Rear Tractor Tire

[Aries68]

I have a 1974 Farmall 140 and my right rear tire has a gash in it near the side facing the tractor. It's a old Firestone 12.4-24. What would be my options to fix it without buying a new tire for the rest of the Summer season? Actually, I'm not sure if it has a tube in the tire or not. It doesn't appear to say on the tire. I have never had to change one before, only to keep air in it.

 

[Janicholson]

I have a 1974 Farmall 140 and my right rear tire has a gash in it near the side facing the tractor. It's a old Firestone 12.4-24. What would be my options to fix it without buying a new tire for the rest of the Summer season? Actually, I'm not sure if it has a tube in the tire or not. It doesn't appear to say on the tire. I have never had to change one before, only to keep air in it.

There is a product called a tire Boot. It is a fairly thick reinforced patch that can be used inside the tire to reinforce the cut area. It is a solution that was common 45 years ago on slow turning equipment and other things. It does require removing the tire from the rim. It is a tube type tire on that tractor. It should be an inch or more past the ends of the cut. Jim
Example

 

[rustred]

I have a 1974 Farmall 140 and my right rear tire has a gash in it near the side facing the tractor. It's an old Firestone 12.4-24. What would be my options to fix it without buying a new tire for the rest of the Summer season? Actually, I'm not sure if it has a tube in the tire or not. It doesn't appear to say on the tire. I have never had to change one before, only to keep air in it.

This repair is tire shop work. They will remove tire from the rim and install 2 boots meaning patches. One will be a smaller one than a larger one over top. It will still cost u money to fix this tire plus if you have fluid in it it is added to the repair price. Putting something on the outside might be easy but it’s a waste of time.

 

[DeltaRed]

It will be a tube type.I've never had good 'luck' booting sidewalls. The flexing of the tire causes failure of the repair. My local tireshop is now refuses to boot tires.Liability thing. Doesnt hurt to ask....In the 'old days',guys would acctually bolt a chunk of old car tire to repair a damaged tire. It does work.That little tire wont bee too expencive,campared to bigger tires. If you plan on keeping the tractor,you might just bite the bullet and buy a new one and save the extra cost of future repairs/failures.

 

[teddy52food]

I cut a chunk from a truck tire bigger than the gash & bolted it on using 1/4 inch carrage bolts with the head inside.

 

[Aries68]

I put a gallon of the Slime stuff in it a couple years ago and it held for awhile and put some more in it this year but it seems to be running out of the gash.

 

[560Dennis]

Might look into a truck tie boots like suggested, or make them out of power transmission flat belting .

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I have a 1974 Farmall 140 and my right rear tire has a gash in it near the side facing the tractor. It's a old Firestone 12.4-24. What would be my options to fix it without buying a new tire for the rest of the Summer season? Actually, I'm not sure if it has a tube in the tire or not. It doesn't appear to say on the tire. I have never had to change one before, only to keep air in it.

Aries, I have done the following: Dismount the tire, then, with a 3/16s or so bit drill some holes along both sides of the gash, make a "needle" with bailing wire and "sew" the gash closed with leather shoe-string, much like the ER doc would if he stitched you up. I doubled or tripled it, I then glued a piece of old canvas mud flap over the inside of my handy-work. A piece of inner tube would work as well. Laugh all you want. I pulled that 15.5 x 38 Field and Road for years and even won a couple of classes at the Missouri State Fair antique/classic pull with that set. That was part of the fun!! gm

 

[rustred]

I put a gallon of the Slime stuff in it a couple years ago and it held for awhile and put some more in it this year but it seems to be running out of the gash.

well i would say you have used up your option already, time for a new or used tire.

 

[bc]

Might ask the tire dealer about one or two matching used take off tires that might be good for your use.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Gash, or split? A gash is when something external comes in contact with the tire and cuts it. A split is when the rubber and cordage in the tire has rotted and failed. Either is fatal for the tire, especially on the sidwall. There is just too much flexing going on for any kind of patch to hold for long and if it's a split the rest of the tire isn't far behind.

If you were expecting to be able to just put some gorilla tape or flex seal over the crack as a temporary fix... There just is no such product that will do that.

It's unlikely that the tire is mounted tubeless. So if the slime is coming out the tube has also failed. You'll need a new tube.

If you're going to pay to have it fixed, it won't cost you any more to have a used tire put on, and if you're going to have new tires put on it later anyway, suck it up and buy the first new tire now and roll the cost of repairing this one into the cost of the new tire. The "farmer fixes" recommended above are only cost effective if you do them yourself. In fact most professionals won't even attempt most of those repairs because of the very real risk of the tire ripping open like a zipper at any given moment. You get hurt, they get sued.

Talk to a tire shop and see what they can do to help you. A new tire and tube may not be so bad. They may have some used tires off the front of an MFWD tractor, or know where there are some, that will get you going again.

 

[Aries68]

Also, if I just replaced the tube, could that fix the problem?

 

[DeltaRed]

Also, if I just replaced the tube, could that fix the problem?

No. The tube will get pinched in the crack and leak. Time for a new tire.

 

[Mad Farmer]

I found it was less expensive to order a mounted tire from Tucker Tire in TN. No tax and free shipping.

Years ago but I got two tires mounted on new rims, shipped ~$700 for a Ford N 12.4 X 28. A tire here then was ~$350-400 then a tube and pay to mount it.

More of a PITA to try to fix what needs real fixing later.....

 

[caterpillar guy]

Look at old rear combine tires most will be in the 14.9-24 size but with a pair it would match up and only be a wee bit faster if that really mattered. Some might be in the 12 24 size. I would have to ask but we might have a 12.4 24 from the front of the 2940. I'm thinking they were still 14.9-24 size though.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Look at old rear combine tires most will be in the 14.9-24 size but with a pair it would match up and only be a wee bit faster if that really mattered. Some might be in the 12 24 size. I would have to ask but we might have a 12.4 24 from the front of the 2940. I'm thinking they were still 14.9-24 size though.

12.4-24 is also a common size on the front of MFWD utility tractors. Usually several for sale on Facebook Marketplace in a 250-mile search for me.

Those old combine tires are getting pretty long in the tooth these days and are likely to be as rotten as what's already on the tractor. Been a long long time since combines were small enough to run on 14.9-24's.

 

[Aries68]

Also, another question, I have a 5 foot Woods Dixie Cutter mower hooked up to the back of the tractor. Would I need to unhook that from the tractor before changing the back tire or is that not necessary?

 

[DeltaRed]

Also, another question, I have a 5 foot Woods Dixie Cutter mower hooked up to the back of the tractor. Would I need to unhook that from the tractor before changing the back tire or is that not necessary?

No you do not have to remove the mower. But it might be easier if you did.

 

[Aries68]

Here's a couple shots...

 

[Harold Hubbard]

How about a close up of the actual gash.