TIRE
INFORMATION SERVICE BULLETIN
Volume 41, Number 2
Page 1 of 4
TIRE BEAD LUBRICANTS, MOUNTING AIDS, BEAD SEALERS,
OEM MOBILITY KITS, TIRE SEALANTS, BALANCING SUBSTANCES
AND FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES
TIRE BEAD LUBRICANTS USED TO
MOUNT TIRES
Use commercially available lubricants made for
bead seating to seat tire beads. Also, vegetable oil Silicone, petroleum, or solvent-based lubricants must
and animal soap solutions may be used. If a not be used. These substances may:
lubricant is water-based, it should contain a rust
inhibitor. Care should be exercised to avoid • cause the tire to slip on the rim.
excessive application of lubricant to minimize • have a harmful effect on the tire, tube, flap and/or
rim.
moisture in the air chamber. Do not allow any
• create explosive mixtures of air and vapors in the
lubricant to run between the tube and casing in
tire which may result in serious injury or death.
tube-type tires or on the inside surface of tubeless
tires. When dry, the lubricant should not remain
slippery.
TIRE MOUNTING AIDS AND BEAD
SEALERS
Some mounting aids (such as rubber "O" rings or
"donuts") can become trapped between the tire
bead and rim during mounting. This prevents the TIRE SEALANTS AND BALANCING SUBSTANCES
bead from properly seating on the rim, which can
Solvent-based liquids must not be used due to the
lead to failure. possibility of creating explosive mixtures of vapors in
Bead sealers may also impede bead seating, if the tire, which may result in serious injury or death.
allowed to dry on beads and rim contact surfaces
before mounting.
Rubber Manufacturers Association • 1400 K Street, NW • Suite 900 • Washington, DC 20005
Tel: 202.682.4800 • Fax: 202.682.4854 • Web: [Link] • E-mail: info@[Link]
TISB Vol. 41 No. 2 Page 2 of 4
OEM MOBILITY KITS, TIRE SEALANTS AND BALANCING SUBSTANCES
The RMA does not endorse any tire sealant or tire balancing product because it does not test the multitude of such
products on the market.
Vehicle Original Equipment Temporary Tire
Mobility Kits
A temporary tire mobility kit may be supplied by the
vehicle manufacturer as an alternative to a spare or runflat Never, under any circumstance, introduce a flammable
tire in passenger car and light truck applications. The substance into a tire.
temporary tire mobility kit is normally comprised of a
puncture sealant and a small air compressor or container of Igniting this substance in an effort to facilitate seating
propellant. the beads is extremely unsafe. This may result in an
explosion of the tire with force sufficient to cause
Use of a temporary tire mobility kit: serious personal injury or death.
• Is not considered a repair to the tire
This practice may also result in undetected damage to
• Only provides a temporary solution to promptly reach a the tire or rim that could result in failure of the tire in
service location for professional inspection and possible service.
repair of the affected tire. Refer to tire manufacturer for
specific guidelines regarding repairability and warranty.
End-users of temporary tire mobility kits supplied as original equipment in a passenger car or a light truck vehicle
should always follow all instructions provided by the vehicle manufacturer, including limits on the amount of driving at
reduced speeds allowed to safely reach a tire service location.
Aftermarket Sealants
Aerosol, liquid, gel or other substances injected into a tire
through the valve are not considered proper repairs. Such
products may be flammable and potentially explosive, may
Serious injury or death may result from an explosion of
damage the tire, may void the tire manufacturer's warranty the tire and rim/wheel assembly due to heating the
and may interfere with or damage tire pressure monitoring rim/wheel. Never rework, weld, braze or heat a wheel
system sensors. Consult the tire manufacturer's service or rim.
recommendations and warranty policy.
FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES IN TIRES
Flammable vapors may inadvertently be pumped into a tire along with the air from the compressor when the tire is
inflated. These vapors can originate from several sources:
• Using alcohol, methanol, dry gas, or any other flammable material in the compressor tank to prevent freezing of
condensation;
• Storing flammable solvents or rubber cements near the air intake of the compressor;
TISB Vol. 41 No. 2 Page 3 of 4
• Cleaning of the air screen on the compressor intake with flammable solvents;
• Locating a battery charger near the air compressor intake can result in hydrogen gases being drawn into the
compressor.
Recommendations:
• Locate compressor inside (where freezing will not be a problem) in an area by itself (away from operations such as tire
repairing, battery charging, etc.).
• Do not add anti-freeze materials to the compressor tank.
• Each day, open the bleed valve on the tank to expel moisture.
• Filters, traps, and driers can be added to compressors to remove moisture and avoid frozen hoses.
• Do not use highly flammable solvents to clean compressor or air screens.
Aftermarket Sealers/Inflators:
Flammable propellants and/or liquids in aftermarket sealants or aerosol inflators may cause a tire to explode under
certain circumstances. Never introduce a flammable substance into a tire. Tire service professionals should assume that
any aftermarket product used to seal or inflate a tire is flammable. In addition to following proper demounting procedures,
take the following precautions:
• Keep the tire away from heat, flame, sparks or other ignition sources.
• Use tools with caution, particularly tire irons, reamers and hammers, to avoid causing sparks.
• In a well-ventilated area--and with the tire secured to a vehicle, tire mounting machine or other restraining device--
remove the valve core and completely deflate the tire.
• Re-inflate and deflate the tire a few times to further dissipate and expel potentially flammable vapor.
TISB Vol. 41 No. 2 Page 4 of 4
NOTE:
For proper repair procedures, refer to the RMA wall charts on puncture repair procedures for passenger/light truck and
truck/bus tires.
For demounting and mounting procedures, refer to the appropriate RMA wall charts on demounting/mounting
procedures
For additional information, refer to the RMA puncture repair and demount/mount wall charts.
This Bulletin Replaces Volume 41, Number 1
This is a publication of the Rubber Manufacturers Association.
All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced in any form without the express written permission of RMA.
To order RMA publications, call 202-682-4800 or go online [Link] and click on Publications.
Copyright © 2011, Rubber Manufacturers Association TISB 41/02-0511
