G1800-S Front Tire/Wheel issue

[bozzchem]

Well, I was going to take my daughter down to the garden so we could get some things done and my front left tire was flat as a pancake.

I aired it up and it was flat again within 5 minutes. So, I made a soapy solution with water to determine where the leak was, aired the tire up and sprayed the entire thing. It's leaking around the rim/bead area that faces outward. It looks like pulling the rim off will take an act of God so am wondering what my options are.

I'm guessing the bead is no longer sealed and am hoping someone can give me a tip for getting the current tire to be happy once more. The tire doesn't look to be in bad shape but when filled and sprayed with the soap solution, it looks like a Lawrence Welk bubble generator!

Any thoughts/tips are very much appreciated!

 

[jinman]

I think you will spend a lot of wasted time trying to get the wheel off the hub. I jacked up the front axle and used a big C-clamp to break the bead when I recently replaced both front tires. I suspect your wheel bead may be rusty or dirty. You can try to seal it up by using Slime. It will take a lot of slime because it is designed to seal leaks on the tread. A regular can of Fix-a-flat might work best. One of those methods will probably work, but if you need to break the bead, the big C-clamp works well.

 

[bozzchem]

I tried to pressure wash and then scrub the bead area with a toothbrush and Simple Green. No dice. Still making bubbles.

I don't know if I just need to pull the tire off and clean the bead/wheel or if I need a new tire.

Either way, can you tell me what size C clamp you used and how you got the tire off? I've got some pretty big clamps and could probably figure it out eventually but if you've already done it, you can probably save me a lot of cussing.

It does look like there's some dry rot in the bead area so maybe that's why the tire crapped out on me. It's a shame since the tread on the tire is still pretty good.

Once I've got the tire off, I'll scrub/clean the bead seating area and hope the new tire seats.

 

[bozzchem]

BTW, where did you get your tires and what did they run you?

I'm finding that parts for a Kubota are like parts for a Mercedes. They cost WAY more than they should and aren't all that special.

Thanks again!

 

[jinman]

BTW, where did you get your tires and what did they run you?

I'm finding that parts for a Kubota are like parts for a Mercedes. They cost WAY more than they should and aren't all that special.

Thanks again!

I ordered the tires through Amazon.com. They are 4-ply rated. You can find a lot of 2-ply rated tires cheaper, but the 4-ply tires are the best. 4-ply was what was on my g1800 from Kubota. I received my order within 7 days with free Super Saver shipping.

I've attempted to draw a diagram below of 1/2 of a tire cross-section on a rim. The gray part is the tire and the white part the rim. I placed my 12" C-clamp over the tire as show and clamped down on the bead. I had to do a little "convincing" on the bead on each side of the clamp with a big flat-blade screwdriver, but with a little work the tire popped off the bead and then I let the C-clamp catch the rim on the front and pulled the backside bead off the rim as well.

Putting the new tires on is the hardest part. The back bead easily goes on, especially with soap. When you get to fighting with the outside bead to get it on the rim, things get interesting. Several flat tools to pry and hold are necessary and a hammer to tap (whack) the bead is needed. I've changed enough tires that I know the routine. A couple of extra hands from a helper is also good. My grandson helped me and we got 'er done.:thumbsup:

BTW: If the tires are really stuck on the rim, you can cut them off through the sidewall and then work on getting the rest off. After all, if they are going into the trash, you don't need to be too "friendly" with them. Putting the new tires on is different. You have to be careful not to cut the bead and once the tires are on the rim, you may have to put a ratchet strap around the middle and pull it tight to cause the beads to expand and inflate. Make sure you remove the valve core for maximum airflow from your compressor. Some would say that you can use ether or cigarette lighter fluid and light it with a match to set the bead, but I'd rather watch that on U-tube video than actually attempt it myself.:shocked:

 

[lakeside]

I had a similar problem, but in my case it was simply the tire rubber which had cracked from age. I tried pulling the front wheels off without any luck. Since the tire treads weren't worn, I ordered four tubes and installed tubes in all four tires, I cut the original valve stems off and slipped the tube stems through the hole. Haven't had a problem since.

 

[VAG1800]

If the tire is just leaking around the rim, let all the air out of it and knock it back off the front of the rim with a plastic hammer and run a bead of tire bead sealer around it and pump it back up.