Rear Tire Side Wall Tear - Boot & Tube?

davemhughes · Nov 10, 2013

No idea how I did it but came out today to move some shooting table with the pallet forks and saw this. Was just running it yesterday and do not remember hitting anything. Well the tire is a 320/85 R24 and I hope I can just patch the side wall and put a tube in it. I would like to do it myself if possible. Unsure how hard its going to be to break the bead and get the one tire bead area over the rim?

Might be better off to just take it off the tractor and haul it in the pick up to the tractor tire place. I absolutely do not want to buy a new tire and plan to do anything I have to to Not buy a new tire. I have gotten flats before and just plugged them as we have many Locus trees here and they have monster thorns on them.

Thoughts??

Kernopelli · Nov 10, 2013

I got a substantial sidewall tear from a stump several years ago while skidding logs. Used a sidewall patch from farm supply store and put a tube in and have had no issues since. Not ideal but it saved replacing a tire that otherwise still had a lot of life left.

davemhughes · Nov 10, 2013

Did you dismount the tire yourself and break it from the rim? If so....tips?

I change tire on my motorcycles so I understand the how to do it but the rear tractor tire is much bigger and any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Kernopelli · Nov 10, 2013

Changed it myself. Used a CAREFULLY placed a heavy flat bar against the tire bead and broke it free with a sledge hammer. DO NOT place the bar on the sidewall itself or you can rip/puncture the sidewall. Soapy water and large tire spoons and screwdrivers got it back on. I have used this method several times. I have tried using the bucket of the FEL and driven vehicles on carefully placed boards to break tire beads before but neither were successful with the tractor tire. This was a 9.5X24 R1 tire. Same thing as motorcycle tire...just a LOT more stubborn!

davemhughes · Nov 11, 2013

Well I took the tire off the tractor and took it to the ag tire shop. They said they would not patch the side wall and put a tube in it for me. They did however seem convinced the new 12.4 - r24 R1 tire they had was a deal at $851.00

I ordered a pair of tubes off ebay for $40 shipped and big tire patch kit for $5. I will try to fix it myself first and then I also sourced some 12.4 - r24 R1 for $250 each about 90 miles away. I did pay them to break the bead and dismount the tire for me so i can try to repair it.

Would love to find some R4 tires for it as those are much tougher. I took off the R1 7.50 -16 front tires as I just getting flat after flat from Locus thorns and put steel belted 235/85/16 on and have not had a front flat in 18 months.

The guy I talked to on the phone has some r4 12 ply 13.0 - 24 tires but I know I would have to change the front tires because of the gearing for the 4x4 but unsure which size I should use on the fronts if I went with the R4 13-24 tires on the rear.????.

davemhughes · Dec 5, 2013

Update

I put a 4x6 thick patch over the tear on the inside of the tire. I then put a tractor tire liner/boot inside i got off of gemplers/ Put the tube in and used 30" tire spoons (3) to get the tire back on the rim. Aired it up and put it back on the tractor....been working great with no problems for over a week now.