How was this done? Installing solid rubber tiring with wire twisting method.

[Schwinn Sales West]

In the 1950's we still did a lot of CAB tiring replacements in our family bike shop. We had several specialty tools for the installations. I never used any of the special tools because they did not make the job any easier, or the repair better. We used the twist and bend back method. It helped to countersink a small area for the twisted wire ends to fir back into the center of the tiring. Sorry I cannot give you a better "firsthand experience". It's good question, I will be interested in your final answer/solution.

Maybe look at some wheelchair repair sites because they used lots of grey CAB tiring.

John

 

[DonChristie]

A lifetime ago I did a tricycle with the same tires. The only local guy then was a wheelchair place using this tool. The hooks pulled the wire in as the stops pushed the rubber back, at the same time. Once tight, the whole assembly was twisted to lock. Then trimmed short. RBR can do them if you mail your stuff to him. If the trike is for show, no riding, cut and glue.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

The key for me was the wire itself. The wire they sold us for CAB tiring was soft, as in VERY SOFT metal. The diameter was about coat hanger thickness, but it was soft and very easy to bend/twist, nothing like the coat hanger hardness.

John

 

[Rambler]

A lifetime ago I did a tricycle with the same tires. The only local guy then was a wheelchair place using this tool. The hooks pulled the wire in as the stops pushed the rubber back, at the same time. Once tight, the whole assembly was twisted to lock. Then trimmed short. RBR can do them if you mail your stuff to him. If the trike is for show, no riding, cut and glue.

@DonChristie , I have tools similar to your photo and I have mounted plenty of tires. I simply wonder how the wire twisting method in my original image was accomplished. Thanks.

 

[Rambler]

The key for me was the wire itself. The wire they sold us for CAB tiring was soft, as in VERY SOFT metal. The diameter was about coat hanger thickness, but it was soft and very easy to bend/twist, nothing like the coat hanger hardness.

John

John, that is helpful information that the wire was "very soft" which explains why the wire twisting method in my original image would be difficult to accomplish today with the current wire available. It also appears that the center hole in the CAB rubber of my original image is larger in diameter than the hole in most rubber available today which would explain why rubber today would be harder to compress over 6" which was apparently done in my original image.

I did locate an article by Detroit Cycle Supply which stated "We patented and introduced the return end bend method for making the tie in the wire in applying solid tiring. previously the wire was twisted. By the twisting principle, it was impossible to do a satisfactory job because the wire would break on jobs with larger size tiring." This also helps explain to me why this wire twisting method is no longer used and the reverse bend method or the soldering/brazing methods have taken its place. I would still like to know which tools and methods were employed in the wire twisting method shown in my original image but that method technique has apparently been lost to time.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

If it's a soft fairly malleable wire with very little spring back when twisted, I can see it being done with a spacer(like in the foreground of post 12) and two pair of pliers. Notice twist is made in the middle with ends wrapping LH and RH simultaneously with about 4 full twists. We use annealed stainless wire at work twisted together with "safety wire pliers" to keep bolts from spinning loose. It's much smaller wire most of the time(.041, .032, and .020), but same idea.
With wire in tire and wrapped around rim, lace both ends back into tire with as little as what looks like an inch or 3/4" gap between tire ends. Use a combination of duckbill pliers and needlenose pliers to twist, then hold with needlenose, grab again 180 degrees out with duckbills, release needlenose, twist and repeat 7 to 9 more times. The twisting eats up some of the circumference of the wire, but I'm not sure how much tension that would make in 4 twists. I would guess circumference is shortened roughly one wire thickness per 2 twists, and it's doubled because you're making 2 twists simultaneous. Maybe there was a slotted die and ratcheting mechanism used originally to do this...? Now I wish I had a rim and tire to try it on.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

OK Rambler, I agree it's a good question, and I do not have your answer!

Here's what I came up with in last night's sleepless thoughts. Cut the tire length to the exact "finished length" to fit the wheel. Might not be that easy for a one wheel at a time repairman, but fairly easy for a production manufacturer building hundreds of the same size wheels. Insert the soft CAB tire wire into the tire material. The soft wire diameter was about .090" diameter, and the hole in the tire material was not much larger so this next step will be a little harder. Cut the installed wire about 6" past the ends of the tire, insert the loose wire ends into the opposite tire ends forming a round tire like suggested by @WillWork4Parts. Pull the tire apart only wide enough to clamp a Vise Grip pliers. Twist the Vise Grip pliers around to twist and tighten the wire. Stop at the point the rubber is pushing against the pliers tightly. Remove the Vise Grips, and roll the "assembled tire" onto the wheel. The wire will not stretch, but the rubber will compress to allow the tire to fit over the rim. This might be a tight fit, but it could not be as hard as putting a "new sew up tire on a rim coated with the sticky red Clement tire glue.

That's my best guess.

John

 

[mike cates]

Sorry I didn't see this post earlier.
John, this is exactly how it was done on small diameter wheels (tricycles, small bicycles and pedal cars). It takes doing this operation a few times to get the "feel" of what will be the right tension to twist the wire to just get the tire to roll onto the rim and be tight once installed.
On 18" diameter to 60" diameter (high wheel diameters) you "have to use" a straight pull wire tensioning machine and either "twist the wire OR overlap the wire and silver solder it (there are tutorials online).
The hard tire safeties (30" diameter wheels) and larger (high wheel) wheels need a great amount of tension to keep them tight and staying down within the rim edges and not want to start to roll out of the rim when doing banked cornering or doing quick turns as there is a considerable "tire patch or foot print" on the road that can grip and try to pull or roll the tire out of the rim.

TIP: I have historically used the "tension and twist method" where you tension the wire and twist it to lock the tension in place. This, again, takes some practice to knowing how to get the tension as tight as possible yet not having the wire stretch and break when you are making the twisted knot. I usually take a drop of oil and put it on the wire where the twisted knot is forming to lube it so it doesn't gall and catch on itself and stretch and break.
Once the twisted knot is made and using small long nose vise grips on the tensioned wire and the parallel tails which are not cut to length yet, I go a step further and cut the wire "tails" about" 2" long each. I round the ends with a small file so they will not catch and grab into the tire when under riding use.
I then wrap one 2" long tail with fine copper solid wire (like fishing rod eyes are attached to a fishing pole) and continue this wire passing it through the twisted knot and wrap the other 2" long tail. Once this is accomplished I take soldering flux and paint the wound copper wire and solder it with a soldering gun and normal solder. This creates a solid "sleeve" around the wound copper wire and since they are both connected by the copper wire I passed through the twisted knot, they cannot come loose forward or backwards staying in place and most importantly keep the twisted tails together so as to not come apart and catch the rubber tire and ultimately work their way through the tire. If you have ever seen a tire with the wire coming out of the tire this is what happened.
Mike Cates, CA.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

Mike, Thanks for the update. Always good to hear from actual hands on workers, and not just internet stories retold over and over. Your method makes sense to me.

Here's a new idea for you to try out. I do a lot of 60 to 70 year old vintage trailer windows. They all need new reproduction rubber seals installed. The glass gets inserted into the new seal, and then the glass/seal gets inserted into the aluminum window frame. It's a tight fit, and generally a PITA job. In a past life, I was in the motorcycle industry as a Service Manager. One of the "go to" products was "Honda Brand, Spray Polish". It's about $10/can and goes a very long way. We used it to clean bugs from windshields, helmet visors, etc. It's very slippery, stays wet/slippery, cleans, does not harm painted surfaces. In Vintage Trailer restoration, I use it in place of soapy water as a lubricant when installing the new window glass seals. It stays wet/slippery during my open working time. When done, just wipe it off, it leaves no residue. It's like window cleaner. I believe It would be a very good product to use during your CAB tire mounting. Spray the hole inside the tire extrusion, a little more on the wire as you install it into the tire. This would help the wire slip/seat inside the tire be reducing the friction between the tire and the wire. You have a lot of wire and friction inside a 60" diameter wheel.

Just an idea.

John

 

[mike cates]

I've always done that with DAWN liquid dish soap. It is slippery as well. Then after the tire is mounted and the soap is still wet within the wire hole and also between the tire and rim, I continuously rotate the wheel/tire slightly submerged in a shallow plastic tub of clean water working the tire side to side to get the liquid soap out. reason for this is that I had ridden in the rain once and if the dryed liquid soap becomes reactivated with water, it will start making bubbles at the junction of the rim and tire and look like a mad dog!
i forgot to mention that even if the wire is greatly tensioned, over time of use, the twisted knot or silver soldered joint will migrate away from the actual butt ends of the tire material where it was first positioned. I have seen some bikes where the twisted knot or silver soldered joint is 180 degrees away from the butted tire ends where it initially started.
Also forgot to mention that when tensioning the tire material, since you have cut the length of tire 1" longer for every 10" of wheel diameter, that you can work the tire towards the end gap from half way around with a plastic dead blow hammer or mallet that won't damage the tire upon strikes. By doing this, it relieves any bunched up tiring material and works it towards the gap and the wire can be re tensioned to pull the tire material even tighter opposite the working gap you have for the twisted knot or the silver soldered joint.
Mike Cates, CA.