Front tire flats

[N80]

So you're not supposed to load rear tires on BH models? Does that only mean with foam? Fluid filled tires compress essentially the same as air filled tires if done properly; the top quarter of the tire has air in it and you inflate to the recommended air pressure.

 

[Mahana79]

I keep Slime w/ rubber chunks, in my fronts. I have one that leaks down faster than the other but of course it has been over a yaer since i put the slime in. Here in West TX the Mesquite thorns will do a nymber on any tire. the only time i actually had a flat was when i was working a rock pile with the loader and i snaged the valvestem on a rock edge. ppppssshhhh there gowns one tire. turn out of it and darned it i didnt catch the other side pppppsssshhhh there goes the other tire. Lucky part they were metal valve stems and i had some extra cause that is what i use on my buggy. pulled them off tookem to the house and put new stems in. When i put them back on a swaped sides and put the valve stems ont he inside since the rim was double punched. wided my front stance and protects my valve stems. makes it a little harder to service the tires though.

 

[chrisjbell]

I know it adds weight... what I was getting at is the manuals for tractors with a BH mounted all seem to be pretty forward in telling you not to load your rear tires - they need the air space to compress under the very high loads placed on them... What I was getting at is - I would think the same goes for foam in the tires... not enough give and risk with a BH mounted. (this is all rear tire talk - even though the thread is about a leaky front tire - sorry)

About the fronts and leaks - I used to get flats all the time. I have a lot of trees that have tough spines and they would poke through my tires like nails. I agree with Bird's first suggestion - fill 'em with foam. The added weight is a bonus - lowers your COG.

I have a BH and filled rear tires. They don't have foam in them (water) so there is still some room for air compression. But I believe that it is not uncommon for construction tractor tires to be filled with foam for both the weight and to prevent flats. The foam is able to compress somewhat and I would guess the tire is actually able to handle more of a load, not less.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I know it adds weight... what I was getting at is the manuals for tractors with a BH mounted all seem to be pretty forward in telling you not to load your rear tires - they need the air space to compress under the very high loads placed on them... What I was getting at is - I would think the same goes for foam in the tires... not enough give and risk with a BH mounted. (this is all rear tire talk - even though the thread is about a leaky front tire - sorry)

I think you have hit the nail on the head - luckily not on th point! Tires are your tractors only suspension. When you cause them to have a stiffer compression characteristic, more shock goes into the chassis. In this case the laden tractor is more easily broken by the huge forces that can result from a bump at even moderate speed. I dont see much problem at the rear because that is where the tractor is strongest and the big wheels also tend to even out bumps better. I worry about stiffening the front. I would never want to do it with the permanence of foam, but I will do it temporarily with water in order to stabilize the tractor front back tip during heavy loader work. Also the added traction weight on the front is good for the heavy pushing involved.
Larry

 

[jeffinsgf]

I'll add another vote for Slime. I have heard the argument about making repairs more difficult, but on every tire I have "Slimed" so far, I haven't ever had to do any repair!

I got tired of flats on my wheel barrows and hand trucks that get used infrequently and had them foam filled. Expensive, but they're ready to work when I need them now.

 

[white]

I put tubes in my front tires of B2910. Solved the problem.

 

[Sully2]

I'll add another vote for Slime. I have heard the argument about making repairs more difficult, but on every tire I have "Slimed" so far, I haven't ever had to do any repair!

Places I travel to with a motorhome..tell me they will NOT guarentee a patch if its had slime in the tire...one told me they wont even do it..period. Had Slime in it??...go somewhere else to get the tire repaired.

Kinda tough finding a repair joint for 12R-22.5's...

 

[DieselPower]

Places I travel to with a motorhome..tell me they will NOT guarentee a patch if its had slime in the tire...one told me they wont even do it..period. Had Slime in it??...go somewhere else to get the tire repaired.

Kinda tough finding a repair joint for 12R-22.5's...

Probably because many of the tire sealants don't wash out very easy or at all. Make sure the sealant you use can be washed out with plain old water and it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Sully2]

Probably because many of the tire sealants don't wash out very easy or at all. Make sure the sealant you use can be washed out with plain old water and it shouldn't be a problem.

That might be the answer??..I sure dont know. But its kinda hard to explain that to a tire repair place out on the interstate that the brand "you use" is able to be cleaned out...when they just give you a flat out NO as an answer!!

 

[DieselPower]

Sounds like there loosing business by turning away people that put tire sealants in their tires. You would think they would just charge you more because they have to clean out the tire first. Oh well, their loss and some other shops gain. Alot of the tire shops around me actually sell and install tire sealants, of course they don't have a problem working on tires with it in.

 

[fishpick]

So you're not supposed to load rear tires on BH models? Does that only mean with foam? Fluid filled tires compress essentially the same as air filled tires if done properly; the top quarter of the tire has air in it and you inflate to the recommended air pressure.

Correct - you are not supposed to fill rear tires on a tractor used wit ha BH with anything... apparently the 1/4 volume that remains with air in the filled tires is not enough for the compression expected with the BH... I would guess it's REALLY a combination of the "stiffness" another poster describes really well (suspension is you tire) + the fact that the BHG adds a LOT of weight to the rear so that + the loaded tires might be a little rough on the butt end of the tractor... Of course, after writing that - I would think a ballast box at the END of the 3-PT lift arms generates a lever with more force than a sub-frame mounted BH does weight wise...
SO - N80 - what it really comes down to is the manual and what it says... some is good and real facts... some is lawyer speak for "one idiot did this under this rare conditions and hurt themselves..."
I guess in my mind and my experiences with the BH on my BX25 - given the weight of the BH I don't need to load the tires and like never will... but OTOH - I was planning on loading them before I saw the manual...