New Rubber on the DT250!
I set a goal for myself this week to try my hand at getting the tires onto the DT250.
I initially started out the day working on my portfolio, but that seems to be going no where. I wasn’t happy with what I was doing and couldn’t seem to get it right. In these cases, the best thing to do is stop, let it go and try again in a few hours. I shut down the computer and headed to the garage. I figured I would think about it while trying to get the new tires onto my DT.
I have a NoMar tire changer set up. However, I don’t have the dirt tire “dogs” for it yet so all it ended up being used for was a table like top for me to work off of. The NoMar clamps onto the rim keeping it from moving, but dirt knobby tires are to round so the regular “dogs” can’t reach it so it won’t clamp on. I just rested the tire on it so that I wouldn’t have to work on the ground.
Getting the front tire off was no big deal. Disconnect the front brake and tach cable and remove the axle. The tire slid free in no time. I took the opportunity to clean everything I touched, re-grease and put new brake pads and brake arm on. Then, over to the NoMar stand to tackle the old rubber.
Getting the old, rotten, hardened and stiff rubber off was a real challenge. I had two spoons already but really needed another. It was a good fight, but eventually, after much grunting, groaning and swearing, one wall of the tire was free of the rim. I removed the tube and then had round two with the tire to get the opposite side out. It was far easier then the first side. I cleaned the rubber rim strip, the rim itself and the bead lock. Once I put the rubber strap back onto the rim I once more greased up the tire and had at it! I almost needed another arm, but with a lot of grunting, holding spoons with my stomach and tire lube, the new one slid onto the rim. I carefully worked the new tube into the rubber and worked the remaining edge of the tire onto the rim. It looked pretty good! I took it over to my air compressor and filled it up!
DOH! While I was working the remaining edge of the tire onto the rim, I pinched the damn tube!! Darn it!! There wasn’t much I could do at that point, so I put everything away to tackle the next day.
The following morning I went to RoadRider and got a new tube and one more tire spoon.
Back in the garage I took the tire off the rim once more, tossed the rubber rim band and replaced it with a couple spins of duct tape. I had gotten advice from others saying that is what most of them do. Its water proof and cheap, so I figured what the heck! I had also gotten advice to half inflate the tube to lessen the likelihood of pinching it so I did that as well. Fast forward to some more hard work and the tire was firmly seated on the rim with the tube and bead lock in place! I filled it half way with air, bounced it a few times around the circumference of the tire to make sure the tube was seated properly and then filled it up to spec! It held!
With the tire finished, I took off the old cracking and dry rotten fender and tossed it into the junk bin. I had redone a better pair of forks I had gotten off of EBay ages back, new seals, bushings and fresh oil in them. Off came the old nasty forks, into the junk bin with them and I put on my redone ones. I also replaced the old rusty cable guide with a new shiny one. I had to use the old rubber cushions on it, but its hard to tell. The tire was put back on and the brake and tach hooked back up. It looked pretty darn good.
Time to tackle the back tire.
I unhooked the back brake and the chain. I had the rear off in no time and sitting on my NoMar “table”. I greased it up and started prying at it with the spoons. It became apparent very quickly that this was going to be much, much harder then the front tire. The rear was thicker and very, very stiff. The old rubber wouldn’t budge at all unless you went at it with some serious force. The spoons had a hell of a time getting under the old bead (this was even after I broke the bead all the way around on both sides) and when they did, the rubber just didn’t want to move at all. I worked at it, moving the spoons a tiny bit at a time, trying to get the rubber to be a bit stretchier and then greasing it up again and again. Slowly, with much swearing, sweating and then a lot more swearing, it started to give way. It took a heck of a lot of work but eventually with a final push, the first bead came free. I had to sit down for a breather after that. The tube came out along with the bead lock and rubber rim strap. Once I had one side of the tire out, the second came out much easier. With it off the rim I had a bit of a moment, savoring the victory.
The rear rim was then cleaned and the duct tape run around it a few times over the spokes. The battle to get the new tire on was then on! Thankfully, it went one easier then the old one came off. It was a heck of a lot of work but eventually it was sitting half on the rim. The rim lock was then slid on along with the half inflated tube. The tube stem didn’t want to go into the rim hole, but with more lubrication and persistence, it popped in. With the three spoons, both hands, a leg and stomach all in use, I managed to carefully get the rest of the tire on without pinching the tube. Several bounces around the circumference of it to make sure the tube was seated properly and it was time to air it up! Thankfully, it held! No holes!
Back onto the bike it went and then adjusted for the chain and brake arm. ALL DONE!
I have to say, it looks far better with the new rubber one. Much meatier and more dirt hungry then the old worn out tires. It was my first tire change and I’m pretty pleased with the results!
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- Old Tires
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- New Tires
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- New Tires
