Tire stretching is a new idea that is prevailing in the industry.
Stretching a tire provides better sidewall control and prevents the tire from rubbing against the fender, improving lifespan and mileage.
To begin with stretching, slip the tire into the rim by applying soapy water. After that, spray flammable gas on all the sides of the inner tire and the rim. After completion, light it up with fire, and the tire shall pop out to cover the full rim. Now, to remove the fire on the rim, use the air compressor. Use the same air compressor to fill in the air or eliminate some as per the tire pressure requirement.
It can be a risky task to work on tire stretching. The first risk is that the tire suddenly pops out, and the second risk can be the fire spread. So, it would be best to have a fire extinguisher near you.
What is Tire Stretching?
Tire stretching is the fitting of small tires into wider rims or wheels. It is an art that can boost the performance as well as the aesthetics of your vehicle. This exercise has become popular among car owners as they want to fit narrow tires into wider rims rather than buy new ones that can originally be installed into the rim.
There is a suspicion around the concept of tire stretching; that is, it compromises the car’s performance. The problems related to performance are true, but only to some parts. The reason behind this is that there are a few ways of stretching tires, and all of them are not good, but some are right.
So, to get the ideal results, you need to follow the right tire stretching process. This article has detailed steps to help you with stretching and the supplies you will require to do it.
Can I Stretch My Tires at Home?
Yes, you can stretch them at home, but only if you are following the right practices to do it. To stretch a tire, you must play with fire, which can be catastrophic. So, it is my recommendation to avoid doing it at home; if you can do it the right way, it will prevent you from worrying about any damage.
Supplies You’ll Need To Stretch Your Tires
Even though tire stretching is mostly dependent on a process, there are some things you need to do.
- Flammable Spray: You do not need a specific set of flammable sprays. It can be done with any flammable spray. To fulfil your process, you can also use deodorants or brake cleaners, as both are highly flammable and can get the job done.
- Air Compressor: It is essential to fill the tires with air after stretching. But it does not mean that you will need an air compressor all the time, but the tire might need some extra air after going through the stretching.
- Fire Extinguisher: This equipment is necessary for safety as you will have to fire up the tire at one point, so it will be wise to get an extinguisher in your hands to stop the fire from spreading.
How To Stretch Tires (5 Easy Steps)
Step 1:
Begin with preparation of the rim and the tire that you want to start with. Keep in mind that tire size must be smaller as compared to the rim for the entire process to work because the reason for the tire stretching is to fit a small tire into a larger rim.
Any type of tire is not stretchable and will not be fitted onto the rim. Therefore, be sure to do some research before you start stretching if you want to do it by yourself in your backyard or garage. To promote safety, it is my recommendation that you take the rim and the tire to the backyard instead of the garage.
Step 2:
The next step is to lay down the rim (should be of steel) in the backyard on a flat surface. After that, slip the tire inside the rim. In order to perform the tire slipping in a smooth way, use soapy water and apply it on the tire beads.
To slip the other end of the bead, a tire spoon or a long flat screwdriver will be used. If you are a newbie and have never done it before, be careful as the tire spoon can kickback when slipping the other end of the tire bead. So, you need to keep it in one place and do it firmly by holding it tight.
Step 3:
Spread the gas across the inner side of the tire by using flammable spray. The most popular options include brake cleaners, deodorants or hair sprays.
In order to make the process more interesting, butane is also an option that can be used as a flammable spray. It is highly flammable, so try to use it carefully. Another point is how much flammable spray you must use, the answer to it depends on the tire size. Larger tires will need higher volumes of spray when you do a comparison of them with smaller sized tires.
You might be familiar with it or heard about it that the air compressor must be connected to the tire before firing it up. But this process is not the right one. The air compressor must be connected after that. Once you spray the tire, fire it up.
Step 4:
In this step, the tire should pop automatically in order to fill the extra space on the rim, and the face of the beads should be inwards. The fire will be spread across the tire diameter so you need to use an air compressor to blow it off.
Just keep in mind that a minimum amount of fire will be there. So, if in any case, things get out of hand, do not be alarmed, use a fire extinguisher immediately.
Another point to keep in mind is, when the tire comes out, you will hear a sound that can be alarming in nature. The best course of action is to keep the children away, especially if you are doing it in the backyard.
Step 5:
When the tire takes the extra space in the rim, you need to use the air compressor to examine the tire pressure and, if needed, fill in or compress the needed air volume.
That is it, readers. Now, you have successfully learned and fitted a small-sized tire on a wide-sized rim.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Tire Stretching Legal?
Yes, it is legal because until now, there is no law or legislation that can be imposed for stretching. The aim of the process is to create tension between the tires and the rim. So, the best way to learn about it is by going through the official websites that focus on explaining the laws related to the road and its safety.
Is Tire Stretching Safe?
The objective is to fit a small tire on a rim that has a bigger size than the tire. So, stretched tires can be safe as well as unsafe. If you have good quality tires, follow the right procedure, and it will be stress-free. It can be hard to handle the stretch tires around tight corners as the tire will have less friction. Also, you cannot use these wheels again.
Is there any other way to stretch tires other than using fire and flammable spray?
Yes, there are a few ways to do it, but they will not work as well as the fire one. It is a risky task to drive with stretched tires, you should not select a method that does not work at all.
