BX24 flat front tire

[RayCo]

My one front tire often goes flat (instantly, not a slow leakdown) when I'm doing loader work, and I don't think that I'm overworking the tractor. It went flat the other day when I got just a slightly-heaping bucket full of damp sand, and has also happened with a slightly-heaping pile of dry dirt. I'm able to just air it back up and be good again for a while, but I don't want to keep doing this. I see no signs of damage anywhere on the wheel, so I'm hoping the tire has a bad bead.

The max tire PSI is 22, and I've filled it to about 21.5. (I think the manual says 25, which is odd, considering the tire itself says 22.) This didn't make a difference, so I almost grabbed a can of Fix a Flat the other day. But, doesn't that stuff just make a mess? Is there anything that I can do short of replacing the tire, if it turns out that is the problem?

Thanks

 

[Harry c]

Fill it to 25 psi. Works much better there. With a heavy load the tire can roll off the rim slightly during a turn letting the air out. Higher inflation pressure stops that from happening.

 

[RayCo]

Thanks Harry C. That was my thinking, but when I saw the 22PSI max on the tire itself, I didn't think it was a good idea to go that high. I'm a bit confused about the differences between the tire and the manual, as well as my own instincts.

 

[art]

I still like tubes!

 

[Harry c]

Personally, I prefer tubeless. If the pressure gets a little low and the tire rolls some with a tube, the tube gets pinched. Then it's a real pain to repair. That's happened to me with a 580 Case BHL. Also, If you get a puncture with tubeless, a $5 plug kit gets you going again without even taking the wheel off the tractor. I keep a plug kit around all the time although I haven't had a flat on my BX. I've had good luck plugging loaded tires too. Fixing a puncture on a loaded tire with a tube is really a hassle!

 

[Taiser]

Get your front tires filled with foam! No more problems, not that expensive and added weight to boot!!!

 

[C6rider]

I noticed my left front was down after I picked up a load of stone. Checked pressure and only 8#. Put the 25# in and fine for a week then down to about 12#. No leaks. Put 25# in again and so far so good.

 

[BotaBigot]

Sometimes, once a tire has gone flat or deflected far enough on rim, crud can get between rim and bead, requiring rim/bead cleaning and re-seating...

 

[RayCo]

Sometimes, once a tire has gone flat or deflected far enough on rim, crud can get between rim and bead, requiring rim/bead cleaning and re-seating...

Good point. If I take the tire completely off the wheel and get it to reseat, I wonder if any tire place will be able to mount such a small tire? The only tire machine I used had a specific range that it could handle. Of course, this machine was from 1968 and things are probably much different now.

The little tire on my JD lawn tractor often comes totally off the wheel, and I'm able to kinda hover the tire centered over the wheel while airing it up and it grabs with some patience. I guess I can hope for the same here, and if not, hope my local tire place can reseat it.

 

[jesseb3@att.net]

You could try running a loop of rope around the center of the tire, and then use a wrench or piece of pipe to twist it very tight. That will compress the center of the tire, which forces the beads down and outward. I've never tried it on a small tire, but it works on large tires.