Leaky Tire

rScotty · Nov 23, 2021

One of my rear tires - 19.5Lx24 - takes a month or two, but will always end up about two psi less than the other. Then I fill it up and some months later it is lower again.

But this morning I went out and that tire was FLAT. The tires are in good shape, tubeless, and wheels are good. I cannot find the leak

What would you do? I'm thinking of calling the tire service guys, but that's a two hour round trip.

bmaverick · Nov 23, 2021

rScotty said:
One of my rear tires - 19.5Lx24 - takes a month or two, but will always end up about two psi less than the other. Then I fill it up and some months later it is lower again.

But this morning I went out and that tire was FLAT. The tires are in good shape, tubeless, and wheels are good. I cannot find the leak

What would you do? I'm thinking of calling the tire service guys, but that's a two hour round trip.

Can you put the tire on a small flat bed trailer or get it in the bed of a pickup? Then find a tire shop that also does Ag too.

I have Broadhead Tire some 12 miles from me. A leaking bead was my trouble. The shop had some 'redish-pink' stuff to coat the inside rim lip that seemed like green slime in a way. This revitalized the tire bead and sealed. I'm going on a year now, it's holding the same PSI since it was filled.

PS, come to think more about it, maybe it was reddish RTV. I don't recall. But, whatever it is, it's also used on aircraft landing tires as well.

ultrarunner · Nov 23, 2021

Slime worked wonders on my Kubota fronts. Foam filled the rears.

zzvyb6 · Nov 23, 2021

Put some dish soap around the valve stem. Tubeless Shraeder valves can leak at the rim after a while. Wiggle it around a bit. Include the valve area with soap, too.

Doughknob · Nov 23, 2021

zzvyb6 said:
Put some dish soap around the valve stem. Tubeless Shraeder valves can leak at the rim after a while. Wiggle it around a bit. Include the valve area with soap, too.

Yep. Thats it!

jaxs · Nov 23, 2021

rScotty said:
One of my rear tires - 19.5Lx24 - takes a month or two, but will always end up about two psi less than the other. Then I fill it up and some months later it is lower again.

But this morning I went out and that tire was FLAT. The tires are in good shape, tubeless, and wheels are good. I cannot find the leak

What would you do? I'm thinking of calling the tire service guys, but that's a two hour round trip.

What would I do???? I'd get it fixed unless i didn't need to use the tractor. Otherwise I'd just FORGETABOUTIT.

rScotty · Nov 23, 2021

zzvyb6 said:
Put some dish soap around the valve stem. Tubeless Shraeder valves can leak at the rim after a while. Wiggle it around a bit. Include the valve area with soap, too.

I'll give that valve stem a look tomorrow. Good idea.
That's the kind of thought I was hoping for. It just doesn't seem like a normal puncture; I aired it up today and it is holding. That's not right......

If it comes to taking the wheel off, I
doubt that I'll wrestle it on & off by myself.
Not only is it heavy, each of those 8 lug bolts call for 365 ft*lbs of torque. ugh.
rScotty

ultrarunner · Nov 23, 2021

A quick fix is sometimes possible with a metal valve stem cap...

The cap prevents loss from leaking schrader core.

ROUSTABOUT · Nov 23, 2021

I'd check the valve stem. We check all our machines before use anyway.

bmaverick · Nov 23, 2021

rScotty said:
I'll give that valve stem a look tomorrow. Good idea.
That's the kind of thought I was hoping for. It just doesn't seem like a normal puncture; I aired it up today and it is holding. That's not right......

If it comes to taking the wheel off, I
doubt that I'll wrestle it on & off by myself.
Not only is it heavy, each of those 8 lug bolts call for 365 ft*lbs of torque. ugh.
rScotty

365ft-lbs. Yes. I finger tighten till snug, then hit the lug bolts with the impact on setting-1. Work my way in criss-cross fashion. Then hit them on setting-2 likewise. This gets it very close to that range.

IF these are not tightened enough, over time, they loosen and fall off. I wonder why I know about this? LOL. And they are not any certain bolt either. They are metric lug bolts. To keep them from coming off so easy as 365ft-lbs is a chore to reach, I improvised using Nord-Lock washers just under the bolt heads. This is like using lock-tite.