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Having trouble keeping those tires glued to the rims? Here are a few tips to help glue tires better.

Clean, clean, clean

Rubber tires and plastic rims both have a mould release agent that was left over from manufacturing. This oily residue prevents glue from properly bonding your tires.

Clean both the tire and rim with rubbing alcohol before glueing. You only need to clean the areas being glued. Apply rubbing alcohol to a rag, paper towel, or cotton swab to scrub the area clean and let dry.

What glue?

Using the correct glue is a must. Wood glue won’t work. A high quality CA (cyanoacrylate) is recommended for a permanent bond. Many companies make tire glue, but any high quality thin CA will do.

Glueing the tires 

Start by fitting the foams inside the tires, then squeeze the tires and foams onto the rims. If the tire is unidirectional, check it is facing the correct way.

Insert the lip on the tire into the groove on the rim. Smooth out the foam insert (inside the tire) if it feels bunched up. Once the tire looks properly set on the rim, we can start glueing.

Roll back part of the tire bead just enough to see the rim under neath and apply a bead of glue in the bottom of the rim groove. Don’t worry about being perfect. Just the bottom of the groove, not the sides. Release the tire so it sits in the groove and quickly work your way around the tire. Make sure the tire is seated properly in the groove. Once on side is done, set the tire/rim down to let dry. Follow this step for all four tires.

You can now repeat the previous steps for the other side of all four tires and let dry.

Now is where we tidy things up a bit. Using your thumb, roll the tire back to reveal the gap left around the rim. Using the same technique as before, apply a small bead of glue around the entire tire where it meets the rim. Release the tire and let dry. Do the same to the other four tires and when all are dry, do the other side.

Check all four tires making sure there is no more gap between the tire and rim. You may also add a tiny bead of glue at the tire and rim seam to seal the deal.

That is how you glue tires.