How to maintain your Mitas tire

Use and maintenance

Storage

• Keep the tires clean and away from heat, light, ozone or hydrocarbon sources.
• Avoid prolonged exposure of the tires to direct sunlight.
• Avoid any contact with grease, petrol, volatile solvents or other substances that may deteriorate the rubber.
• Avoid horizontal storage for tubeless tires, only small size tires may be stacked or stored flat (maximum six months).
• When tires are stored flat (horizontal), the position must be lug against lug.
• Reduce inflation pressure when tires are stored fitted on rims.
• Ensure there is no water or moisture inside the tire.
• Never store tires directly in contact with the ground for long periods.

Repairs to tires

• For safety reasons, repairs should only be carried out by specialists using the correct tools.

Proper use of tires

• When loading tires, you have to consider the correlation between speed, inflation pressure and load capacity.
• Overloading results in premature tire failure. Use the technical documentation and inflation tables, which show the load and pressure figures for different operating speeds.
• Underinflation results not only in incorrect tread wear but also in ply separation and eventually further damage to the ply.
• Overinflation makes the tire stiff and decreases its resistance against hits, leading to ply tear.

Fitting and removal instructions

Demounting and mounting procedures can be dangerous and should be performed only by trained and qualified staff, using proper tools and procedures. Failure to comply with these procedures may result in faulty positioning of the tire on the rim and cause the tire to burst with explosive force leading to serious physical injury or death.

Fitting

1. Make sure that the rim, the tire and the tube are compatible.
2. Check that the tire is suitable for the machine. Use only rims recommended or permitted by the tire manufacturer.
3. Always use the proper specialised equipment and tools.
4. The rim must be clean and in perfect condition (no damage, etc.). If necessary, clean the rim thoroughly with a wire brush. Never fit a tire onto a rim that shows cracks, significant distortion, evidence of welded repair, etc.
5. Thoroughly inspect the inside as well as the outside of the tire in order to identify any damage which may be present. If the damage is considered to be beyond repair, the tire should be scrapped. 6. If fitting with a tube, always use the correct new tube and flap for the tire size. For fitting tubeless tires without tubes, on tubeless rims, always use a new tubeless valve.
7. Before fitting, lubricate the rim and the beads. Use only a suitable lubricant that will not damage the tire (never use silicone or petroleum-based products).
8. We recommend vertical fitting. In the case of horizontal fitting, it is impossible to see whether the lower bead is correctly seated.
9. Fit the tire on the rim diametrically opposite to the valve hole (respect, if present, the rotation direction indicated by the arrows). With the help of a suitable lever and closely repeated applications, get the first bead over the rim flange. Then pose the lightly inflated talc-coated tube (if fitted) inside the tire. Locate the valve, fitting the ferrule loosely. Fit the second bead, lever it progressively over the rim flange, finish at the valve.
10. For seating the beads and centering of the tire, remove the valve core. Slowly inflate to ensure correct seating of the beads. Ensure that the beads do not pinch the tube.
11. During tire inflation, keep at a safe distance and always use a safety cage. If possible, fasten the tire to the wall or use retaining chains. During pressure readings, ensure that no part of the body is within the possible trajectory of the valve mechanism or of the caps. It is recommended to use suitable pressure limitation gauges. Use a filter and dehumidifier on the compressed air line to avoid introducing humidity or dirt. Never use a hammer to make a tire bead seat by hitting it.
12. Continue inflation. Make sure that you do not inflate beyond 36 psi if the beads are not well seated and centered on the wheel.
13. If the beads are not correctly seated, deflate, lubricate and inflate again. Repeat these operations until the beads are correctly seated.
14. When all the previous operations have been correctly done, refit the valve core. Set the pressure according to the load – see the tables in the technical databook.
15. Make sure the valves do not touch the rims, the brake drums or other fixed mechanical parts.

Removing

• Never try to unseat the beads of an inflated tire.
• Always remove the valve core.
• Let the tire deflate; check before unseating that the tire is completely deflated. Never use tools that could damage the rims or the beads of the tire.