Tire Repair and Replacement
By E.L. (Steve) Stephenson

One of the fun Model T chores is the job of putting new or repaired tires on the wheels.  The strained and pinched fingers, tempers and backs can be eased by using a few tricks commonly used in the thirties when some of our members were kids.  Follow these easy steps.

NOTE: Suggest to all spectators that this may be a job with dust, tools or verbal expressions flying around and picking flowers down by the road may be more fun for them.  Or they may rather be the cheering or jeering section from afar.

1.      Leave the rim (wheel) on the car or mounted to the spare tire carrier.  This ensures firm support to pull, pry or pound against.

2.      Turn the wheel so the valve stem is pointing down.

3.      The older tires were clincher type and had to be stretched enough to go over the edge of the rim.  To fix a flat, let all the air out, pry one side of the tire off over the clincher rim and remove the tube.  It is usually best then to pry the rest of the tire from the rim and check for thorns, nails, etc.  Patch the tube and return the tire with the liner, if used.  Insert the valve with both beads into the rim and pry both beads on at once.  This usually saves the tube.

4.      Use talcum powder on the tube and rub soap on the rim and tire beads.  Occasionally, Model T cars could be seen with soap bubbles around the rim in wet weather which was evidence of less that perfect patch jobs.

5.      A new tire should be pre stretched before mounting.

6.      Use plenty of air in the tubes, 60 pounds or more, to keep the tire from turning on the rim and cutting the tube.  Having a spare tube in the repair supplies is a good idea.

7.      Keep your tire irons highly polished to help the beads slip into place.  A good hammer with a smooth round head helps to beat the beads onto the rims.  Good strong hands make the use of tools not even necessary.  A bead breaker was a common tool to separate the beads from the rim and not damage it.  A bead spreader was also handy to inspect the inside of the tire for thorns, nails, etc.  Most drivers kept a boot and friction tape for blown out tires.  A piece of tire fabric could be used to wrap around a blown out tire with tape.  When aired up the clinchers would hold it in place.

The above described methods worked on the new drop center wheels bought in 1926.  Both beads could still be pried on at once which usually saved the tube.  It was very helpful to clean the rust, mud or bits of old tires from the rims before mounting the tires.  Duct tape can now be used on the old drop center wheel centers.