Tires Changing a flat front tire w/o a jack is cool

flyngti · Jan 3, 2008

I had this slow leak in one of my front tires and for many months. Every now and again, I would check it and put more air in -- no big deal. Last week, I went to tend to my manure pile and guess what I didn't check? Yep, pressure was low. So low in fact that I rolled the rim off the outside bead of the tire while I was maneuvering in the pile. The worse part is I didn't even realize it until I was done! I hopped off and went "oh s***!" when I saw the tire.

I started to head back to the shop to get a jack and a lug wrench when it dawned on me -- what the heck do I need a jack for when I have a FEL? Got the wrench, loosened the lugs, fired up the engine and lifted the front up enough to get the tire off. Easy!

The good news is the tire is fine. After washing all the mud/manure/compost off the outside of the tire/rim and flooding the inside to rinse out as much muck as I could, I took it down to Les Schwab. They removed the tire, cleaned it some more and remounted the tire with a tube as they weren't sure if the bead would hold air. Luckily there was no other damage to the tire or rim and I'm back in business.

Tractors are cool.

RobS · Jan 3, 2008

And if you have a backhoe, you can do the same on the rear! (Don't ask how I know this)

BB_TX · Jan 3, 2008

Yep. Much easier than a jack and more stable too.

Mighty Dodge · Jan 3, 2008

Yup I had a slow leak in one of my fronts. Had to put a tube in it as well.

M.D.

Wayne County Hose · Jan 3, 2008

Funny story, I'm over at my brother's farm when a neighbor (about 8 miles away, I love the country) goes by with his big old IH with an FEL. There's a road goes kind of diagonal in front of my brothers house and up the mountain that this guy is going down. Next thing, we hear a giant POW, like a gun shot. Then, we hear this horrendous scraping and the throttle kick up a little. My brother says the guy just had a blowout on the front, I say no way. My brother throws an old rim/tire in his p/up and off we go. When we caught the guy, he travelled about a half mile on a blowout. He said that the tire blew and he just dropped the FEL to take the weight off the tire, kicked up the throttle a little, and kept going. He never even put the clutch in to stop! We helped him change the tire and he promised my brother he would get his spare back to him the next day, bro' told him to just keep it as the humor factor was worth it. He was prepared to go about 7 miles on his bucket! I wonder if he would have made it.

dirtworksequip · Jan 3, 2008

flyngti, you probably could have actually drove the tractor back to where your tools were. Put the bucket on the ground and raise the front off the ground enough to keep the bad tire from contacting the ground. Now put the transmission in reverse and head for home. Hmmmmmmmm, how to steer? Use the rear steering brakes. You may have not been able to use this technique since you were in a lot of mud,but I've travel quite a ways with a front flat this way before. Have fun and watch out for that "air thief"

Sincerely, Dirt

RalphVa · Jan 3, 2008

I slimed mine the first time it happened. Lifted it up using the FEL like you did.

ralph

flyngti · Jan 4, 2008

heh, that's funny -- driving on your bucket with a flat front. Hard on the underside of the bucket but would work in a pinch I suppose. It doesn't seem to be all too much different than dumping a load of gravel then back-blading to smooth it out.

dirtworksequip · Jan 5, 2008

I'm not saying to run down a blacktop road with 6 feet of sparks flying off the bottom of the bucket. I'm just saying if you are lazy like me and don't feel like carrying your tools to your tractor. You may just need to move it to a short distance to a better spot.

Sincerely, Dirt

kude · Jan 5, 2008

I just replaced a front tire on my 3520 using the FEL. The tire had been flat before and I used a plug to fix it before. I was moving snow around and I noticed after I was done, it was flat. I had chewed the bead up alittle. Rather than using a tube, I just bought a new tire. The list price on the Galaxy tire was $196, but I got it for $117 mounted. I'm not real happy with inner tubes, as they seem to go flat again too quickly. Use an air wrench, makes it a quick job.

Fixing the tire on the 755 was bad with the lugs. One lug would not come off. It split several sockets trying to break it, One stubborn SOB. I used a tube there, and it goes flat regularly. I guess I shoulkd just get a new tire there too.