How To: Installing 9:00-16 tires on CMP wheels

[Grant Bowker]

I have decided that my difficulty mounting the Michelin LTX tires on CMP rims was largely due to more flexible sidewall and bead structure. After a couple of false starts I added an auxiliary pusher made from short bits of 2x3 and 2x4 lumber powered by a C clamp to push the bead around the curve of the rim. Once round the curve, the cross pusher worked fine to take the tire further down the rim ready for the tube and flap. The other half of the rim went on exactly as expected, Put the rim in place, tighten the rim halves together and add air to ease the tire into place on the rim. Photos attached show the wood addition to tooling, the tire half mounted and the finished product.

Also comparative photos showing the LT235/85R16E LTX against the STA chevron tires in 10.50-16 size and against Michelin XL in 9.00-16. Although the LTX look small in comparison, they are rated to carry over 3000 pounds which is actually slightly greater than the rating of the 9.00-16 CMP tires (although they were run over capacity for some of the 15cwt trucks).