Small puncture, slow leak in front R4

[p0diabl0]

Woke up to a flat tire the other day, traced it down to a puncture in the sidewall. Pretty much the worst place possible. Am I humped? Any fixes that would last? It's pretty tiny, only loses air (bubbles w soapy water) when flexing. Lost about 2 psi over a days work. Its a 2 year old Kubota L2501. I've only changed out bicycle and motorcycle tires (successfully) so I'm not sure how well I'd be able to take the tire off, I don't have a wheel stand or anything.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Jeesh, I feel silly...I just wrote a long write-up about how to change a rear tire, and THEN I saw it was a front tire. This is a $15 fix. Just go to autozone and buy a 16 inch tube.

I remove the tire from the tractor because I find it is easier, then just use a crow bar and sledge hammer to get one side of the tire off.

Put in your new tube, just be sure to thread on the plastic nut that secures the tube to the rim so that it does not push in when you go to blow it up, and then put the tire back on the rim.

Working alone, this is a 20 minute job for me, but if it is your first time, it might take an hour. It is a REALLY easy, and inexpensive fix.

 

[Thomas]

Yep tube it.

 

[Texasmark]

2 year old Kubota with weather cracks like I see in the picture? Like you said the sidewall is the most difficult to fix although there are patches out there made for the purpose and I may have seen them at TSC. Otherwise a multipurpose tire shop should have them and would be happy to repair the tire for you....may be your final option.

The tire sidewall shows 35 PSI for max tire pressure making it a 4 ply tire. That's in your favor in terms of getting the tire off the rim. Did the tire rupture, or did you hit something and gouge a hole in it. If self inflected, based upon the other weathering showing in your pictures, I'd opt for new tires.

 

[p0diabl0]

Thanks guys, I'll try to find a tube to swap in. Lord knows I've dealt with enough of those on bikes and trailers.

Texasmark - the tractor sees sun year round in So-Cal, only goes inside for the rain. I'll probably regret that some day but I don't have a covered spot for her available. I'm not sure what made the gouge - at the current rate of deflation it could have been a week ago that it happened and she gets 10+ hours a week of service - only a couple of hours of that from myself, the rest my employees.

 

[airbiscuit]

Using a tube is a good idea, but I would also GLUE a boot on the sidewall of the tire to help keep that gouge from spreading.

Why not take the wheel/tire to a tire shop and let them do the work.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I have always been a person who "does as much for myself as I can." and it has served me well over the years. But if you have a decent local garage, they will throw in a tube in short order as well. No harm in that.

It depends on your local tire person. If you take it down there, and they try to sell you a new tire, or they make some nonsense claim that they cannot tube it for insurance reasons, then it becomes a waste of time. It hate it when that happens because in 20 minutes I could have done it myself, and been up and running again.

 

[airbiscuit]

I agree with that, IF, the OP does a thorough job of installing a boot on the sidewall.

 

[crazyal]

Do a search for a radial tire plug patch. The look like a patch with a plug in the center of it. You install them from the inside of the tire. Do that then put a tube in. It'll help keep the hole from getting worse and it'll keep water from getting inside it and eventually rusting your wheel.

 

[buck12]

I have always done my best to avoid tubes. If it was mine, I would take the the tire to a decent tire shop and have it patched from the inside. The reason I try to avoid tubes is because if I get a thorn or nail away from the barn I like to be able to plug the tire air it up and keep working. With a tube I can’t plug a simple leak.