What about "Fix a Flat" for a very slow leak?

[WinterDeere]

Where's the leak?

Exactly. Most tubeless tractor tire leaks seem to be at the bead, and a small smear of bead sealant is a much nicer and better fix than any mess of crap you can pour into the tire.

Or if it’s from a tread puncture, then just plug the damn thing, also a cleaner and more permanent fix. And if it’s in a side wall, chances are the tire may be due for replacement.

I guess I might resort to slime, if there were ever a leak I couldn’t find. But honestly, in nearly 50 years of repairing tires on everything from bicycles and lawnmowers, to pickup trucks and tractors, that has never happened. There have been a few difficult cases where I’ve had to fill a tub with water, and rotate the tire thru it, but I’ve always found the leak one way or another.

A little dish soap and water in a squirt bottle will find the leak real quick and easy, in nearly every case. Just take the empty bottle from the kitchen, next time you finish one, and refill with water. There’s a good amount of soap residue left in an empty bottle of that stuff. It’ll go a lot farther, if you put it into an actual spray bottle.

 

[flyerdan]

I've got a bottle of bubble-blowing soap that a neighbor was throwing out during a move, grabbed it for the shop for tire use. Makes the leaks quite visible.
On tires that sit for long times without rotating, a lot of bead leaks might come from itinerant cats passing through and marking. Eventually the corrosion will make the bead porous, a dismount, wire wheel and rattle-can with whatever needs used up will sort it, but a quick no tools method can be to strike the bubbling section of the bead as close to the rim with a 4 pound or so hammer to flex the area enough that it reseals. That's best for a slow leak where you're going to be using it soon, as the rotation will rejuvenate the bead seals.

 

[jyoutz]

Just buy a gallon of slime can buy it almost any where TSC,wallmart, ace.

let air out put in about a quart or so refill tire.

That usually works for slow leaks. Also drive the machine for awhile afterwards to distribute the slime. Of course this wouldn’t work for filled tires.

 

[Carl_NH]

After reading about tireject here, I decided to give it a try. First on a hand truck with one tire bad tire bead would go flat in two days - tried cleaning the rim and tire with cleaner no luck, Put in 3 oz tireject it has been holding air for a over a month.

Next was my B21 left front R4 tire, slow leak - every three or four months usually when I had a load of dirt would need to stop and re-air the tire. Put in about 6 oz of tireject three weeks ago - checked this weekend - still holding the same pressure.

So this stuff works great for these slow leaks and as far as I read, does not impact the rim or nasty when/if you need to replace the tires.

 

[WinterDeere]

On a driven tire, isn't slime all going to end up in the tread area? If aiming to get it to the bead while driving, you have two forces working against you: gravity and centrifugal.

And before any academic physicist jumps on me... Yes, I know gravity is not a force, and centrifugal is a pseudo-force.

 

[jyoutz]

On a driven tire, isn't slime all going to end up in the tread area? If aiming to get it to the bead while driving, you have two forces working against you: gravity and centrifugal.

And before any academic physicist jumps on me... Yes, I know gravity is not a force, and centrifugal is a pseudo-force.

Yes, the tread area is where the mass of slime concentrates, by it also does splash to the bead area when being driven. Slime isn’t going to solve all slow leaks. If it fails, there is either a bead sealing problem, bad valve stem, or a significant hole in the tire.

 

[LouNY]

Over the years I have tried "fix a flat" and "slime" with limited success.
The last year I have been using this and it has been working well for me.

Phantom Farm Ballast and Tire Sealant​

Phantom Farm Ballast and Tire Sealant - 1 Gallon

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I had a front tractor tire I could NOT keep inflated. I ended up putting tube in it. Not the ideal solution for everyone, but it took care of my problem.

 

[WinterDeere]

I had a front tractor tire I could NOT keep inflated. I ended up putting tube in it. Not the ideal solution for everyone, but it took care of my problem.

I've done the same. Very little penalty for tubing a tractor tire.

As stated before, probably 99% of slow leaks are bead seal issues. Once the location of the leak is identified, I try to clean the wheel in that area, hit it with abrasive and the rattle can if it's a painted rim, and then re-seat the bead with bead sealant. If that fails, then I'll tube it.

 

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

I've had a slow leak on the M59 since forever. One of the rear 17.5x24 Titan industrials needs airing up every two months.
The tire shop where everyone gets tractor and heavy equipment tires recommended
"the original Fix a Flat" for truck/SUV. It's a 24 fluid Oz pressurized can with a hose and what looks like a regular tire tube connector on the top.
I've never used this or anything like it. How well does it work? Any hints?
Should I let all the air out of the tire before doing this?
Do I use the whole 24 oz, or is this enough for two tires?

Thanks,
rScotty

if you want to stop the leak and never worry about the rim .. use TRANNY fluid.. put it in the front tire of my kubota with a loader . has not went down yet . 3 months now . it would go down every day . leaked all around the side walls too . take a cap off a 80/90 bottle put on your transmission oil bottle go in the valve stem this way...you have to take out the core ... i tried slim junk.. PS let me know what you did and how it worked .