Fixing a tractor tire

[DanG]

DanG it all!  I cut a rear tire on the tractor yesterday.  I was cleaning under the pecan trees with the bush hog and backed into a large branch that was laying in the weeds.  It went right through the side wall of a rear tire and ripped a hole about 3 inches long. :'(  Any chance this can be repaired with a boot?  Any chance I can do it myself with common tools?  It's gonna really pinch my budget if I have to buy a new one right now, but I gotta get it going.

[Dan_Shade]

eh, you're probably SOL, does the tire have a tube in it?

you may be able to patch it from the inside.  there's gotta be a small time guy that does that sort of work where you live.  My dad does that stuff back home.  he doesn't take the rim off, he breaks everything down with the axle jacked up, lots less lifting and messing with old rusty bolts that way.

I'm going to assume that your tires aren't filled with calcium, which is a plus when you've got a hole in a tire.  breaking beads is a pain, then handling a heavy tire.

In short, if it can be fixed, it will probably have to be done from the inside.

[Tom]

I've seen sidewall damage like that repaired by bolting a piece of old tire over the rip (from the inside), booting the tire and installing a tube.  I guess the bolts are a way of creating a solid boot.  Perhaps sewing the thing shut with wire or some material that wouldn't rot would be better.  Then put the boot on.

I can't vouch for the repair.  I lost a backhoe tire like that and considered repairing it for couple of seconds.  

[Minnesota_boy]

I've seen a rip like that fixed by vulcanizing.  You have to find the guy that does it though.  I think the guy that did it here has died.  :'(

[leweee]

Dang it DanG....them tires is expensive :

:P try this place GEMPLERS

[DanG]

Thanks for the link, Leweee.  They don't show the exact size I have, but I got a ballpark idea of what they cost.  Closest size to mine was $198, not too bad when you consider you can spend that for a car tire if you really try hard. :

I think I'll go out there and beat on it a little bit and see if I can break the bead loose.  If I can, I'll make a boot out of the sidewall of an old truck tire and go from there.  Won't be out anything but a few gallons of sweat if it don't work.

[Fla._Deadheader]

 In Arky land, we could get a boot that was tapered out on the edges and was 18" or so long, to be sure to cover the hole. It went nearly all the way around the inside of the tire -round ways. I THINK it was also glued in ???

[leweee]

DanG....I likes the way you think ;D :D

[etat]

The easiest way i know of to break down a tractor tire is to take it off of the tractor and lay it on the ground, and run over it  with my truck.........circling the truck tire around the rim as i drive up on it.  I 'have' broke em down on the tractor, but to me, it's easier to take them off in the long run.  First of course I drain the water out of them.  When through I fill them back up with water and a  gallon and a half of antifreeze.  Now, I usually drain them out on the ground.  Perhaps some say that is a 'bad' thing, but I make sure to keep the animals away until it dries up some, and have never killed or hurt anything yet. I've got all kinds of tire tools, and malls and prise bars, and even a tire changing machine for car tires.  But that's the easiest way i've found to do a tractor tire.

[Rockn H]

A local guy here uses a sliding maul ( looks like a fence post driver on a wedge) for busting fire wood to break the beads loose while its still on the tractor. 
A friend of mine just put new tires on his ford.  Until then they were so old some of the cleats had just starting spliting off. ;D  You could see fist size and someplaces double fist size "bumps" all over the tire.  These were where the tire had split and he had just put regular boots inside.  They had been there for years. :D ;D

[woodbowl]

Dang,
   Toms right about bolting in a boot and puting in a tube. I've done it myself. I copied the way my uncle did it on his Massy Ferg. He used round head stove bolts for the inside so they wouldn't rub a hole in the tube. He also rounded the corners of the boot so that it would not rub. Don't buy a boot, cut the thickest piece of cord re-enforced tire you can find. (no metal radials) Don't remember the size bolts used. Probably 5/16". 1/4" may work. Bolt spacing was about 1 1/2" or less down both sides of the split. May want to drill the boot holes just a grunt closer to each other across the tear to draw it close  so that the pressure doesn't pooch it out as much. Use flat washers inside and out. He didn't use lock nuts but it wouldn't hurt. Hollar at me and we'll get-r-done.

[Ed_K]

 I put a t-post thru mine. Glued 4 big repair patches over the split and repaired the tube. Its still holding 4 yrs later.

[logmason]

To break tire beads I place tire under my pick up bumper and use a bumper jack from bumper to side wall.

[wiam]

I have a bead breaker tool I got from northern hydraulics.  Just drive it in between rim and tire and tighten a bolt.  This works well on with rim on tractor.   I have bolted a patch on the inside.  I used sidewall from another and carraige bolts.  Worked for a long time.

Will

[J_T]

Somewhere thare is some post on this subject .I alwasy fix my own tires . Please don't go over 26psi when seating that rear tire as you may not hear the bang : Gojo works good  8)

[Dan_Shade]

keep your fingers outta the way when seating a bead too

[J_T]

What you saving them for the sawmill ??? : ;D

[Dan_Shade]

careful now, my dad is minus a finger, he always told me to keep an eye on the ones I got!

[J_T]

After my circle saw nipped the end of mine I have found the best way is to keep your hands in your pocketts :D :D 8) ???

[DanG]

I hate to break up the party, but I'm afraid the tire is toast.  Dry rotted.  It is original eqpt on a 1984 tractor, and I can tear pieces off by hand.  Gotta go shopping. :-\

[isawlogs]

Dan
  We still need to tell ya how to take the DanG thing off the rim ... party is just a begining .  ;D
You let us know when you will be in need of some instructiuns ...  ;) ;D

[wiam]

If you take the rim off the tractor,  a bull dozer blade or the excavator bucket work pretty good for breaking bead.

Will

[woodbowl]

Come on DanG..... ??? talk to us. We wana' tell you what to do this time. We may not get another chance. : : ;D ;D

[Minnesota_boy]

Yeah DanG, and if we can't tell you what to do, at least let us tell you where to go!  ;D :D :D :D 8) 8)

[woodbowl]

Yall' want me to run over there and knock on the door?  ;D He told me what he was doing earlier today...........uhh............not doing........., but I better not say what it is on the air like this.  : : :