[Harry Bloomfield[_3_]]

I've been puzzling for some time, why the rear tyres (tube-less) on our
tractor mower have been loosing pressure. I have taken them off a
couple of times to submerge them to find the leaks and found none. This
week I actually caught one in the act of deflating.

It seems if it happens to nudge anything alongside it, with the
sidewall of the tyre, it lifts the bead from the rim releasing enough
air to cause a leak which does not re-seal until they are blown back up
to their correct pressure.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

[EricP]

On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

I've been puzzling for some time, why the rear tyres (tube-less) on our
tractor mower have been loosing pressure. I have taken them off a
couple of times to submerge them to find the leaks and found none. This
week I actually caught one in the act of deflating.

It seems if it happens to nudge anything alongside it, with the
sidewall of the tyre, it lifts the bead from the rim releasing enough
air to cause a leak which does not re-seal until they are blown back up
to their correct pressure.

Fit tubes or double the pressure in them.

[Jules Richardson]

On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

I've been puzzling for some time, why the rear tyres (tube-less) on our
tractor mower have been loosing pressure. I have taken them off a couple
of times to submerge them to find the leaks and found none. This week I
actually caught one in the act of deflating.

Yeah, one of the ones on our lawn tractor does the same - takes about
three weeks to go totally flat.

It seems if it happens to nudge anything alongside it, with the sidewall
of the tyre, it lifts the bead from the rim releasing enough air to
cause a leak which does not re-seal until they are blown back up to
their correct pressure.

Well... I got hold of a junk tractor a couple of weeks ago to raid for
parts (engine in particular as the one in our tracotr went bang). The
front tyres were flat and completely deformed, because they'd sat with no
air in for 15 years, and for giggles I thought I'd see if I could revive
them.

I cleaned them up, ran some ratchet straps around the edge to help the
bead sit up against the rim, and amazingly I've managed to pull them back
into shape and they've been holding air for a couple of days (one took
only about ten mins to sort out, the other I fought with for a good 40
minutes). Those wheels, along with the front axle and front half of the
chassis are up in the 'shop now, being turned into a trailer.

Anyway, observations from that exercise:

1) The bead doesn't seat particularly tightly against the rim on these
kinds of wheels, so you're could well be right about sidewall deflection
causing problems,

2) Debris trapped between rim and sidewall is going to cause trouble,

3) The rims I have were pretty corroded in a couple of spots - I think
I got lucky and it's not causing a problem with bead seating, but it
could easily be the cause on other such wheels.

Amazingly, the rear tyres on the junk tractor still had air after 15
years. I'm going to just put the whole back axle on our tractor in the
hope that the reversing gear's a little less worn-out...

cheers

Jules

[The Natural Philosopher[_2_]]

Jules Richardson wrote:
On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

I've been puzzling for some time, why the rear tyres (tube-less) on our
tractor mower have been loosing pressure. I have taken them off a couple
of times to submerge them to find the leaks and found none. This week I
actually caught one in the act of deflating.

Yeah, one of the ones on our lawn tractor does the same - takes about
three weeks to go totally flat.

It seems if it happens to nudge anything alongside it, with the sidewall
of the tyre, it lifts the bead from the rim releasing enough air to
cause a leak which does not re-seal until they are blown back up to
their correct pressure.

Well... I got hold of a junk tractor a couple of weeks ago to raid for
parts (engine in particular as the one in our tracotr went bang). The
front tyres were flat and completely deformed, because they'd sat with no
air in for 15 years, and for giggles I thought I'd see if I could revive
them.

I cleaned them up, ran some ratchet straps around the edge to help the
bead sit up against the rim, and amazingly I've managed to pull them back
into shape and they've been holding air for a couple of days (one took
only about ten mins to sort out, the other I fought with for a good 40
minutes). Those wheels, along with the front axle and front half of the
chassis are up in the 'shop now, being turned into a trailer.

Anyway, observations from that exercise:

1) The bead doesn't seat particularly tightly against the rim on these
kinds of wheels, so you're could well be right about sidewall deflection
causing problems,

2) Debris trapped between rim and sidewall is going to cause trouble,

3) The rims I have were pretty corroded in a couple of spots - I think
I got lucky and it's not causing a problem with bead seating, but it
could easily be the cause on other such wheels.

Amazingly, the rear tyres on the junk tractor still had air after 15
years. I'm going to just put the whole back axle on our tractor in the
hope that the reversing gear's a little less worn-out...

cheers

Jules

I have catastrophically deflated a tyre after ramming a low kerb.
Airline at 200psi got it smartly back in place.

Most of my leakage is valves and thorns. Green slime in the tyres has
reduced the latter remarkably.

[JimK[_2_]]

On 20 May, 14:28, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
Jules Richardson wrote:
On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

I've been puzzling for some time, why the rear tyres (tube-less) on our
tractor mower have been loosing pressure. I have taken them off a couple
of times to submerge them to find the leaks and found none. This week I
actually caught one in the act of deflating.

Yeah, one of the ones on our lawn tractor does the same - takes about
three weeks to go totally flat.

It seems if it happens to nudge anything alongside it, with the sidewall
of the tyre, it lifts the bead from the rim releasing enough air to
cause a leak which does not re-seal until they are blown back up to
their correct pressure.

Well... I got hold of a junk tractor a couple of weeks ago to raid for
parts (engine in particular as the one in our tracotr went bang). The
front tyres were flat and completely deformed, because they'd sat with no
air in for 15 years, and for giggles I thought I'd see if I could revive
them.

I cleaned them up, ran some ratchet straps around the edge to help the
bead sit up against the rim, and amazingly I've managed to pull them back
into shape and they've been holding air for a couple of days (one took
only about ten mins to sort out, the other I fought with for a good 40
minutes). Those wheels, along with the front axle and front half of the
chassis are up in the 'shop now, being turned into a trailer.

Anyway, observations from that exercise:

1) The bead doesn't seat particularly tightly against the rim on these
kinds of wheels, so you're could well be right about sidewall deflection
causing problems,

2) Debris trapped between rim and sidewall is going to cause trouble,

3) The rims I have were pretty corroded in a couple of spots - I think
I got lucky and it's not causing a problem with bead seating, but it
could easily be the cause on other such wheels.

Amazingly, the rear tyres on the junk tractor still had air after 15
years. I'm going to just put the whole back axle on our tractor in the
hope that the reversing gear's a little less worn-out...

cheers

Jules

I have catastrophically deflated a tyre after ramming a low kerb.
Airline at 200psi got it smartly back in place.

Most of my leakage is valves and thorns. Green slime in the tyres has
reduced the latter remarkably.

"green slime" recommendations please?
Cheers
JimK

[1501]

On 20 May, 16:09, JimK wrote:


"green slime" recommendations please?
Cheers
JimK

Available from Ghostbusters

[Bruce[_8_]]

On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

I've been puzzling for some time, why the rear tyres (tube-less) on our
tractor mower have been loosing pressure. I have taken them off a
couple of times to submerge them to find the leaks and found none. This
week I actually caught one in the act of deflating.

It seems if it happens to nudge anything alongside it, with the
sidewall of the tyre, it lifts the bead from the rim releasing enough
air to cause a leak which does not re-seal until they are blown back up
to their correct pressure.


I used tyre sealant in several motorcycles in the 1980s and 90s
without problems. Try this - recommended by a friend of mine who is
an agricultural contractor, although I have no personal experience of
this particular product:

http://tinyurl.com/3893hbl
or:
http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/ri...-CS-34200.aspx

[Jules Richardson]

On Thu, 20 May 2010 14:28:48 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
I cleaned them up, ran some ratchet straps around the edge to help the
bead sit up against the rim, and amazingly I've managed to pull them
back into shape and they've been holding air for a couple of days (one
took only about ten mins to sort out, the other I fought with for a
good 40 minutes). Those wheels, along with the front axle and front
half of the chassis are up in the 'shop now, being turned into a
trailer.

I have catastrophically deflated a tyre after ramming a low kerb.
Airline at 200psi got it smartly back in place.

Yes, always worth a shot. We gave that a try, but the tyres had just been
sitting too long (so had no inclination to go back into correct place),
and there was just too much debris in the gap that had opened up between
the rim and the bead.

Oh, I finished building the trailer using those wheels from the junk
tractor - I've just loaded about 300lbs onto it and so far no tyre leaks.

cheers

Jules

[The Natural Philosopher[_2_]]

JimK wrote:
On 20 May, 14:28, The Natural Philosopher


Most of my leakage is valves and thorns. Green slime in the tyres has
reduced the latter remarkably.

"green slime" recommendations please?

Oh blimey. I dunno. Just go to any garden tractor supplier..

Its fluorescent green, expensive, and ergo, probably American.

There's more than one brand: I just went with the local shops stock.

Cheers
JimK

[[email protected]]

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Jules Richardson wrote:
On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:


Jules

I have catastrophically deflated a tyre after ramming a low kerb.
Airline at 200psi got it smartly back in place.

The "200psi" has got very little to do with it, it's the
flow-rate/volume that matters.

--
Chris Green

[Tim Downie[_3_]]

wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Jules Richardson wrote:
On Wed, 19 May 2010 23:28:28 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:


Jules

I have catastrophically deflated a tyre after ramming a low kerb.
Airline at 200psi got it smartly back in place.

The "200psi" has got very little to do with it, it's the
flow-rate/volume that matters.

This it the way to do it. ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLtBojvDEyc

Tim

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Tim Downie"
saying something like:

This it the way to do it. ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLtBojvDEyc

A bit too much...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzbgy...eature=related

Far too much, but deliberately. What a prick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI38RZ2f6Ls&NR=1