that show much tread wear since most are flown off grass and spend
little time and energy on the ground)
This is one maintenance area where owner/operators are allowed to do the
work without an A&I sighing it off.
tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

> wrote in message
...
>I have an ASW-15B. Anyone have any good advice to make sure I safely
> and securely install a new "tube" inside my tire? The tire tread
> looks good, it just needs air everytime I show up to fly it.
>
> I would hate to blow a flat on takeoff then have to reject or worse
> end up in a ground loop due to a blowout....could happen. If anyone
> has any steps, measures or procedures that they can pass on, I would
> really like to know. I have never put a tube on an airplane before, I
> have put tubes on bicycle tires, which I imagine the basic basic steps
> are roughly the same. Any knowledge....please advise.
>
> SA

[JS]

It's three step process.
Wheel on the inside.
Tube in between.
Tire (tyre) on the outside.
Use a new tube and tire, which are relatively cheap. Not worth
buggering about with old stuff and "fix a flat".
Haven't tried Daryll's inhalation technique.
The UF/ZZ technique is good. On most gliders it's easy with a split
wheel.
Jim

[Ian Burgin]

At 06:55 08 March 2009, JS wrote:
> It's three step process.
>Wheel on the inside.
>Tube in between.
>Tire (tyre) on the outside.
> Use a new tube and tire, which are relatively cheap. Not worth
>buggering about with old stuff and "fix a flat".
>Haven't tried Daryll's inhalation technique.
>The UF/ZZ technique is good. On most gliders it's easy with a split
>wheel.
>Jim
>
The easiest way to split a wheel is to use air pressure. Undo the bolts
then inflate the inner tube, this provides even pressure round the wheel
and splits it.

[Steve Leonard[_2_]]

And if you haven't gotten all the way through the process yet, here are a
couple of other things to check.

Once you get the assembly out of the glider, the wheel halves seperated
(if you do use air pressure, don't have the nuts loosened very much. A
turn or so should do. You don't want the thing to get a running start.)
and the wheel halves seperated from the tire, you should do some checking.
Fill the tube with some air, and put it under water. See where it it
bubbling. If it is from the valve core, replace the valve core. They are
cheap, and will leak sometimes.

If the leak is from some other part of the tube, and you are going to
re-use your tire, check and see that the thorn that made the hole is no
longer there. No point in putting a new tube in so it can get a hole in
the same place! You will also note that the manufacturers generally say
to always replace the tire and tube as a set.

Take the new tube, inflate it and hold it under water. Wouldn't want to
put a leaking tube (again, valve cores are ofen the culprit) into the
plane. This just adds further frustration. If you haven't already, buy
some valve cores and an extraction tool from your local auto parts store.
This won't even set you back 10 bucks, stores in less space than a cell
phone, and is well worth every penny to have the spares around.

I get all the air I can out of the tube before putting it in the tire, but
then inflate it some before putting the wheel back together. MUCH less
likely to pinch the tube when you do that. Some plain old baby powder
inside the tire isn't a bad idea. Or, the little bag of Tire Talc you
may get from Desser (or your favorite glider tire supplier) when you buy
tires or tubes from them.

The hardest part of the process is getting the brake to work again after
you change the tire (I always seem to have troubles getting the arm back
on the splines where it was before I took it off).

Steve Leonard
Wichita, KS

[Darryl Ramm]

On Mar 8, 9:45*am, Steve Leonard > wrote:
> And if you haven't gotten all the way through the process yet, here are a
> couple of other things to check.
>
> Once you get the assembly out of the glider, the wheel halves seperated
> (if you do use air pressure, don't have the nuts loosened very much. *A
> turn or so should do. *You don't want the thing to get a running start.)
> and the wheel halves seperated from the tire, you should do some checking..
> *Fill the tube with some air, and put it under water. *See where it it
> bubbling. *If it is from the valve core, replace the valve core. *They are
> cheap, and will leak sometimes.
>
> If the leak is from some other part of the tube, and you are going to
> re-use your tire, check and see that the thorn that made the hole is no
> longer there. *No point in putting a new tube in so it can get a hole in
> the same place! *You will also note that the manufacturers generally say
> to always replace the tire and tube as a set. *
>
> Take the new tube, inflate it and hold it under water. *Wouldn't want to
> put a leaking tube (again, valve cores are ofen the culprit) into the
> plane. *This just adds further frustration. *If you haven't already, buy
> some valve cores and an extraction tool from your local auto parts store.
> This won't even set you back 10 bucks, stores in less space than a cell
> phone, and is well worth every penny to have the spares around.
>
> I get all the air I can out of the tube before putting it in the tire, but
> then inflate it some before putting the wheel back together. *MUCH less
> likely to pinch the tube when you do that. *Some plain old baby powder
> inside the tire isn't a bad idea. *Or, the little bag of Tire Talc you
> may get from Desser (or your favorite glider tire supplier) when you buy
> tires or tubes from them.
>
> The hardest part of the process is getting the brake to work again after
> you change the tire (I always seem to have troubles getting the arm back
> on the splines where it was before I took it off).
>
> Steve Leonard
> Wichita, KS

Good stuff.

And just in case somebody has done you a "favor" by putting a plastic
valve cap on the tube replace it with a metal one. New tubes should
come with then or many tire places have them. A real metal one with o-
ring seal. The cheap crap plastic ones many car tires come with leak
and can crack in non-obvious ways especially if overtightened. Not
only do they keep dust out but a good one will stop a valve leak (and
if not that then certainty) a sudden failure of the valve (yes
unlikely, but...).

Darryl

[rlovinggood]

And,

An easy way to check the valve core is to put a little spit on it
(while it is still in the valve stem and on the tire that is full of
air) and see if bubbles form. If not, there's probably not a leak.
If bubbles are forming, then, the valve is leaking.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA