Been skinning tires for my truck (manually ) for years now, and always have been able to seat the beads, but my first adventure with larger big rig rubber (11r22.5's) I couldn't get the bead to seat using all the old tricks and ordered a Cheeta bead seater.

I just gotta say that this tool is pretty handy. If I had any idea how easy it would make seating a bead, I would have bought one LONG ago. If you weld, I think it would be REALLY easy to make your own with a cheepo harbor freight air tank, with a pipe and valve welded on, though.

Also, just a heads up on those considering skinning their own big rig rubber- two things- most wheels do not have a bead lip, so basic irons pop them right off. But due to the lack of bead lip, they are tougher to seat. My 265's went on pretty easily, but the more common lower profiles (225/70) might be a little tougher, and the 11r22.5's were IMPOSSIBLE without the seater.

 

Neighbor built one with a ball valve and old propane tank.

 

We also have a blaster for our trucks. Going in and out of landfills we have several tires a day to patch. It definitely helps, occasionally one will seat itself though.

 

sandy ochoa invented the cheeta in ruidoso downs new mexico on property he was renting from me. the factory is in alamogordo new mexico. they recently had to change the name from cheeta due to a lawsuit. it works really well

 

Best money I spent in many years. I needed it for bobcat tires.

 

We have a cople of them but I almost never have to use them. Tire soap when mounting, remove the valve stem and they seat right up. Just put a set of floaters on the front of one of my trucks on the truck, both sat the beads no problems.

 

I liked using ether. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eyebrow.

Guardrail