[Bathy]

Originally Posted by YoungChazz

We use alcohol to clean both beads and rims (where the bead goes) before gluing. Tires have got mold-release compound on them and this inhibits the glue bond. We do the rims to remove any greasy residue, but mostly just for drill.

In the U.S. you've got to look hard to find 90%+ alcohol. Most is 75%, and the remainder is water, which is just what you don't want.

Why use alcohol instead of motor spray? First, you can pack it in your airplane luggage -- no spray cans allowed. Second, it doesn't evaporate quite as fast, so can clean more and better. Third, it's far cheaper yet more effective for this purpose.

Why use alcohol instead of some type of soap? Cleans off what we want to get rid of, evaporates fast, and leaves no residue.

We also trim off a triangular piece from the inside of the bead. Trim the foam too.

In the UK all alcohol would be drunk!