Flat Tire on Your Wheelbarrow or Dolly? No Problem

If you have a flat tire on a bicycle, it’s no big deal to change it – mainly because almost all bike tires have inner tubes. But very little else around the house has an inner tube, so if you find a flat on your wheelbarrow, a two-wheel dolly or a small garden-tractor tire, you might well have yourself a head-scratcher. Look at the picture over there: the tire (blue) must form an airtight seal against the rim (#4, gray) or any air you pump into it just comes out around the edge, or bead, of the tire. If you want to pump air into that tire, you need to force the bead up against the rim - all the way around and on both sides. 

Tubeless tire separated from rim

It’s gonna take some ingenuity, but you can do it without taking the wheel to your local tire shop. All you need is a way to compress the tire. I usually use a band clamp, but for larger wheels a big ‘ol tie-down strap might be more in order. In a pinch, you can do the same thing with some rope and a stick, though you’ll probably need a helper for that method.

Pony band clamp (orange) and tie-down (blue)

Here’s how:

1. Lift the offending wheel off the ground. This technique is usually a little easier if the wheel is vertical, but it's not necessary.
2. Use a shop rag or other lint-free cloth to wipe the inside of the rim, removing any dirt and debris.
3. Loop the strap of your band clamp around the outside of the tire and snug it up tight by hand. You don’t want the strap to cross the rim, and it should be as close to the center of the tire as you can get it.
4. Crank the clamp down tight. As the band tightens, it should flex the sidewalls and push the bead against the rim. 
5. Pump air into the tire with a compressor or bicycle pump. Listen for escaping air, if you hear anything crank the clamp down a little tighter.

Center the band on the tire: if it crosses the treads at an angle
(as shown here), the uneven compression makes it harder
to force the bead into the rim and make an airtight seal.

Crank the clamp down tight, compressing the center of
the tire so that the sidewalls flex outward.

Once the tire pressure has reached the inflation printed on the sidewall, release the clamp. This lowers pressure in the tire, so continue pumping until it reaches the correct pressure again. You’re done!

Photo credits: Tire coss section from Stanislaw Skowron/wikimedia commons; all other photographs by author.

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