Tires, Tubes, and Mounting

I also tubed my front field trax. They leaked when first mounted and tires plus charged me 10.00 per tube installed. They also changed the profile of the tire they made them a little rounder and IMHO match the profile of the rears better. And no leaks. Evan the fronts on my old X300 leaked over winter and would be flat in the spring so tubing the fronts should take care of that.

if your going to add fluid for weight i would recomend tubes.

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So, you can use a tube if you are going to have your tires filled with some sort a liquid?
I have read on here many times where peeps have rust problems with the rims, with what ever they are filling their tires with.
Why did they not just put in tubes and not worry about any rusting?

Mark brings up a good question, whose answer has been debated in dozens of threads.

You know how Jacques Cousteau would bring up a cannon which had been in salt water for 500 years, and it was in good shape? You need oxygen to have metal oxidize.

So, in theory, if one put calcium chloride, or sodium chloride in a water solution into their tire, and the fluid entirely covered the rim at all times, you would in theory never experience rust. Several guys have weighed in on this theory with their experience.

Now, it would seem that if one used a tube, the metal would be even better protected, right?

But, we all get punctures, and that fluid leaks out of the tire in the case of tubeless, exposing the rim to air plus corrosive salt, you have rust. With tubed, the fluid could leak between the tube and tire, and work its way to the rim and you have rust.

Not to mention that leaking salt all over your sod is a bad thing.

So, salt is old school. What about a more modern non-freezing medium - say old car anti-freeze. Ethylene Glycol is pretty poisonous, and corrosive if it's from a radiator where it has become acidic.

So, how about more friendly alcohol based solutions? Windshield washer fluid? Kind of expensive, and weighs less than the chlorides per gallon. It can be mildly corrosive, whether tubed or not.

Propylene Glycol? (RV Anti-freeze). It's non-toxic, but a gallon of -100 degree stuff costs $27.

Plain old water? Maybe if you live in south Florida.

RimGuard? Beet juice. Non-toxic, non-freezing, and heavier per gallon than the chlorides. But you can only get it at a dealer. Perfectly safe, tubed or not.

Now, whether to tube or not as it's own issue. Let's say you are not going to liquid ballast. If you are using a metric tire on an old SAE rim, you may have trouble getting the bead to seat. Firestone tri-ribs and Vredestein V61s in 16x6.50-8 are none to be problematic, and a tube just makes life easier. If you plan to run slime, I feel it is better to use a tube as it is less messy than non-tubed should you wish to change tires.

I tube. Just my preference.

69project said:

Does anyone mount their own tires or do they farm that out to the local tire shop?

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Yes I do. It's possible to do most Lawn and Garden tractor tires with no more than a good set of tire spoons. Breaking the bead on the old tires is the hardest part. I use my FEL for that.

You can also experience difficulty getting the bead to seat in tubeless tires, but a piece of rope or a ratchet strap takes care of that usually. I don't have that problem using tubes.

Mounting your tires on a nice hot day makes the job easier too. Lay your tires in the sun for a couple of hours, flipping them occasionally like hamburgers, and they almost fall onto the rim.

Beech, if you were in MA, rather than NC, I could understand you being so cheap. (just kidding).

$10 per tire is going to pay a man's salary, pay mortgage on a shop, pay for a $2,000+ tire changer, compressor, handtools, etc. And by the time you figure in the cost of the counter person to write up the work order, billing, etc. you are talking 30 minutes or more per tire. Not a bad deal at all. Would you paint my house for me for $20 per hour and do a professional job (oh, and pay self employment tax, do bookkeeping, etc)?

Like I mentioned, breaking the bead is the hardest part. I've spent over an hour per tire until I decided to use my FEL.

Sounds like Khodges is the way to go, plus you get to meet another member.