Well bushhoging a few weeks ago I got a flat in one of my rears. I was cleaning the radiator screen and noticed water coming from the rear when I had stopped. I was going to stop but had about 10 mins left to finish so I kept watching it and it wasn't going down too much. Was able to finish and loaded it up on the trailer. I think the windshield washer fluid I had in the rears kept it up and would only leak if the hole was below the top or it was just right or something. I had been noticing the sides of these tires were cracking on the sidewalks at the lugs. But there the original Japanese tires from the late 70s so that's to be expected. I drain the fluid into a bucket to re use...cause I'm cheap after all. I'd fill a bucket and pour into my pump sprayer tank which I will use to refill it. I break the bead with a combination of a tire hammer and wood wedges to move it off the shoulder. They haven't been off in about 12 years or so. Pull the tube out and finish draining it as best I can. I see the offending split. And where it got the tube. I assumed a stick or something got the tire but it was just the tube being pinched in that split that cut it. So I put on the biggest patch out of the Harbor Freight box of patches I recently picked up on clearance. I had purchased a new tube knowing that one was older and not knowing what I would find. Turns out it's a Firestone tube and tubes have gotten quite a bit more expensive since I last bought those. So I was going to patch it and keep it . But further thinking I was like why put an unknown cheap china ching ling or whatever brand tube in there when I fixed this one. So I put the patched Firestone back into it and sending the other back to Amazon. I also with the tire with still one bead on wire wheeled the rim edges and shoulders the beads seat on where they were rusted. I wore wheeled them and used a rust converter spray paint on them. I should of top coated but I didn't. I need to paint the rears but will probably just pull them off and do the outside and not the insides of them at some point. Now the interesting thing is there is this rubber super glue type stuff I saw used on YouTube. It's for sidewall patches. The company that makes kits and stuff for the off road world is Glue Tread. But the same glue is 3m 040 or 100 plastic rubber glue. I have seen quite a few folks use it and say it held really well. I have no idea what it will be like in 6 months or a year or two. But I figured what do I have to loose I'm running these tires anyway it just will make an armor spot to keep junk from working into the slit from the outside.
Coat the inside of the tire and the tube with powder (I use baby powder usually) before putting the tube back in...then inflate/deflate the tube 3-4 times once the tire is back on...that will help fully unfold the tube so it doesn't pinch itself again...it works pretty darn well. If those new tubes were Cheng Shin, those aren't terrible...CS has been around a long time. (at least in the motorcycle world) I would have probably repaired the Firestone though too...
They weren't cheng shin I just made some random Chinese sounding name up . Haha. I coated it with baking soda its all I had. It's been aired up one lightly then down then once more to seat the beads and let out. It was pinched in the split on the sidewall. As the tire flexed it was pooching into that split in the sidewall that's what cut it not any fold or other thing in the tube. Strictly from that damage to the sidewall that was basically dry rot. That's why I put that big patch on the inside to keep the tube from being able to get pinched there.
Well the last time I tried to bush hog this field and didn't finish was last fall. The 30 year old front was what exploded. I could see a spot between the ribs where the tube was exposed. I made a comment that I had pushed this one long enough I was going to buy a new tire for it. Well I didn't finish was 15 mins from through and making a turn and that tire exploded. Had ear muffs in with music and it sounded like a shotgun blast. Tube ruptured and looked like a bomb wet off as it was tattered and the tire split about 6-7"s . And for that comment about good tire. That's relative. I think it's got lots of good left but many on here would of bought new ones at the sight of dry rot. Those old rice tires have huge tread lugs and there is tons of tread left even though there 40+ years old. I will run them till I can no longer keep a tube in them.
I'm going to use that rubber glue stuff and I'm cutting patches from old car tire sidewalls. Look up 65ford sidewall repair on YouTube he did a video. Amazing adhesion, even rubbing them against rocks on his ATV tire off road. Also aired way down. It may work for 6 weeks and not long term. We will see? If they don't stay in long term I had thought of something like your talking about.
I have some chen shen ATV tires. I think there the copies of the old school wooly buggers or whatever people called them back then. I think CS calls them lumberjacks or something? There on my red 300trx
I had thought they were 'new' by the tread. Didn't notice cracking. The fronts on my Kubota will need replaced in the next few years. Prices make me want to barf.
The outside of them for some reason isn't cracking. It's the inside for some reason? I know I reversed them so that would have made the insides the outsides and I'm not sure how many years it may have been like that.
That tractor looks very well cared for BTW. Tough little beast for sure! I have one in a deere suit and it will definitely outlast me.
Yea there strong tractors for what they are. Parts are relatively cheap...and at least still pretty plentiful in the right models and very very efficient. I want to pull the metal off it and paint it. It's got rust spots and places it's vibrated and cracked welds etc. but I just want to stay ahead of it.
I had to look the brand name up but yes. Keeps stones and crap from spreading open cuts. Also used it to seal the sewer vent where it comes through a flat roof. Our old house has cast iron sewer pipe all the way from the roof to the ground. So the house expands and contracts but the pipe never moves. Every few years the seal would break and let water seep in. The expansion joint stuff is holding up great........well until I said something......probably will leak now!
Through the roof is an excellent pliable sealant for any roof vents ect or damaged spots on shingles.
