Comments on: Lighter + Fluid = Full Tire?

By: Tim Cushman

Tim Cushman — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:29:09 +0000

I can see how a controlled explosion inside the tire would seat the tire on the rim. The tricky question would be how much to use?

By: DAVE

DAVE — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:25:19 +0000

Sometimes when I had a problem filling a tire that would not seat, I would spray it inside with starter fluid, stand back throw a match tire seated just add air.
I would not do this on a used tire only new.

By: An-D

An-D — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:01:38 +0000

The spray is butane lighter fuel gas, spraying it inside a confined space (ie inside the tyre rim) then setting light to the gas causes a small explosion which inflates the tyre. Not a hoax, done all the time by offroaders in Iceland.

The reason the tyres have low pressure in them to start with is to spread the load of the vehicle over a larger surface area and allow more grip. The pressures can be low enough somtimes for the tyre to detatch from the rim. You can get special offroading wheels that have a tyre within a tyre. The main tyre has low pressure in it and a special smaller tyre that runs around the rim contains high pressure that forces the wall of the main tyre against the wheel rim, stopping it from detaching.

By: davelog

davelog — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:02:39 +0000

I would imagine it’s the same principle dragsters use to inflate their slicks by smoking the tires at the line – the heat causes the air within to expand, filling out the tire. In this case, there was enough inflation to re-seat the bead against the rim.

What baffles me, though, is the flash is so brief I don’t see how it could have generated enough heat to expand the air enough to inflate that big ole tire. Could be a hoax.

By: Anon

Anon — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:51:55 +0000

For the love of Judas Priest! What did he use for the spray!!! Why is that such a fucking state secret!!

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:13:15 +0000

I’ve done this before. It is a tubeless tire and the heat allows it to reseal to the rim. My guess is the expanding hot air filled the tire enough to get it some place with a compressor to fill it completely. When I did it, we lit it and then started filling it with air. Not super safe.