Tires Tire Problem on my Zero Turn

[BoylermanCT]

Would have posted this on the lawnmowerforum.com website, but they seem to be down today.....

My Hustler Raptor SD rear tire keeps going flat. It is a Grassmaster 20x12-10 4 ply tire. It originally went flat when I ran over a screw. Brought it to a tire place, and they put a tube in it for $10. Mowed with it for a few hours, no problem. Used it yesterday for 30 minutes and all of a sudden the same rear tire was completely flat. Took it to tire place, new tube for $10. They could not find what caused it to go flat, no nail etc. Mowed for 30 minutes today and all of a sudden it is completely flat again. Was out the the field a hundred yards from home, so I brought out the big tractor and picked up the mower with the forks and brought it back to the garage. Should have taken a picture of that!

I keep the tires at 12 psi per Hustler's recommendation. I am guessing the tire is collapsing the side wall during a turn maneuver. Could the tube be too narrow for the tire? The receipt just says it is a 10" tube, and it is a 10" rim. Or is 12 psi too low of pressure for a tube (no problem with the other rear tire which is original, and no tube).

So I am guessing it is either increase the psi, find the proper size (extra wide) tube or replace the tire for $80 or so. Any thoughts?

 

[jones6780]

12 psi will be enough to swell the tube to the tire. They should have been able to tell you what happened to the first tube. If it had a hole in the tube why didn't they patch it? If the tube was split, then it was too small. There may be something inside the tire causing the tube to fail. The shop that put the tube in should have checked the inside of the tire and the rim.

 

[zzvyb6]

12 psi will be enough to swell the tube to the tire. They should have been able to tell you what happened to the first tube. If it had a hole in the tube why didn't they patch it? If the tube was split, then it was too small. There may be something inside the tire causing the tube to fail. The shop that put the tube in should have checked the inside of the tire and the rim.

Check the rim to see if there is weld flash that is cutting the tube as it expands. First thing you do is mark the tire position relative to the valve stem and dismount the tire. The leak in the tube will tell you where the puncture occurred.

I had a lot of problems with the rim weld splatter after I started putting tubes in my tubeless tires. Sand or grind it smooth and you should be fixed.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Thanks Jones. I am going back to the tire shop tomorrow morning. What if the tube they use is narrower than the tire. I cannot locate a tube for a 20x12-10 tire. All of the tubes I can find online are either 20x10-10 (two inches too narrow) or 22x12-10 (2 inches too large). Given my tire is 20x12-10, which one would be the better fit. I will also check with a local Scag / Husqvarna dealer. Last resort will be the Hustler dealer to see if they have a 20x12-10 tube. They are out of the way for me for what I have on my docket for tomorrow!

 

[BoylermanCT]

Thanks ZZVYB6. I'll check the inside of the rim for sharp edges. Too late to mark the tire position. I tried driving the mower back to the house, but the wheel just spun while the tire did not move, so original position is long gone!

 

[Creamer]

You should be able to feel the inside of the tire and find something that would wear the tube that quickly. If the tube did not split there is something rubbing a hole in it.

 

[kc5dlo]

Tubeless tires are much more convenient for me. I run slime in my tires on lawn equipment. Usually will add a little if it starts leaking again. If i can see where it is leaking i will push a plug in it. Much easier and cheaper than dismounting a tire and installing a tube.

 

[not2old]

I agree with others about tube size not being the problem. They will adjust more than you might think. Dirt bikers frequently use a front tube (3.00x21) to field repair a rear (4.50x18) in order to carry less junk with them.

 

[the old grind]

It's easy to 'pinch' a hole into a tube when mounting small-rimmed (mower) tires. Many won't DIY these as they can be a bear, esp the smaller fronts.

A pinhole in a tube caused by a mounting mishap may hold some air until it's driven on, pointing to it seating/sealing against the tire's inside until then. That's the reason some of us will DIY.

Be sure to put something on any bare metal areas when de-burring a rim. Auto primers are porous, so skip those. A smear of silicone grease or Fluid Film (TM) has worked for me.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Got the wheel back from the tire dealer. Tube had split, so we are chalking it up to defective tube or something went wrong during installation. So the put a new tube in it at no charge. But they did confirm, the tube is for a 20x10 tire, not a 20x12. So if it happens again, I think I will just buy a new tire for $69 and be done with it.

He did show me that you can get mower tires with an anti puncture layer put in by the manufacturer. It is a soft jelly like pad the encases the inside of the tire, and pretty much stops all leaks and punctures. No mess like slime can make.

Picking up free firewood today, and will put the tire back on later this afternoon and resume mowing.

 

[BoylermanCT]

OK, blew out another tube today. Had to carry the Raptor SD home with the tractor again. Will be buying a new tire.

 

[TMGT]

Where was the original puncture? Was there a reason they didn't plug or patch it?

 

[dougtrr2]

Any chance that there is a hidden piece of steel (old fence post, rebar, etc) that you are running over?

Doug in SW IA

 

[sidecarist]

If the tire is off the rim again use a cotton ball to check both the rim and inside of the tire for sharp objects. A remarkably small thing can wear a hole in a tube. The cotton will catch on it and show it clearly.

 

[Ford850]

Where was the original puncture? Was there a reason they didn't plug or patch it?

That's what I was wondering. I plug my mower tires and have had no issues. I did have one plug repair that leaked along one side of the plug, so I added another plug, and eventually a third plug all in the same hole. That was years ago and it's still holding today.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Why don't you throw the tube away, plug the tire with a cat turd plug and keep using it. I just plugged one today on my mower.

 

[BoylermanCT]

The tire shop said a plug would not hold and said to go with a tube. Took their advice.... Original hole was in center of tread, a 1/2" screw. They have said they found 2 other holes, one on the sidewall, so no plug there. I've cut my losses and ordered a new tire for $70 incl shipping. Spending too much time on this! Need to get the field cut before I need haybine!

 

[TMGT]

A proper plug or patch would work for a 1/2" screw, you can also plug the sidewall being it's a low speed tire.

 

[MF283]

Wondering if you put any soapy water on tire(over inflate) to check for leaks before ordering a new one?

 

[Texasmark]

My tire dealer uses Korean tubes rather than the more common made elsewhere tubes....none available around here made in the US. He is 5th generation in that store and still going strong with lots of competition from "low ball" stores. I have had problems with tubes purchased from the local farm stores but no problems with his. I prefer tubes to match or be the next size smaller on a tube rather than go larger which kinks when inflated.

1 psi will inflate the tube as far as that goes! All my mowing equipment and I have numerous run 10 psig or less especially on tires rated for 12 psi max. I have some ATV tires on my Husqvarna 46" used to mow the pond dam and such with a max rating on the sidewall of 5 psig.....so nothing wrong with your inflation pressure.

I'll go for something wrong with the wheel. But that answer is confusing when considering your initial problem unless you had 2 problems:

A punctured tubeless that didn't mend properly....a patch from the inside would surely correct that vs a punch through without dismounting type repair, especially on light duty tires like yours;

or a problem on the rim which kept the tubeless from seating properly. But that doesn't make sense as you have been using the mower for some time without a tire problem.