I have HPI T-Drift tires and HPI TE37 wheels and I cannot get these tires on these wheels for the life of me!! I've heated up the tires in sculding water, tired using a screwdriver, and recently tried beating it with a mallet. I can get the tire up to the edge of the wheel, but I cant get it the rest of the way. I've watched a video on youtube that shows someone heating them up in water and pressing them on, but mine don't do that! I'm pretty frustrated with it at this point. Anyone have any advice on how to get these on?

alright im guessing these tires are more hard plastic than rubber right? if they are i had this same problem get them off your rims take a snap-blade or razor something f-ing sharp and shave the inside of the tires like the flash molding looking stuff just on the inside of the tires on both sides then take like a piece of wood get the tires on the rims as much as you can then lay it down horizontally take your piece of wood put it on the tire then take a mallet and have at it until you get the tire on the rim then super glue both sides where the rims meet the tire and then repeat the process until you have all for tires let me know if this helps i had this problem with my hpi advan neova tires their hard plastic their great but one still comes off the rim every now and again but hey i love superglue

Noooooooo don't do any of that.


Just submerge em in a cup of hot water, (the hotter the easier, but to hot and you'll deform the tyre),.

Once the hot water has softened em up, they push straight on dead easy.

How hot is too hot? I have a temp gun so I can monitor the temp of the water. And how long should I leave them in for?

I used boiled water straight out of me kettle, but i keep an eye on the tyres and don't leave em in for more than 10 secs or so.


You'll have to use gloves or a tea towel to stop you burning ya hands and rubbing the skin off your thumb.
Put the tyres on their on in the water.
Then Push em on so the rear of the tyre is only just hanging off.
Then push 1 edge on then work your way around like on a pushbike tyre.

Last wheels i did were a bit of a nightmare cause they weren't HPI wheels.
But still i've only got 1 usable arm and i managed it without screwdrivers and knifes.

It is easier with HPI wheels though.

You should just need a firm thumb push, if you use screwdrivers and anything else you'll knacker the tyre at best and at worst distort it so it's not usable.

maybe thats why i had so much trouble i couldnt get hot enough water at the time but i tried that and it didnt work so i went about it the other way ill try the boiling water next time first which will probably be here pretty soon my driveway is eating up my tires quick[:@] at least i wil actually be able to do it right this time

I'm happy to report that I got them on! I was a matter of not getting them hot enough. Thanks for the help!

No worries.

Once you've done 1 it's pretty easy isn't it?
It's just finding that right water temp.

To cold won't fit, to hot distorts the tyre.


Yokomo Drift rings are a LOT easier to fit.

i thought yokomo quit selling their stuff?

Use a heat gun... Its the easiest way! And once their right on throw them in the freezer so they form back to original size and form to the wheel after being warm. Do all this correctly and youll never have a tire come off! No glue required, then you can use your wheel again!!

I've always just put the wheel on the concrete floor of my garage, set the tire on top of the wheel, then took about a 1 foot length of abs pipe up to the tire, and hit the pipe with a mallet. It's worked every time for me. Putting the pipe up to the tire prevents the tire from getting damaged by the mallet, and gives even pressure when you hit the pipe with the mallet.

I pushed mine onto the wheels as far as they would go, and spun them on a screwdriver in front of my heatgun for a few seconds till they were good and hot, then laid the wheel flat on the table, just leave a little hang over the edge, and push them the rest of the way on. Start at one side and walk your thumbs around the rim working the tire onto the bead as you go.

i took a bowl filled it with hot water from the tap put 2 tires in it  and stuck it in the microwave for 2 min. works great.

yeah i wasnt able to use the oven around the time i got my t-drifts and put them on

I am still on my first set of tires, thanks to drifting on all marble. Is it common practice to have to heat the tires before mounting them all the time, or only when other means have failed?

Oh yeah! There is no other way to get them on its crazy ridiculous how hard it is to get them on to your rims if you dont heat them up but when you get them on and start drifting all the trouble is worth it well until you wear them out and have to do it again lol

the best way to do it and not deform the tire is simply using hot water, period!

Yeah I know I learned this from this thread and other places it actually works my first full set I did wrong but I didnt have a working stove or other means of heating the water at the time

Hate those stupid tires, butchered up my wheels and fingers, came up with a better tire - try these they drift great, cost cheap and last super long time!

[link]http://www.raikoudrifttires.com[/link]