Tire sealant

[pittbull29]

I see that some of you have used tractor tire sealant successfully. I need to get a tractor moved a little ways. Can’t find any used tires that I can afford right now. It has an innertube. My husband was wondering if you could fill the whole tire with sealant. It has a cut in it.

 

[NDIHC]

Tire sealant generally doesn't work with an inner tube. It will work on a small leak on a tubeless tire by hardening in the leak area. The rest of the sealant inside the tire will stay a gel or liquid.

 

[pittbull29]

What about patching from the outside using roof sealant?

 

[super99]

Does the tire have fluid in it? If not, this is crude at best but will work. Jack it up, break tire from rim and pry off outside bead. Remove tube and see if you can get a big enough patch to cover it, if so patch the tube. Get a boot/liner for a truck tire, drill holes in the liner thru the tire around the cut. Use carriage bolts to fasten liner in place with tire cement behind the liner, nuts on the outside Put patches over the bolt heads to protect the tube, install tube and remount the tire. This is temporary at best but will allow you to move the tractor around until you can find a good tire. You tube videos about removing tractor tires if you don't know how to do it. Chris

 

[Russ from MN]

I use tire sealant (Slime) in bicycle tires with tubes all the time, saves a lot of frustration. You can buy new tubes with slime in them, there are little thorns in the SW part of our country that can cause a lot of flats, but Slime is a solution. Slime is best for bead sealing or small punctures, for a big tractor tire I like super99's idea, I have seen it done. They also make boot cement that might work. To break the bead on the tractor I have used a high-lift jack and a couple of large planks.

 

[pittbull29]

Thanks all!

 

[bc]

Take a picture and post it. Front or rear tire? It will cost a fortune for enough slime to fill a rear tire and if the cut is too big it won't work. Is the cut in both the tire and the tube and how lo long is the cut?

For a cut tire that is too big for a plug, I would make one cut to size from an old inner tube, fold it in half, lather it with rubber cement, and poke it in cut with a screwdriver so some of it is in the tire and some is sticking out. Let it dry and hopefully it will hold air so he can move it.

 

[caterpillar guy]

If tires are shot and a cut in the tire just drag it and forget about a sealant for it. IF loading just load it if need be use a plank to cushion it over angle irons trailer surface up ramp and back off when done. If just moving it to mow or such just drag it will not hurt the tire and it needs replaced anyway right?

 

[RedMF40]

I use tire sealant (Slime) in bicycle tires with tubes all the time, saves a lot of frustration. You can buy new tubes with slime in them, there are little thorns in the SW part of our country that can cause a lot of flats, but Slime is a solution. Slime is best for bead sealing or small punctures, for a big tractor tire I like super99's idea, I have seen it done. They also make boot cement that might work. To break the bead on the tractor I have used a high-lift jack and a couple of large planks.

I have a wheelbarrow I bought new with an air-filled tire. Almost immediately it started going flat between uses. Doubt it has a tube. Do you think the slime product would work to seal the bead? I don’t believe there’s any damage to the tire itself.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I see that some of you have used tractor tire sealant successfully. I need to get a tractor moved a little ways. Can’t find any used tires that I can afford right now. It has an innertube. My husband was wondering if you could fill the whole tire with sealant. It has a cut in it.

Something nobody has mentioned yet is, sealant is for puncture damage, not cuts. Plugs are also for puncture damage, not cuts.

Puncture damage being nails, screws, thorns, etc... and in the case of Slime, thumbtack holes... The good sealant that professionals use can plug some pretty decent sized punctures, though.

Save your money for a replacement tire instead of wasting it on sealants.

Your only hope here would be to dismount the tire, pull the tube, and replace the tube, using a piece of the old tube as a "boot" over the cut in the tire. New tube is going to run you $100-$150. There really is no free way out of this pickle...

What kind of tractor is it? What other tractors do you have? Anything with a similarly-sized tire? It will be a lot of work but you could "borrow" a tire and rim off another tractor temporarily just to move this tractor. It's about as close to a "free" solution as you're going to get.

 

[timcasbolt]

I have a wheelbarrow I bought new with an air-filled tire. Almost immediately it started going flat between uses. Doubt it has a tube. Do you think the slime product would work to seal the bead? I don’t believe there’s any damage to the tire itself.

Maybe. Those kind of sealants work best when you install the product and then immediately go for a ride, using centrifugal force to work the material into your leak. I don't know how well it works when you can't spin the tire very fast. A tube is a better option.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I have a wheelbarrow I bought new with an air-filled tire. Almost immediately it started going flat between uses. Doubt it has a tube. Do you think the slime product would work to seal the bead? I don’t believe there’s any damage to the tire itself.

When the wheelbarrow tire is flat, is the valve stem pulled in? If so it has a tube. I've never seen a "tubeless" wheelbarrow tire that wasn't a run-flat/airless.

Slime is the bottom-of-the-barrel as it pertains to tire sealants. Spend a little more on something like Liqui-tube, Tire-Ject or even Berryman's.

Slime stays liquid and depends on the tire being rotated frequently to maintain a seal. It doesn't find its way into the holes and cure like other products.

 

[Watthour]

I've resorted to dollies for moving units with failed tires and/or wheels. It at least allows shuffling things around temporarily.

 

[sotxbill]

Slime works well with or without a tube for thorn holes, but... does not work well if you have a long cut/rip in the tube....as the tube moves around as it fills, the slime will simply leak out. NEVER drive on a flat tire as it will rip the tube and make simple repairs not work.

 

[RedMF40]

When the wheelbarrow tire is flat, is the valve stem pulled in? If so it has a tube. I've never seen a "tubeless" wheelbarrow tire that wasn't a run-flat/airless.

Slime is the bottom-of-the-barrel as it pertains to tire sealants. Spend a little more on something like Liqui-tube, Tire-Ject or even Berryman's.

Slime stays liquid and depends on the tire being rotated frequently to maintain a seal. It doesn't find its way into the holes and cure like other products.

Yes, it’s pulled in a little. I can get the air hose on it to inflate. Next time I’ll spray some soapy water, see where the leak is. Shouldn’t be too difficult as it goes flat pretty quickly.

 

[Butch(OH)]

When the wheelbarrow tire is flat, is the valve stem pulled in? If so it has a tube. I've never seen a "tubeless" wheelbarrow tire that wasn't a run-flat/airless.

Slime is the bottom-of-the-barrel as it pertains to tire sealants. Spend a little more on something like Liqui-tube, Tire-Ject or even Berryman's.

Slime stays liquid and depends on the tire being rotated frequently to maintain a seal. It doesn't find its way into the holes and cure like other products.

Yes, leave the slime on the shelf and spend a couple extra bucks on Liquitube.

 

[Jim.ME]

Yes, it’s pulled in a little. I can get the air hose on it to inflate. Next time I’ll spray some soapy water, see where the leak is. Shouldn’t be too difficult as it goes flat pretty quickly.

As Barnyard Engineering posted. If the stem pulled in a bit, and you have to hold the stem from sliding in while you put air in it to start with, the tire has a tube inside it.

Spraying soapy water on the outside of a tire with a tube inside it is pretty much a waste of time. The inner tube needs to be repaired or replaced, that is where the leak is. You need to dismount the tire, remove the tube, inflate it and use soapy water on the tube to find the leak to be repaired, or replace the tube. Then inspect the inside of the tire to find what caused the leak in the tube, possibly remove something stuck in the tire and patch the hole it made. Or buy a "no-flat wheelbarrow tire/wheel assembly and be done with it.