Abstract: An auxiliary tire bead depressor is provided for use with an apparatus for inflating a tubeless tire having sidewalls and upper and lower annular tire beads. The tire is mounted on a wheel having upper and lower wheel flanges against which the upper and lower tire beads seal, respectively. The apparatus has an inflation head and an annular tire seal ring extending outwardly therefrom for depressing the tire sidewall. The auxiliary tire bead depressor comprises a mechanism, spaced from the annular tire seal ring, for selectively depressing the upper tire bead away from the upper wheel flange. The tire bead depressing mechanism is moved from an advanced position wherein the depressing mechanism engages and depresses the tire, to a retracted position wherein the depressing mechanism is spaced from the tire. The auxiliary tire bead depressor is mounted to the inflation head.