Tires Tubed or Not

[SLOBuds]

I am looking into one of the tire sealers and need to know if the tire is tubed, or tubeless. Don't know, I bought it used - and the prior owner doesn't know either.

BUT ... the tractor's tire stems are metal. Not rubber. Does that indicate that the tires are tubeless? Not positive but seems like I remember that stems of tubed tires are always rubber.

Thanks

 

[MrJimi]

If it has a small nut to lock it to the wheel, it could be either one, both tubed and tubeless stems are that way

 

[SLOBuds]

Shoot. What's plan B?

I'm guessing that I have to look into each and every tire.

 

[MrJimi]

I don't know if you have a air compressor handy , if you could let some air out and go from there or take it to a tire shop and ask them. On the used tires it's hard to say, mine has 2 tubes and 2 tubless and the previous did tell me that
Do you have a rubber gasket where it meets the wheel ? like this one if you do, there is a good chance that it is tubless?

 

[SnowRidge]

Shoot. What's plan B?

I'm guessing that I have to look into each and every tire.

Pick up some Berryman sealant. It doesn't care about tubed or tubeless. I get mine at Tractor Supply.

I have had good luck with it, and it usually costs less than the green stuff.

 

[Egon]

My little tractor has a tubeless front tire with pinhole leaks causing it leak down over three or four days time. There was no tube available in town and needing the tractor I took it home any way. I put some dishwasher detergent into the tire vie the stem and it's been holding air ever since???

 

[SLOBuds]

My little tractor has a tubeless front tire with pinhole leaks causing it leak down over three or four days time. There was no tube available in town and needing the tractor I took it home any way. I put some dishwasher detergent into the tire vie the stem and it's been holding air ever since???

I'm not sayin that dishwasher detergent sounds like a bad idea. I mean, how can you argue with success??? But success or no success, I'm going with the Berryman.

 

[Egon]

The detergent was an experiment and was very handy. I figured that if it didn't work it would blow soap bubbles when I drove in the water at the job I was working on.

 

[dbdartman]

My little tractor has a tubeless front tire with pinhole leaks causing it leak down over three or four days time. There was no tube available in town and needing the tractor I took it home any way. I put some dishwasher detergent into the tire vie the stem and it's been holding air ever since???

Egon, believe it or not, that's a trick that I've been used with drag racing slicks for a couple decades now. "Unsprung weight" (that is weight that's not resting on the springs, IE: tires, wheels, brakes) is a big concern with racers. The less a tire/wheel assembly weight, the faster/easier it can be put into motion. Tubes for a 14"-17" wide, 32" tall tire are really heavy (around 10-15lbs each!).

What we do, before mounting new tires, is pour dish wash liquid (Dawn, Joy, whatever) in the tire & coat the whole inside, spreading it with paper towels. After the tire is mounted & aired up, it may blow bubbles for a few seconds, usually out of the side walls (they are surprisingly thin in a slick). Then, a tire that may have only held air for 3-5 days (yes, we've done it on used tires) will hold air for weeks, or months. It's a good, cheap, trick & I'm surprised I haven't thought to bring it up here before.

Thanx for jogging the old memory!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

My little tractor has a tubeless front tire with pinhole leaks causing it leak down over three or four days time. There was no tube available in town and needing the tractor I took it home any way. I put some dishwasher detergent into the tire vie the stem and it's been holding air ever since???

And you know what else? Your "cure" just got me in hot water...DISH WATER at that. I have a tubeless tire with a slow leak. Thought I'd go try the dish soap trick. I walked into the kitchen and asked my wife where the dish soap was at. I got blasted! "If you EVER helped me with the dishes you'd already know where it was". Oh great. Now I have to promise to help with the dishes if I want dinner.

I was much better off with a tire that needed air once a week.