How to plug a rear loaded tractor tire.

SARG · Mar 11, 2010

Well ... Just discovered that missing roofing nail in the rear loaded tire of my NH T1030 sub-compact.

The juice sure squirts a considerable distance when I pull it out.

Anyway .... tomorrow I'll have to figure out how to plug the hole. I'm assuming I'll have to take the wheel off the tractor to get it flat with the valve up and then let the air out. Then put the valve back in.....to hold the fluid in while I pick the tire up so the hole is at 12 O'clock to plug it.

Does this sound about right?

RickB · Mar 11, 2010

I'd plug it the same way I'd plug any tubeless tire. You should be able to rotate the wheel so the leak is above the static level of the fluid, if that matters. I certainly would not deflate the tire. That is an excellent way to lose a bead seal and have the ballast running down your driveway or out your garage door.

PILOON · Mar 11, 2010

If it is tubeless and you are using beet juice or washer fluid then that procedure would be OK.

BUT if ballast is calcium chloride then you need to patch the inner tube and THOROUGHLY was out the inner side of the rim as Calcium is extremely corrosive and failing to do so could cost you the price of a rim!

JackMentink · Mar 11, 2010

I just did the plug repair on my loaded back tire for my montan 3644 last year. They contain washer fluid. Went to walmart bought a $10 plug kit , rotated the tire so the hole was at the top and above the fluid level. There was minor air going out , but not much. I reamed it with the reaming tool , put a plug and cement on and pushed in the plug, let it dry overnight. next morning cut the plug off flush and hasn't leaked since. that was 75 hours of use ago.

Sure beats remove the large 700 lb tire and breaking it down for a repair.

SARG · Mar 12, 2010

I am pleased to report that I naturally took the easiest repair recommendation and it worked.

Pulled the nail.. got a slight bath from the tire juice ... covered the hole with my fat thumb and then jammed in the repair plug I had purchased probably a decade ago .... just in case.

Anyway the seal appears to be working and I'm ready to go once again.