Rubber tire problem-what's the solution?

[Nitromethane]

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 and securely?

Would placing the wheels with the tires "attached" in real hot water cause the tires to conform to the wheels properly?

Thanks for any and all tips.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Nitromethane

[Guest]

It would be easier to make your wheel bigger by adding a strip of styrene around the perimeter of it. I would start with a strip of .010 and see how it fits. If you need more, just add another strip of .010.

[Draggon]

Not sure if this would work for you, but awhile back I accidentally left some vinyl tires in brake fluid for a few weeks. When I puled them out the inner diameter had shrunk by about 3/32 of an inch.

[W-409]

I had same kind of problem in my '67 Impala SS-build while ago. The original tires on that kit were way too small, but I wanted to use those Rallye Wheels from the kit. New tires I took from my partsbox, were too large, or I mean that the wheel was too small for them, the same problem you have.

So I took a piece of normal paper, cut correct sized part and wrapped one time around the rubber tire. Then the wheel fitted very nicely, just paint the paper black. Works well and it's quite easy to do, too. And if one round is not enough, just add another one.