How To Stretch Tires

What is Tire Stretching?

The exercise of tire stretching involves fitting small tires into wider wheels or rims. To some, tire stretching is an art form, as it improves performance and enhances the aesthetics of the vehicle. It is a popular practice as car owners want to fit narrow tires into wider rims instead of buying new tires that can originally fit into the rim. 

The suspicion surrounding the concept of tire stretching is that it costs the car performance. The performance issues are true, but only to some extent. Because there are a few ways to stretch the tires, and some are right while others, not so good. 

Hence, to ensure that you get the best results, follow the right tire stretching practices. The following sections will detail out the steps for stretching and the supplies you will need for the same. 

Can I Stretch My Tires at Home?

Yes, you can, but only if you are following the right practices. To stretch a tire, you must play with fire, which is quite dangerous. So, while we would not recommend working on it at home, if you can follow the right procedure, there is no need to worry about any damages. 

Supplies You’ll Need For Stretching Your Tires

Even though tire stretching is mostly a process-based exercise, there are a couple of things essential to the exercise. 

• Flammable Spray: There is no specific set of flammable spray essential for the process. You can take any flammable spray. You can also use deodorants or brake cleaners, as they both are highly flammable and will serve the purpose. 
• Air Compressor: This is required to fill the tires with air after stretching. An air compressor might not be required all the time, but the tire might need some extra air after it has been stretched. 
• Fire Extinguisher: This is for safety as you will have to fire up the tire at one point, so it is better to have an extinguisher in your hands to prevent the fire from spreading.  

How To Stretch Tires (5 Easy Steps)

Step 1:

Start by preparing the tire and the rim that you want to work on. Remember that the tire size must be smaller than the rim for the entire exercise to work. Because the whole purpose of tire stretching is to fit a small tire onto a larger rim. 

Not every type is stretchable and can be fitted onto a rim. Hence, make sure to do some research before stretching if you want to do it yourself in your garage or backyard. For better safety, we would recommend that you take the tire and the rim to the backyard. 

Step 2:

In the backyard, lay down the rim (preferably of steel) on a flat surface. This is followed by slipping the tire inside the rim. To ensure that the tire slips in smoothly, use soapy water and apply it on the tire beads. 

For the other end of the bead to slip in, use a tire spoon or a long flat screwdriver. If you have never done it before, be cautious that while slipping in the other end of the tire bead, the tire spoon can kickback. So, keep it firmly in one place and hold it tight.  

Step 3:

Use the flammable spray and spread the gas across the inner side of the tire. The most popular choices are deodorants, brake cleaners, or hair sprays. 

If you want to spice things up a bit, butane is also an option to use as a flammable spray. Butane is highly flammable, so use it judiciously. As for how much flammable spray you must use, it depends on tire size. Larger tires will require higher volumes of spray as compared to the tires of small size.

In this step, you must have read somewhere or heard that the air compressor must be connected to the tire before firing it up. But this is not the right process. Instead, the air compressor has to be connected afterward. After spraying the tire, fire it up.

Step 4:

The tire should automatically pop to fill the extra space on the rim, and it’s beads should be facing inwards. There will be some fire spread across the tire diameter; use the air compressor to blow it off. 

Remember that a minimal amount of fire will be there. So don’t be alarmed, and in case things seem to get out of hand, use the fire extinguisher. 

Another thing to remember is, when the tire pops out, there will be a sound that can be alarming. Hence, it will be best to keep the kids away, especially if you are working in your backyard. 

Step 5:

Once the tire has taken the extra space in the rim, use the air compressor to check the tire pressure and, if required, fill in or compress the required volume of air. 

That is it. Now you have successfully fitted a small-sized tire on a wide-sized rim. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Stretched Tires Safe?

By principle, we are fitting a small tire on a rim that has a size bigger than the tire. So, tire stretching can be safe and unsafe. Having said that, if you are using good quality tires, follow the right process, there is nothing to worry about. In terms of driving, stretched tires can be difficult to handle around tight corners as the tire will have less friction. Also, you won’t be able to use the tires again. 

Are Stretched Tires Legal?

Until now, we have not seen a law or regulation to dictate the terms and conditions for stretching. It is based on creating tension between the tires and the rim. So, there are side effects of the same. Still, it will be better if you can check out the official websites that explain the laws related to the road and its safety. 

Is there any other way to stretch tires besides using fire and flammable spray?

Yes, there are a few other methods, but they are not as effective as the fire one. Because driving with stretched tires is a risky thing to do, you should not rely on any method that does not guarantee any results.