One of our most commonly ordered items are pedal car tires. This is often because many of the pedal car restorations our customers are working on feature old and worn out tires that need to be replaced. In this blog we’ll outline a few tips to keep in mind when changing a pedal car tire.

Two Common Tire Sizes For Pedal Cars

The majority of pedal car tires that we sell come in two sizes. Measuring a pedal car can be difficult so we’ll try to break down the two most common sizes of pedal car tires and how to measure your tires when ordering. The key when measuring your pedal car tire is to measure from edge of rim to edge of rim to get an accurate measurement.

• 6.5 Inch Pedal Car Tire – The 6.5 inch measurement is nominal and actually fits a wheel that is 6.25 in diameter.
• 7.5 Inch Pedal Car Tire – The 7.5 inch measurement is also nominal and actually fits a wheel measuring 7.25 in diameter from edge of rim to edge of rim.

Tire Styles

When you purchase a new tire for your pedal car you have 2 styles to choose from. We sell a flat cross-section tire that is similar to what you see on an automobile as well as a rounded cross section, which is what you would see on a motorcycle. 

Which Tire Style Should I Choose?

When it comes to the style of tire to choose, we recommend that our customers choose completely based on preference.

What If I Have a Wire On Tire?

Pedal cars that were manufactured decades ago used a different type of tire that actually had a wire running through the center. These tires were split, and the wire held them together and held them onto the wheel, they are called wire on tires. We don’t sell wire on tires – our tires are one piece tires that mold to the entire wheel rim. If you have a pedal car with wire on tires you’ll need to remove both the tires and wires. Typically you’ll need to find the split in the tire where the wire can be seen, and uncrimp or cut the wire so that the tire can be removed from the wheel. Once removed you’ll then be able to install one of our molded pedal car tires.

How to Install a Pedal Car Tire

Once you’ve received your replacement pedal car tire you’ll want to stretch the new tire over the wheel. This is best achieved by heating up the tire. We’ve found that putting the tire in the microwave for between 1-1.5 minutes often softens the tire enough to easily slip over the pedal car wheel. When using a microwave it’s best to heat up the tire in stages to ensure you don’t cause damage to the tire. Some of our customers have also used an oven or hot water to warm up their pedal car tires. Another important note is that once the tire cools down after being placed over the wheel it will shrink down tightly on the wheel.

Ready to Order New Pedal Car Tires?

We hope that this guide has given you enough information to order new tires for your pedal car. If you have any other questions feel free to contact our team today at 248-853-0215.