Tire keeps coming unseated from rim

[5030tinkerer]

I have a 5030 with R4's on it. When it was around 0 degrees out several weeks ago and I had a bunch of weight on the loader, the passenger front tire came unseated from the rim (the tire didn't pop OFF the rim, it stayed inside the rim edges, but unseated itself on both sides). I have since discovered that I must have had the tire pressure too low - it had dropped to about 15psi on the other side (I suppose because of the weather).

Just the other day, though, it happened again (at 30 degrees this time). Same tire, but it was at 35psi and there wasn't even a load on the front. While the terrain was quite bumpy, I wasn't going much more than 3mph when it happened.

Should I go to a tire shop and have THEM re-seat the tire, ensuring that some sort of soapy mixture is used to re-seat it or should I just re-do it? I can't find any damage to the tire or the rim.

It was a pain to get re-seated last time (had to bring the tire to room temperature to get it to even reach the rim around all sides - the tire just seemed too small when it was cold to even have a chance of seating when cold, but warming it up solved that problem). Am I doing something wrong? AFAIK, the Titan tire and rim is factory.

 

[mikeyd]

I have a 5030 with r4's and have had the same problem until I got some bead sealer I purchased at NAPA. It's a black tar-like sticky substance. Just brush it around both sides of the tire and inflate. Works well, I still have to keep an eye on tire pressure, but air pressure seems to stay at proper level for much longer than before. Plus have not popped a tire since.

 

[DieselPower]

Are you sure it was at 35 PSI when it came off last time? If it was it must have made one heck of a bang when it did. I suspect you have a leak and the preasure had dropped again. I would reseat it and check for leaks.

 

[DieselPower]

Hmm, I have seen the bead sealer before but never needed it. Can't say I have ever had a tire unseat itself. In fact their usually a SOB to get unseated when I need to change them. Maybe that tire size just needs a little help being held on. I guess the bead sealer is worth a try.

 

[mikeyd]

I have to agee...I suspect the tire had to have been losing air and was low on pressure when it came off the bead the second time. So, you got a leak or bad seal, tire gets low, you crank a turn and the tire walks off. If it is the bead, try the sealer...it worked for me.

 

[Bird]

I agree that the air pressure was almost surely too low and that's what caused it to come unseated. I only had that happen on my tractor once and that was my own fault. I was turning pretty sharply, although very very slowly, with a heavy load in the front end loader and I had not aired up the tires to the maximum, as recommended. However, I did find that I had a very slow leak in one of my pickup tires recently, and instead of hunting for it myself, I just stopped by Discount Tire and let them do it. That black bead sealer is what they used because that's where the leak was.

 

[milkman]

Those little 8" tubless tires on trailers and woodsplitters etc. are really a bear when they start leaking around the rim, I clean around the bead and seat and spray the rim seat area using a can of the spray undercoat, the tar like stuff, it has fixed all my bead leaks.

 

[DieselPower]

If leakage around the rim seat area is a common problem with these wouldn't it be easier to just install some tire sealant in the tires?

 

[5030tinkerer]

Thanks for the replies, guys - I knew I could count on you!

When it came off the first time a few weeks ago, I just looked down and noticed that the tire was off of the rim. This time, I heard the air leaking out (like it was punctured) before it went flat and came unseated. I can't say for sure that the tire remained at 35psi - that's just what I had set it to after remounting it the first time. It hissed for quite awhile before coming off of the rim - maybe two minutes or so.

I'll pick up some bead sealer at the local NAPA, clean up the rim and tire bead really well, reseat the tire, reinflate it, and then dunk the tire into a tub of water to check for bubbles.

When it comes to cleaning the rim up, I was thinking of using a steel brush or steel wool. What do you guys use for cleaning up the tire, and for that matter, the rim?

I don't want to damage anything (mostly just concerned about the tire...), but I don't want it to leak again (assuming that's the problem) either.

 

[Bird]

I've used a wire brush on steel wheels (rims) a lot of times. And I've even used one on the tire bead, but going at it with a much lighter touch than on the steel.

 

[5030tinkerer]

Thanks, Bird - I was tempted to use a softer touch with a wire brush on the tire, but it's always good to hear from someone who's been there.

 

[Karl2]

Sorry to revive an ancient thread, but the same thing just happened yesterday with a Trac Loader tire in front of my JD 4720 cabbie. This is not related to tractor make so I feel no shame posting it in the Kubota forum.

The issue appears to be related to intense cold conditions. I do commercial snow removal so the tires are usually kept at the minimal recommended pressure for 30-degree temps (12 to 15 psi in front) but I suspect the frigid air that hit us yesterday had caused the pressure to drop and the rubber to harden which is not good. I suspect the beads broke loose when I rounded a curve rather abruptly on a bumpy road. Did not notice it immediately because steering is jittery on rough surfaces anyway and I was concentrating on finding my way in severe drifting snow conditions. Only noticed it on the next hard turn. The tire had not popped out of the rim, was just hanging there. Front implement is a reversible snow pusher and it's quite heavy but there's a heavier 1-ton industrial blower in the back so front tires were not stressed beyond specs.

This is an old tire on its last season so I did not want to make a $300 service call and wait hours on the side of the road just to save an old tire and rim. So I slowly drove the 2 miles back home (tire popped out twice during the drive and I rubber-hammered it back in with some difficulty) and examined the damage. To my amazement there was surprisingly very little: none visible on the tire and a few barely noticeable dents on the rim. I guess driving below 10 mph has something to do with it. Once home I took the wheel off the tractor and stored it in the boiler room overnight where the temperature was about 90 degrees. This morning I removed the stem valve and pushed air into it at the compressor's max capacity. The tire inflated normally and re-beaded itself. Now I'm leaving it resting in the house until tomorrow to see if it leaks but so far so good. These tires are really sturdy, I guess that's why so many tractors come fitted with them when you order the industrial package.

Edit: apparently it is possible to inflate tires using the tractor's built-in compressor (for the seat) but I have no idea how it's done and could not find useful info about it online.