lawnmower tires

mommucked

mommucked

Endeavoring to persevere
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Location
Rural Apex n.c.
Both my ridin mowers back tires are flat 20x10-8 Carllisles, fronts are fine. They are 10 yrs old and a little dry rotted/stiff. I pumped both up a month ago and mowed the leaves just fine, now they're flat again, stems look fine so I'm wondering if the valvecores are shot? any ideas?
 
I usually just use spit, but I'll have to re-mount one to do that, a PIA last time, I imagine putting tubes in them would be also.
 
putting tubes in is probably the cheapest ( then fill with Slime ) the tubes will seat the tire, unlike having to strap and inflate to get a tubeless tire to seal. OLD tubeless lawnmower tires just don't hold air, the beads are dry rotted/ing the tires themselves are dry rotting,

buying new tires is also an option, but you'll likely want to cut your own wrists wrestling the tires on and off the tractor wheels ( yeah, it should be just as easy as a car tire, right ? uh huh ).
 
They are no worse than ATV tires.. If the beads really don't want to break, drive around the rim with your vehicle. works great. use plenty of lube to help put them on too. and being three-handed is cool too.
 
a_kelley said:
They are no worse than ATV tires.. If the beads really don't want to break, drive around the rim with your vehicle. works great. use plenty of lube to help put them on too. and being three-handed is cool too.
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breaking the bead is easy, hell, most times you don't have to even try to accomplish, getting the fawking things OFF and the new back ON, lube, no lube, magic fucking pice dust, sucks balls ! I've mounted a shit ton of tires, lawn tractor tires bring the SUCK !
 
Thanks all, tubes will be the cheapest fix. I agree that the dry rotted beads are probly the problem. Would some tire dressing spray help w the dry rotting on these old tires?
 
mommucked said:
Thanks all, tubes will be the cheapest fix. I agree that the dry rotted beads are probly the problem. Would some tire dressing spray help w the dry rotting on these old tires?
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no more than rubber cement
 
The bead popped easily off the flat tire a month ago while it was parked! After I removed the wheel it was'nt too hard to re-seat it w a cheap airpump and some squeezing. The tires are about shiny and seem to have lost some flexablity and traction even aired down, would tire dressing make them soften up? there is no wear on the tread whatsoever but they slip on hills and uneven spots more than when they were newer.
 
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Hell, I'd put tubes in brand new ones. They're gunna go flat sooner or later anyway! That being said, I just put on a new lawnmower tire for my sister's neighbor (who is also hawt!!) this morning in about 5 minutes with 3 screwdrivers. She was impressed...unfortunately, her boyfriend was too :rolleyes: It was a front tire too....even more of a pain in the ass that a rear tire.
 
Blkvoodoo said:
( then fill with Slime ).
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As soon as the tire tech sees (smells) slime, they won't touch it afterwards and the rim is done with. That stuff is highly toxic!

Unless you plan on only using the tire for it's last duration, best bet is to clean the rim and try to remount. If that don't work, bead sealer is good too if inside of rim is pitted. I've never had luck with tubes in lawn mowers and they are a pain to do right on a lawn mower rim to begin with. If you decide tubes, I would recomment have a tire tech do it that will guarantee his work. Lawnmower tires is one of those things on my list I just don't do anymore unless it's just a bead sealer issue. Paint some BS on the inside of the sidewalls, re-air and it's like glue. Haven't had to take one back off yet though! But my tire tech uses it on tires that won't seal otherwise if you want him to. Guess he hasn't took one back off either with BS. LOL

I've heard (and seen) amazing things about tire dressing. Saw a guy that took a set of boggers that were so cracked, you couldn't read the sidewall letters and he used a dressing from spray cans. Wheeled with him several times and it's been close to 2 years and tires are still holding up. His was more like a thick flexible rubber paint when it dried. His son works at a tire shop and brought it home to him and said it was a new trial thing the shop just got in at the time. I have no idea what kind of dressing it actually was? But was impressive. I imagine they have several different ones for different reasons to use as well?

Technology is really impressive now days in every aspect. Except flat tire fixes... I think Goodyear and Michelin are buying up all the rubber tire fix patents and storing them in a vault somewhere.
 
Thanks, the rims are painted and spotless inside, the beads look OK, not cracked but almost slip back on the flat of the wheel like they're stretched, I might need some rubber cement or bead sealer.
 
Put a tube in it and be done. I've got tubes in two out of the four tires on my riding mower. Takes minutes to install.
 
I have the original rears on my 85 Ford LGT 17H. I still can't believe I don't have to put air in them. The fronts are replacements and I have to put air in them though.
 
Aired them up just fine gonna look for leaks, no signs of punctures. Perhaps the below freezing temps and low pressure caused them to come unseated, the fronts barely had air in them. thanks again for the replies and help
 
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Worked for a landscaping/maintenance co. for years, After trying to dismount an mount lawnmower tires with screw drivers and w/e crap we had I talked the boss into getting one of these; http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_13610_13610

I welded it to the landscape body and it actually worked extremely well and made quick work of changing the tire, still had to deal with trying to seat the bead with a crap 12v air compressor though.

The lever you see attached is for breaking the bead then the bar w/ the oval on the end is for getting the tire on and off.
 
Old timer secret pull the core and add some dot 3 brake fluid to the inside pump the tire and give it several good spins to coat the inside and bam problem solved.
 
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