The Dangers of Tire Inflation | Every Step Counts

It’s customary that judgment and cautiousness tend to decrease with time as comfort level rises.  This sort of situation can be fatal when it occurs in the workplace alongside large trucks and pieces of construction equipment.  Extreme amounts of pressure are needed to inflate such a large tire that bares so much weight, and that sort of pressure can lead to accidents.

For example, a worker who was inflating a flat tire on a multi-piece rim on a wheel loader was killed when the tire exploded and the locking ring and tire to dislodge from the rim.  There are so many safety measures that can be taken in order to save lives, and prevent great deals of pain and suffering.

When working with any sort of machinery there are always many things that can go wrong.  There are so many parts that make up a piece of equipment or heavy duty truck, and the more pieces there are, the more potential there is for something to malfunction.  In this case, the rim’s lock ring became slightly unseated while the tire was deflated and therefore was vulnerable.  The pressure gauge used while inflating the tire was also malfunctioning and caused the worker to over inflate the tire creating incredible pressure within it.

Whenever a tire needs any sort of maintenance it is important to follow certain steps to insure your safety.  Make sure stand on the side of the tire when removing it to be out of the way in case there is a malfunction. Follow these steps and stay safe!

Tire Removal:

• Position tractor on a completely level surface and be sure to block up the wheels to prevent the tractor from rolling.
• Proceed to raise the tractor with a heavy duty jack that is rated to handle the weight of the machine and use jack stands for added support.
• One the machine is off the ground and stable, deflate the tire using a valve stem tool. With the valve stem positioned at the top, proceed to loosen the bead of the tire starting at the top.
• Once the bead is loose from the rim, you will need to start removing the tire. Starting at the top again, insert two tire irons under the bead and work them in opposite directions, pulling the bead of the tire over the rim. Be sure to maintain constant grip so the irons don’t spring back and cause injury.
• Once the tire is off the rim, remove tire tube and be sure to clean the tire rim and remove any loose debris.
• Once the tire rim is completely clean, lubricate the inside bead of the new tires.

Tire Installation:

• Position the rim with the valve hole at the bottom.
• Roll the inside of the tire over the rim flange starting at the top and working your way to the bottom.
• Once the inside bead is set, insert the valve stem of the tube into the valve stem hole in the rim and place the cap on it to keep it in place.
• Lube the outside of the bead with lubricant. Starting at the top, begin to slide the outer bead over the rim edge and work your way down to the bottom.
• Begin to inflate the tire. Use an inflating gauge to inflate the tire and seat thew beads to alignment. Once the beads are set, deflate the tire to position the tube and re-inflate.
• DO NOT inflate the tire beyond the manufacturer’s recommendation.
• Lower the tractor to the ground and you are finished.