tire keeps going flat

[WV Tractorman]

I have a BX23 and them same problem with the tire going soft about every 2 weeks or so. I know what I will be doing this saturday... taking it to my local tire store and having the valve stem replaced ! great ideas guys (and gals sorry) I'm new to TBN and really have gotten alot of good advise from reading about evryones elses triumphs an woes. Thanks!

 

[whistlepig]

This past Spring I had a flat on one of the front tires to my backhoe on a Sunday morning. It ruined the day, plus the day to drop it off and another day to go get it. Two weeks later, on a Sunday morning it went flat on me again. This time was the last time. I had both front tires filled with foam. Cost was just over $500.

Over the summer, my front tire to my small tractor has been leeking air. I started out sliming them when this happened, but Slime has it's limits and it's only good for so long. After a year or two, it's pretty much worthless. New Slime doesn't seem to have any affect on a tire that has already been Slimed. Tubes are the only answer short of a new tire.

Six years of flat tires and 400 hours was the limit. I bought two new tires and had them filled with foam. Coast was $550, and it took just over a week.

Since then, no flats!!!!!!! It's just a nice feeling to be able to start the tractor and go do something without having to deal with filling it up with air, or having it go flat while out mowing.

Eddie

It has also been my experience with Slime that it only holds up for a limited amount of time. After that time the tire has to be dismounted, the Slime cleaned out, and the tire patched, plugged, or replaced. One realizes how Slime gets it's name when you try clean this stuff out of a tire. I quit doing the Slime and went back to plugging tires. This method lasts longer and is easier for me in the long run.

 

[WV Tractorman]

Finally took my tire into the shop and low and behold there was a screw in the darn thing. They plugged it and worked fine today as I dug a new drain line .

 

[FN in MT]

On my B2620 (R-4's) the rears are filled and have been fine. My rt frt is the problem. Within a week it's down to a few PSI. Checked the valve stem as best I could on the tractor. Couldn't see any leakage. Checked the tire inch by inch...no nails or screws BUT I do have a few prickly pear cactus needles in the tire. Pulled out the few I found,they only seemed to go in 1/16-1/8 inch or so.

I'd go the SLIME route but it seems to really cause imbalance in my 4 wheeler when it's cold out. Meaning...at zero or so the SLIME seems to pool at the bottom and simply...stay there.

So my options are; SLIME, or a tube??

FN in MT

 

[apease]

I was having frequent flats too - it was always cracked valve stems on my front tires. Thanks to seeing previous posts, I got a friend to weld valve stem guards on my tires. I made the guards from cutting 1.5" galvanized pipe and the welding only took a minute. I filled the tires with flat filler stuff. No leaks since then.

 

[imajeepnut]

I also have a front left tire leaking on my new B3030 with maybe 2 hrs? I haven't used the tractor since I parked it in the garage, but the front tire goes down in less than a day. I can hear the leak at the bead/rim, and know right where it is. I just haven't had time to dismount it and check it out. Kind of a downer on a brand new tractor, but I'm sure it will be resolved with no issues. I just hate taking it to the tire shop where they beat it up trying to get the tire off!

Anyone know if a tool is made to help with the dismount of these tires...or any tire as far as that goes....? I can break the bead and look at the rim and tire to see if there is any damage, but it would be nice if I could do it all...short of buying a $10,000 tire shop machine!

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[whistlepig]

You can get it off with a couple of big screwdrivers. Be very gentle not to tear the bead. One of these days I'm going to buy some good tire irons. But after using big screwdrivers 35 years what the heck!

 

[Willl]

and have tried sealing with dawn soap around the edges

I did not know Dawn soap had any sealing type qualities ?

 

[whistlepig]

One has to keep the tire very clean. The beads have to be babied and not damaged or torn on a tubeless. The sealing area on the rims have to be scrubbed like new. You can patch a tubeless or plug it. If that doesn't work buy a new tire. Or you can Slime the tire or tube it. For me putting Slime in a tire or tubing it was total waste of time.

 

[TripleR]

I am on my third left front tire on my BX2660. I haven't put the newest one on yet, so I don't know how long it will hold air. According to my dealership, who has replaced them without cost, Kubota denies any problems.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I had a new tire that kept going flat slowly, after taking it back three times I had enough.

I went straight to the manager of the repair shop and told him that enough is enough, I've been here three times and you always say it's fixed...... until then next morning when it's flat!.

I said you and I are going to stand side by side and find this leak or your giving me a new tire.

He pumped it up and dunked it - no leak. I looked like a Moron. Then I said take it up to 90 pounds, with a condescending tone he said OK but we're wasting our time. We then dumped the tire in the water and there it was the slightest trickle of bubble coming from in between the tire sipes. Now it was my turn to blast him, but the look in my eye told him all he needed to know. He fixed it and it's never gone down since.

Point it, these leaks are miserable to find, could even be in the welds if there is one.

The last straw was I purchased a new set of tires, got the tractor home and that afternoon I had a flat.

I must admit after spending so much money on flats and time at the tire repair facility, that was the biggest decision one me going with a tractor with tracks.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I am on my third left front tire on my BX2660. I haven't put the newest one on yet, so I don't know how long it will hold air. According to my dealership, who has replaced them without cost, Kubota denies any problems.

Kubota is being less than forthright about this or their dealers are not telling them or customers are not telling dealers and just going to a tire shop and having them fixed. I haven't told my dealer, yet, I just keep an air tank and fill it up when I'm goin to use the tractor. I think in the past Barlows replaced one of the tires and one I never told them about, I just took it to a tire shop and had a tube put in it which stopped the flat tire. My BX2660 has one front tire that leaks air, the BX2350 before that had one front tire that leaked air and I believe the BX2200 Leaked air on one front tire. I don't think the BX1500 leaked air. I haven't had the problem with the L or B's. From this thread and others it's quite obvious that there is a problem with one front tire on BX's. How do you figure they do that? Have the pile of leaking tires and the pile of nonleaking tires and keep them seperate so no tractor gets 2 leaking front tires, just one per tractor.

 

[bota jim]

for the past year i had a problem with my right front on my bx24. the tractor is only about 15 months old. the tire would last a week and then be flat on the rim. had the tire shop dismount it, clean the bead up where it was leaking and remount the tire. no leaks from the bead anymore. got it home and in a week it was flat again. what the f!! dealt with it for a month then went back. after closer inspection the tire is dryrotted, at only a little over a year old i might add. its rotted so bad the air is leaking right through the side wall. not just in one spot, its all over. the tractor came with, i think its, "otr" brand tires. i had him replace it with a carlsile. cost me $26 for the new tire. no big deal but now i am looking at all my other tires on the tractor and they are rotted just as bad, they aren't leaking yet but this is crazy. if they were 4-5 years old ok maybe. i will never buy an otr tire.

i checked and they are otr traction masters!!

 

[psvines]

I went almost a year with my left front BX2660 tire going flat in about a week. Basically, every time I used the Bota I had to pump it up. Twice had the tire reseated at a shop; didn't help. Finally put a tube in it and no leaks since. Fortunately my property is fairly "clean" and hopefully I won't need to plug the tire, which can't be done with a tube.

 

[Jeff F.]

My BX2660 has a slow leak on the front right. I havent taken it to the dealer as that is 30 minutes away vs. 2 minutes to pump it up again. Kubota should know there is a problem, looking at how many posts there are here.

 

[TripleR]

Kubota is being less than forthright about this or their dealers are not telling them or customers are not telling dealers and just going to a tire shop and having them fixed. I haven't told my dealer, yet, I just keep an air tank and fill it up when I'm goin to use the tractor. I think in the past Barlows replaced one of the tires and one I never told them about, I just took it to a tire shop and had a tube put in it which stopped the flat tire. My BX2660 has one front tire that leaks air, the BX2350 before that had one front tire that leaked air and I believe the BX2200 Leaked air on one front tire. I don't think the BX1500 leaked air. I haven't had the problem with the L or B's. From this thread and others it's quite obvious that there is a problem with one front tire on BX's. How do you figure they do that? Have the pile of leaking tires and the pile of nonleaking tires and keep them seperate so no tractor gets 2 leaking front tires, just one per tractor.

It may be a little bit of both. My dealer has reported it and a representative was there when I picked my second tire up. He said he has had several complaints and acknowledges there is a problem, but Kubota says there isn't, so my dealer is replacing the tires out of his pocket.

I am sure a lot of people keep an air tank handy or put a tube in and don't report it and a lot of dealers deny there is a problem due to the lack of complaints and because Kubota says there isn't.

As all of mine have been Traction Masters on the left front and since the tire has directional tread I can see where a "bad run" of these tires might happen, but apparently other models have some problems.

I don't want a tubed tire as it can't be plugged and I don't want to air my tire up all the time, so hopefully if I keep it up I will find one of those tires out of the "don't leak" pile.

 

[imajeepnut]

Well since mine is brand spanking new, something must be going on. As I sit on the tractor (B3030) it's the left front. I know they are directional, but I believe they can be mounted on either left or right front.

I was also told to take it to my local tire shop, but when they finish with the rim, it'll be "eat up" and the rim edge will look like it has rock rash...so I hate to take it to them to beat on.

John...have you had any issues with your 3200 front tires?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Well since mine is brand spanking new, something must be going on. As I sit on the tractor (B3030) it's the left front. I know they are directional, but I believe they can be mounted on either left or right front.

I was also told to take it to my local tire shop, but when they finish with the rim, it'll be "eat up" and the rim edge will look like it has rock rash...so I hate to take it to them to beat on.

John...have you had any issues with your 3200 front tires?[/quote]
None with B3200, yes with BX2660. Haven't taken it off yet to get fixed but will. The tire shop shouldn't damage your rim. With expensive aluminum rims that could cost them a few hundred dollars if they damage them has brought about some better tire removal equipment and care. Just ask them and stand there and watch them. It could be as simple as the valve stem and if so, they won't even have to remove tire from rim. If it's a bead leak then it probably won't have to be removed from rim if the reason for the bead leak can be determined. If the tire is bad, get a new one. If the rim is bad, get a new one. Take the tire off and stick it in a wash tub of water and see if you can see any air bubbles. Maybe add extra air if needed. The extra air may make the bead seal if it hasn't for some reason.

 

[RayCo]

after closer inspection the tire is dryrotted, at only a little over a year old i might add. its rotted so bad the air is leaking right through the side wall. not just in one spot, its all over. the tractor came with, i think its, "otr" brand tires. i had him replace it with a carlsile. cost me $26 for the new tire.

After reading so much about this problem, as I've been experiencing it as well, it never even dawned on me to consider the tire brand. I had Carlisle tires on two other tractors that I used on the same property as my BX24. I never had any problems with them, and the one tractor had the original tires on it from the 70s still. So, thank you for pointing out the obvious that I'd failed to think of.

 

[imajeepnut]

Hey John,

I can hear the air leak at the rim so I know exactly where it is. I can pump it up and hear it pretty easy...and the next day it looks like a "run flat" tire. The reason I said what I did about this tire shop, is because they dismounted and mounted some tires for me...and the machine dug in to the inside of the rim so bad, it chunked out steel where the 4 teeth grabbed the inside diameter of the rim. Then it's the same old argument...."Well...it's just a tractor tire and wheel...you have to expect things like that on a tractor!" and you never win.

I'm gonna try to break the bead tomorrow and look at the tire and rim and then I can tell...hopefully.