Loathe as I am to defend Performance's "Made-in-Thailand-by-eight-year-old-kids-who-should-be-in-school" budget bike parts, these tires aren't all that bad. I've been using Forte ST-K 700X35s on my commuters since the mid '90s. I get 8K miles easy out of the rear tire, but they're so cheap that I swap out both and save the used front one as an emergency spare.

One of the causes of your problem is the way the tires are stored before they get shipped out to you... They're twisted in half-sized loops and secured with wire ties. That kinks the wire bead. Lord knows how long they sit in the warehouse like that.

Next time you try a pair (if there's a next time) untie them, work any obvious kinks out of the bead, hang them up and let them un-twist for a week or so before you mount them.

I found out that it's best to put about 40psi in, then lift the wheel and spin it between your hands. Look to make sure that the bead is even all the way around on both sides... watch carefully for signs that a bead might not be tucked in... or the BANG will have your neighbors calling 9-1-1. Then bleed it down to allow the tube to adjust to the seated beads. Finally, run it up to 100psi, then bleed it down to operating pressure. I run mine at 80psi... good compromise between ride quality and handling.

I do this when swapping tires in the comfort of my sun room... but for flat repairs out on the road, I just give it holy hell with my hand pump and hope for the best.