Changing Tire

[mouka]

Howdy all?

I have just purchased a decent 1987 Helix with 10300 on the clock. I started doing some basic maintenance. Changed the oand the transmission oil. Changed the brake fluid. Changed the horn that wasn't working. I ordered 2 tires that I received today. I started with the front tire. I have looked at the local tire shops to change it for me. However the least expensive was $45. No way I would pay $45 for simply swapping tires. Some of you have stated that they get it done with $20. No in my area. Anyway, I decided to do the job myself. I got me tire spoons and rim protectors. I was able to remove the old and completely shot with dry rot tire. I was able to put back the new tire in. However the tire does not want to seat properly. I scoured YouTube for diy on how to seat a tire on the rim. Nothing really useful.
My question is: How do you seat the tire beads onto the rim? Is there a trick I should know about that some of you are aware of? I tried pretty much everything I could find online. Nothing has worked. The tire is stubbornly in the middle of the rim and does not want to seat properly.
Any suggestions are highly appreciated as my scooter is in the middle of my driveway blocking my wife's car.
Thanks in advance for your help!

[scootcat]

I use a rachet strap and a power shot of air, also take valve needle out.

[mouka]

I did all of that and it did not work. I was hoping for something specific to the Helix or to scooters.
I did not know it was this complicated and annoying to change a tire. Had I known this would turn out to be this way, I would have gladly coughed up the $45 a local bike shop is charging.

[Cosmic_Jumper]

"A power shot of air"? As in one of those CO2 cartridge inflators?

[mouka]

I have a fairly large compressor with a big tank. It is a 20 gallons tank. I could not get the tires to seat so that the compressed air would push the tires against the rim to seal properly.
I am really out of ideas for now.
I will try and see if a local tire shop can solve this issue for me. They usually are very reluctant to do it if the tire is not theirs.
The local bike shop wants $45 to do it. I would hate to pay more for pumping air in a tire than what I paid for the tire in the first place.

[scootcat]

Just a strong blast of air and dish soap around the bead and set out in sun for a while.

[mouka]

Just a strong blast of air and dish soap around the bead and set out in sun for a while.

That's what I did and it worked perfectly. I thought that the gaps were too big for the compressed air to make any difference. However I was wrong. The key to it is simply having an air compressor nozzle that can latch onto the tire valve. Then it's just a matter of letting the air out to fill the tire.
I have not had time to put the tire back on. I will do it this afternoon and take the bike for a spin to celebrate my struggles with the tire.

[mikel]

I had a similar problem with my rear tire, it was received very tightly wrapped in shrink wrap and the beads would touch each other instead of spreading apart to the edge of the rim. Nothing would work to make a seal for the compressed air to do its job, I tried three tire straps but no luck. I ended up taking the tire back off the rim, and tire strapping the tire till the beads spread apart a lot. Left it that way over night. Put the tire back on the rim the next day, the bead spread apart with ease and seated just fine.