# Can you help me solve this problem?



## CarCrazyDiecast (Jan 11, 2007)

I am currently building a Lindberg 1:32 scale 1915 Ford Model T Couplet kit #72147. The rubber tires supplied are out-of-round somewhat and just a tad too large to fit on the wheels tightly enough to hold them in place. 

The instructions say to stretch them over the wheels. This is entirely unnecessary as the tires fit too loose to begin with. I don't want to try and glue them as there are gaps between the tire and the wheels due to the tires being out-of-round, and this would look sloppy and be messy with the glue possibly ruining the spoke wheels.

Any suggestions on how to reduce the diameter of the tires a little to get them to fit the wheels tightly?

Would placing the wheels with the tires "attached" in real hot water cause the tires to conform to the wheels properly? What about other techniques of using either heat or cold to get the tires to shrink some?

Thanks for any and all tips.


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## 71 Charger 500 (Jan 27, 2011)

Heat would only make them stretch more. Freezing them might work temporarily in making them smaller but probably not by much and as soon as they thawed they would be right back to their original size. I would think you would have to cut the tire and remove very small pieces with an X-acto knife until you get them to the correct size, then super glue them back together. I've narrowed sprint car tires in this fashion and they are still holding many years later.

Mo


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I dipped some vinyl parts in hot water once and they shrank ! A lot... Not a good thing to try.

In theory you could cut the tire and try to glue it around the rim, but rubber car tires do not usually glue well, even with CA glue. 

You could also wrap a thin strip of plastic or smooth paper or even pin striping tape around the edge of the rim to increase its size slightly. Depending on how big the tires are, even a couple coats of thick paint on the edge of the rim might work.

Or get an Airfix MPC Model T which is much nicer and has solid plastic wheels and tires...


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## Skymnky261 (Sep 1, 2012)

Sometimes when I have a rim thats a bit smaller than tire I want to use is,,lay tire down on bench w/rim in tire facing bench{bottom}and use 2 part epoxy and "dab" bits around rim inside tire/rim mating area,,let dry overnight,,and flip over and install wheel back same way,,and detail paint with flt blk to cover epoxy thats visable. It might work.


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## crazy mike (Aug 26, 1999)

How 'bout a round or three of black electrical tape around the rim?


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