Just to clarify, it doesn't re-inflate the tire. It only re-beads it. You still have to inflate it to the proper tire pressure.
We used to do this all the time off-roading. When off-roading you often have to drop the tire pressure way down to give you more traction. Unfortunately, doing this makes it much more likely that the tire will release itself from the edge of the rim. This is why a lot of off-roaders run beadlock wheels, which allow you to run very low tire pressure without blowing the bead.
Don't know if the WD-40 would work any more, a few years ago WD-40 changed the propellant from propane to CO2. I know that there is still kerosene in it but i don't know if it would still work the same or not.
I have heard of using spray starting fluid to re-seat tires. Never been dumb enough to try it.
What Paul810 said. We use carb cleaner spray to do it with. I run 12.5" wide tires on 7" wide rims (not recommended by tire or rim manufacturers), this keeps the tire on the bead at lower pressures. I've run mine offroad at 5 psi without losing a bead.
Also, if you have trouble seating a bead you can hook a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire while airing it up. Just remember to remove it once the bead is set, before you air it up very much.
And be careful when attempting any of these things. Air pressure can do very bad things if you're not careful.
I also wanted to add that, sometimes, the tire stays on fire for a bit while it burns off all the fluid and sometimes burns the little rubber stubble things off the tire if it still has them. So be ready with something to put the fire out in case it doesn't go out on its own. If a tire catches on fire it burns very hot and the smoke is highly toxic, making it difficult to put out. Safety first!
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