fitting the tyres

Hi,

I've satarted building my driving wagan while I'm waiting for the next batch of 2in Burrells to start. I've just finished making up the wheels so am now thinking about fitting the tyres. I've been out to B&Q and got all the neccessary Isoflex stuff. I've read all the advice about sanding the inside of the rubber etc. What's bothering me though, is when I look at the tyres against the wheels I cannot see how on earth I'm going to manage to streth the tyre over the wheel. It looks much to small!

Has anyone got any advice on the best way to go about this?

Thanks
Ian

I found using strong cable ties to hold the tire on one part of the wheel then move round the rim stretching it on with a couple of leavers and adding more ties as I went, (a bit like putting a tire on a bicycle). I put mine on after I had built the wheel which worked fine. At the point you start the ties are under a bit of stress so add two or three here to help spread the load.

Thanks for that. I hadn't thought of cable ties.

Cable ties are used for everything except tying cables up!

Hi,
Is your driving wagon your own design or a kit? I can't see a driving wagon on ST's website although there is a sort of trailer. Are you modifying that?
Would appreciate any help on this.

John

STW 2" wagon

2" driving wagon

Craig Wash redoing Stw control model
Wagon

Yes, That's the one I'm building. Had a sit on it at the factory when I was there a few weeks ago. The seating position was remarkably comfortable.

p.s. John, It would be great to meet up with another 2in. builder sometime. Whereabouts on the south coast are you? I'm in Rochester, Kent.

Ian

Stick the tyres in the oven and get some heat into them, preferrably when the wife is not looking. I did with my front wheels on the 4" road loco, a bit of wrestling on the floor with the tyre levers soon had them on. The tyres on mine looked to be around 30mm smaller in diameter as I recall so I had the same thought as you - how will they go on.

Brian

Hi Ian, I am on the south coast but in Milford on Sea, about 100 miles away at a guess! Still if you are in the area ever.! cheers John.

ian R I noticed you said the seat was comfortable on the 2" wagon, More importantly, I don't know how big you are! The reason I enquire is because I had a problem with the 2" wagons, when you sit upright on them all was well, when you lean forward to operate the engine, your weight shifts to the front and the front suspension drops, how much depends on the weight of the rider! If too heavy the wheels foul on the cross member and jams the whole lot up, Initially I didn't realise this and wondered why my burrell wouldn't pull me. I had to cut out the cross member, which had no structoral effect. and this resolved the problem. I did mention this to STW and they may have modified later versions.

Alan

A word of warning about heating the tyres in the oven before fitting. The front ones went fine but I must have over done the heating of the rears. The glued joints broke down before I even tried to stretch them. I tried cleaning them off thoroughly and re super gluing them but when I tried stretching them over the wheels my glued joints broke. So I'm getting a pair of replacement tyres from STW.

Ian