Many individuals may have not yet heard about stretched tires. This is because the concept of tire stretching is very new to the automotive sector, but it is being loved by car enthusiasts! Stretching a tire increases sidewall control and prevents the tire from rubbing on the fender. So, let’s learn about how to stretch the tires of your car in the article below!
Add soapy water to the rim and slide the tire into it for its stretching. Then, spray flammable gas all around the rim and inner tire. Once finished, ignite it with fire to cause the tire to emerge and completely cover the rim. Next, put out the flames on the rim with the air compressor. In accordance with the appropriate tire pressure, add air or remove some air using the same air compressor.
Dealing with tire stretching can be hazardous for you. Two things can happen. First, the tire may abruptly pop off, and secondly, the fire may escalate. So, we would advise you to have a fire extinguisher close at all times. Keep reading the article to learn more about do’s and don’ts of tire stretching!
What Happens When You Stretch Tires
Every car should have the right kind of tires. The user may not be satisfied with some tire designs, though. Stretching tires is a method that was developed due to this. The goal behind it was to create tires which fit a variety of tires.
You can consider it as a form of art. The elegant rim style actually makes the car look more beautiful. It can give your tires kind of an aesthetic vibe. How cool is that, isn’t it?
Some enthusiasts care just about how tight their tires appear. So, when your tire does not fit, stretch the tire to prevent the rim from cracking. It would be suitable to say that this represents a measure of automobile aesthetics.
However, the negative aspect of stretched tires is that it reduces the vehicle’s performance. You should be aware that stretched tires never function like the regular tires do.
What Supplies Do You Need To Stretch Tires
Although tire stretching is mainly a process-based practice, there are a few elements that are necessary to such a task. We would be looking into each one below here for your convenience:
- Fire Extinguisher: Since you would eventually have to light the tire on fire, it is safer to keep a fire extinguisher on standby to stop the flames from spreading.
- Air Compressor: When the tires have been stretched, you should be filling them with air. It may not always be necessary to use an air compressor, but this may require some additional air when the tire gets stretched.
- Flammable Spray: You can use any flammable spray. The procedure does not require any specific brand of flammable spray. Deodorants and brake cleaners are some options that you may try out as they are both very combustible and will work just as well.
How To Stretch Tires
You can stretch your tires in five easy steps and it is not rocket science to do so. So just follow the step by step guideline below which we have designed for you and make your tires stretched, friend!
Step 1: Make sure the tire and rim you wish to work on are ready before you begin. Keep in mind that for the entire activity to be effective, the tire size needs to be lower than the rim. Tire stretching is carried out to fit a small tire upon a larger rim.
Meanwhile, you cannot stretch or mount every tire on a rim. So, if you plan to stretch yourself in the garage or garden, be sure to conduct a little research first. You should move the tire and rim to the yard for added safety.
Step 2: Lay the rim which is preferably made of steel, down in the backyard on a level surface. The tire is then tucked within the rim after that. Use soapy water on the tire beads to make sure the tire slips on smoothly.
Then, use a tire spoon or a lengthy flat screwdriver to allow the opposite side of the bead to slide in. While inserting the opposite end of the tire bead, be careful since the tire spoon may backfire when you have never attempted it before. Therefore, grasp it tightly and maintain its position.
Almost Done!
Step 3: Spray the gas to the tire’s inner side using the flammable spray. Hair sprays, deodorants, and brake cleaners are the most widely used options. Butane can be used as a flammable spray if you want to add some flavor to the situation. Use butane carefully because it is extremely flammable.
The quantity of flammable spray you need to use would depend on the size of your tires. In comparison to smaller tires, larger tires require more spray.
You must have heard or read somewhere that an air compressor needs to be attached to the tire before it can be started. This approach is not right, though. Rather, it must be done after connecting the air compressor. Light it up after spraying the tire.
Step 4: The tire should spontaneously stretch to completely fill the empty space on the rim, with the beads facing inward. The tire diameter will have some fire that would have spread; just use an air compressor to extinguish it. Do not forget that there will only be a small amount of fire. Do not panic, pull out the fire extinguisher if things start to get out of control.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the sound the tire makes as it pops out can be scary. So it is better to keep the youngsters out of the area, especially if you are working in the backyard.
Step 5: Once the tire has occupied the additional space in the rim, check the tire pressure with the air compressor. If necessary, add or compress the necessary amount of air. That is all there is to it. Your smaller tire and wide rim combination is now successfully fitted.
What More Should You Know?
Can You Stretch Tires At Home
The answer is yes, provided that you do so in a responsible manner. You have to experiment with fire, which is actually risky for stretching a tire.
There is therefore no need to be concerned about any damages even though we do not advise having to work on it at home if you are able to follow the right procedure.
Is Tire Stretching Legal
In recent years, tension technology has evolved much. Everyone appreciates beauty. This is a method to make your car more appealing. But this is a forced beauty technique which is used. It somewhat influences how well-made the tires are. This makes operating the car unsafe.
Anyway, there is not a formal law that prohibits the tire stretching. However there are discrepancies among the legislation. Being cautious is always a good idea. You should research the legislation in your community and wherever you regularly travel before considering to stretch the tires.
You must also take precaution when purchasing auto insurance. Some manufacturers would not accept tires that have been stretched. This means that bringing the warranty in the event that the car has an issue would cause some difficulty.
There are several manufacturers who may accept stretched tires. But others do not. Check to see if what you wish to do is going to benefit you!
Are Stretched Tires Safe To Use
One thing needs to be made clear. Nobody is going to use it if the tires are stretched in an unsafe manner! Therefore, we cannot say with certainty that the safety tire is stretching.
Considering that this method allows a smaller tire to fit inside a larger rim. Reluctance is what it is. So it would appear that this method is risky and safe at the same time.
It can be quite risky if you use this technique excessively. Since there is a hesitation here. The tire would be thinner than usual after it’s been stretched. The tire’s durability would be impacted if it becomes less thick than it was before.
Thin tires would degrade more quickly. There’s a chance that one of your car’s tires will blow out while in the middle of a drive.
Also, you would not be able to use the tires much longer as they extend. The friction of a tire would change when driving on uneven ground or around curves. When you drive, this is pretty dangerous. In addition, tires have a short shelf life. Repairing or replacing your tires would set you back a lot of money.
If you use this method carefully, you would not have anything to worry about. Choose tires with thick rubber coverings and high grade rubber exterior. The tire would not crack as a result of using fire on it.
Stretching a tire usually involves heating it with fire. The tire will be thinner as just an outcome of this. When a tire of high quality is in use, its failing time may be delayed.
Wrap Up
The aesthetic benefits of tire stretching are indisputable. The use of safety precautions is yet another factor you should consider. Stretching tires can be a hazardous exercise.
The tire may abruptly burst off, and secondly, the fire may also go out of control. You should have a fire extinguisher nearby at all times.
We hope that now you have got yourself aware with stretching of your tires along with other relevant information. Hit the comment section if you still have any confusion. We would love to serve you with the needed guidance!
