Mower Tires Crushed Flat for Shipment - Any Advise ????

[Gordon Gould]

Ordered a pair 13 X 5.00-6 tires for my self powered bush hog. They came crushed totally flat to minimize the air space from Asia I guess. What a different world it is now. I got them pried open and put a ratchet strap on them to try to get them into shape. They are very stiff and really want to remain in their deformed shape. I know from past experience that even with properly shaped tires it is a challenge getting them on the 6" rims and the bead seated. Has anyone dealt with these flattened tires and will air pressure actually force them into shape if I can get them seated ??? I could only find one source for this size tire which used to be quite common. They were only 5 bucks a piece which made me a little suspicious. Help if you can please. Thanks.



gg

 

[mini14]

yes, its happened to me, sometimes they wont seat. the ones that do don't stay deformed. ive had to send a few back, for the most part it looks worse then it is.

 

[ruffdog]

What the heck???? :shocked: I wonder if they even let the tires harden up before they squashed them? Note to self....spend a bit more so your tires don't look like a donut after a car ran over it.

 

[newbury]

OP - I notice your in NE Vermont. I grew up there and still own about 70 acres in Fletcher on route 108.

Have you tried a hot water bath? Down here in Mississippi almost all my tractor tires get real soft when the temp hit's 100 compared to them at 60.
/edit - bath for the tires

 

[ruffdog]

Remember to use plenty of bubble bath soap!

 

[oldnslo]

Cut a few pieces of wood to help hold them open and set them in the sun for a few hours. Like Newbury said, heat does help make them softer and yes the are a real PITA to deal with.

 

[BrkMstr]

I work in the Trailer Parts industry - although most of the trailer tires are sold as tire/wheel combo all of our tire only units look just like that, 2ply to 12ply doesn't matter, it saves space - when your dealing with container loads space is everything to them - they may look like they will never set up properly - but they do, setting them out in the sun, a few hits on the floor then using a strap or an air belt they shape / seal enough for high pressure and a little movement normally catches and they inflate - put air to them and no one will never know how they came in!!! If you do a lot of them an air / tire blaster cuts the job in half......

 

[Gordon Gould]

Thanks for the replies !!!! I feel much better now. I was just thinking maybe they were rejects because nobody wanted to deal with the hassle and that was why Surplus Center had them. They're in the sun and 90 degrees here, very hot for us. I will wrestle with them tomorrow with more confidence now. I miss the long gone days when they changed stuff to make it better.

gg

 

[grnspot110]

I just tube them, I've had too much trouble with small tires leaking air within a year or two if mounted tubeless anyway!

 

[newbury]

Thanks for the replies !!!! I feel much better now. I was just thinking maybe they were rejects because nobody wanted to deal with the hassle and that was why Surplus Center had them. They're in the sun and 90 degrees here, very hot for us. I will wrestle with them tomorrow with more confidence now. I miss the long gone days when they changed stuff to make it better.

gg

I don't know if I saw 90 degrees Fahrenheit more than once or twice a summer in Fletcher. Saw 40 below several times in the winter. That makes for hard tires

 

[Gordon Gould]

I don't know if I saw 90 degrees Fahrenheit more than once or twice a summer in Fletcher. Saw 40 below several times in the winter. That makes for hard tires

That's right - 85 degrees used to be a really hot day. Now we have days in a row in the 90's. I'm in Waterford. Between St. Jay and Littleton, NH.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

I just tube them, I've had too much trouble with small tires leaking air within a year or two if mounted tubeless anyway!

I hear what you are saying but to me it's a mixed bag. I've tried both ways. They are 2 ply tires and it doesn't take much for a flat sometimes. W/O tubes I can plug them or Slime them. Tubes I have to break them down to patch the tube which is not fun. You would think small rims would be easy but no. So I run tubeless until the tire gets real bad then tube it to get a little more life.

gg

 

[zzvyb6]

What, Did you save $2 by buying them from Amazon ? All the ag stores have them round and black, probably same brand and quality. BTW: since there is very little 'rubber' in them traction is an issue. Get a real turf type tire send them back. I burned the 2 I had inherited. Funny how much 'tire' was left because it was all unburnable material. They still looked like tires !!!

 

[Gordon Gould]

What, Did you save $2 by buying them from Amazon ? All the ag stores have them round and black, probably same brand and quality. BTW: since there is very little 'rubber' in them traction is an issue. Get a real turf type tire send them back. I burned the 2 I had inherited. Funny how much 'tire' was left because it was all unburnable material. They still looked like tires !!!

???????????? I would have preferred to by them in a local store rather than Surplus Center (not Amazon) but the only 13 X 5.00-6 tires I could find any where except Surplus Center were complete wheell/tire assemblies. I would have been fine with that if I could find a 1" bore wheel for my heavy 1" axles but they are all 1/2 or 3/4 bores. If you know where some are with 1" bores or plain tires it would be helpful. Thanks !!

gg

 

[fried1765]

That's right - 85 degrees used to be a really hot day. Now we have days in a row in the 90's. I'm in Waterford. Between St. Jay and Littleton, NH.

gg

Are you anywhere near the Rabbit Hill Inn?

 

[radios1]

???????????? I would have preferred to by them in a local store rather than Surplus Center (not Amazon) but the only 13 X 5.00-6 tires I could find any where except Surplus Center were complete wheell/tire assemblies. I would have been fine with that if I could find a 1" bore wheel for my heavy 1" axles but they are all 1/2 or 3/4 bores. If you know where some are with 1" bores or plain tires it would be helpful. Thanks !!

gg

you didn't look hard enough!. they are all over.. Tires - 13 x 5.-6 Tire Size - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

 

[Gordon Gould]

you didn't look hard enough!. they are all over.. Tires - 13 x 5.-6 Tire Size - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

You are right. I did not see them. I wonder if they are shipped flattened too ? I must have had a bad day. Doing another search I even found some 4 ply tires. Hard to explain what happens some times - Duh.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

Are you anywhere near the Rabbit Hill Inn?

The inn is down by the Conn River. I'm about 6 miles from there - mostly all up hill.

gg

 

[DJ54]

If you have any Home Depot's in your area, at times theyhave good prices on such things. I probably buy 90% of my hand power tools there. Less than anyone else normally, but then they run some great salesat times too. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hi-Run-13-in-x-5-00-in-6-4PR-SU12-Turf-II

While your waiting for them to reshape themselves, ask your buddies if they have, or know someone who has a bead seater tank. Amazon.com: TSI Cheetah Bead Seating Tool - 5 Gallon Capacity, Model# CH-5: Automotive They are the ticket for getting small tires like that out on the rim. I bought a used Cheetah brand (Supposed to be the best according to reviews) I found on FaceBook Marketplace for $40. It'll put that baby out on the rim in a split second. I was told by the guy I bought it off of, to remove the valve stem in the small tire I was trying to seat. It popped it out, but dropped back off the rim. I put the stem in, and started with a lower psi of 35, and it worked perfect.

Not sure how many tubeless tires you deal with, but I have more than several on diferent things around here. Usually over the winter, many will lose air through a non-perfect bead seat. Got some of this at a local auto parts store, https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...ffef52929/xtra-seal-bead-sealer/14101/4869951 broke the tires off the rim, and gave them a coat. Re-inflated them with the bead seater, and so far none that I have done have gone down, at least not like they did, probably due to it being the nylon valve cores.

 

[radios1]

You are right. I did not see them. I wonder if they are shipped flattened too ? I must have had a bad day. Doing another search I even found some 4 ply tires. Hard to explain what happens some times - Duh.

gg

they have just about any style in that size, and btw, carlisle is a very good brand, at least at one time made in USA.. they still might be.. Summit Racing is not going to sell flattened tires!. no-one would be buying from them if they did!.. btw, I have switched all my tires to tubed, less problems. with tubeless, I used to use a rope around the tie with a steel rod used to tighten up the rope, which expaned the tire, and gave a seal. it works like a tourniquet..