Damaged Tire question

I bought a tractor (IH 2444) that runs well, I was under it yesterday and noticed a bad split in the sidewall of one of the back tires. I talked to the local tire place, they said to just replace it, but being as it's near the tread, it's probably ok for a while. I'm wondering if there is something I can do to it to make it last longer, as I'm not going to be happy the day it blows when I'm working, and I can't afford to replace tires on a whim if they might last longer. I'm imagining something like an exterior patch, just to keep it from getting worse. It is holding pressure (fluid) for now. Any wise ideas from people who aren't trying to sell me new tires?
Thank you for any help you can offer!!
Pearl

Does it have a tube in it or is it tubeless?? If it is tubeless if it where me I would put a boot in that area and then put in a tube. I have tires that make that one look very good and have been running them for years and some decades

No exterior patch will make any difference in it. Even though the tire company may not want to repair it, they have the ability to or access to it if they are a commercial shop. They can do what they call a "section" repair which may be cost effective and may not be. They don't like to do them if they are not likely to last. I have a friend who has at least two tires in use that are worse than yours. He broke the tires down and bolted some rubber belting material to the inside with carriage bolts.

Tire is not likely to hang together long without some aid, you can try the patches recommended, but will end up replacing the tire.

Thank you all for replying
Comments on the comments:

"Does it have a tube in it or is it tubeless" I have no idea how to tell. It's full of fluid, that's really all I know, besides the numbers off the side.

"They can do what they call a "section" repair which may be cost effective and may not be." They say it's not, that it would cost almost as much as new tires and won't help the age/condition of the rest of the tire.

"will end up replacing the tire." Yeah, I know, I'm just trying to stave off the inevitable

"a friend who has at least two tires in use that are worse than yours." That's heartening at least

I guess I'll just run it till it blows then, it's just Murphy's Law that it will blow on a day I won't want to deal with it. I was hoping someone would say "oh yeah, that's an easy one, just do this..." Ah well.

Thank you gentlemen

A picture of the tractor in question, it's BIG for me (small female) and rather intimidating. I had a little Kubota get stolen, hasn't shown back up, and I have work to do, this is what I could (marginally) afford. I can't afford to donate tractors and tools to meth heads, I really can't.

It IS a cool tractor, and I prefer older cars, trucks and tractors, easier to work on, so I DO like it a lot! Just quite a size jump from a 17 HP Kubota....

Thank you!
Pearl

The fluid inside the tire really complicates repairing the tire, fluid has to be pumped out, the tire &
inner tube removed and repaired or replaced, the tire/tube installed and fluid pumped back in.

I'm not familiar with this "Section Repair" others mention. I am familiar with installing "Boots" in
tires, a nylon cord reinforced large patch with several plys of reinforcement like a tire. Two types,
Hot vulcanized, and cold vulcanized, like a tire patch on an inner tube, uses solvent to bond the two
rubber surfaces. The boot on the inside reinforces the tire casing so the tire doesn't blow out where
the sidewall was damaged. A hot vulcanized repair to the damaged area on the outside prevents dirt and
water from damaging the inner plies of the tire any further.

With the removing then installing the fluid the repair bill will be close to the cost of a new tire.
Last I heard it cost close to $100 to get the tire truck to come to your location.

Look at the valve stem. If it is a tube type it is likely to have a lock ring screwed down to the rim on the valve stem. If tubeless the stem will look like the stem on a car or truck where it goes threw the rim

(quoted from post at 08:35:50 05/15/18) Look at the valve stem. If it is a tube type it is likely to have a lock ring screwed down to the rim on the valve stem. If tubeless the stem will look like the stem on a car or truck where it goes threw the rim

Click to expand...

Ah, thank you. I did notice the valve stem looks weird, I figured it had to do with the fluid in it. I'll look closer at it tomorrow, now that I know what to look for.

All tractor rear valve stems are different then ones on cars etc. They have the normal core that a piece that will unscrew so you can hook up the adaptor for filling with fluid and then the part that goes threw the rim and if a tube type it has a screw down ring to keep the tube from falling intro the rim while airing up of filling with fluid

Tire needs to be replaced before it blows out and you loose any fluid in it. Do it now before you are using
it.

Since the damage is in the side wall, I do not think you can patch that, and if it could be fixed, most likely have to be taken off the rim and sent to a shop. We ran a piece of pipe thru a tire on a 1066, had to send it off and they fixed it good as new but it was in the thread not the side.

Of course I repair my own tires, but I would put the biggest boot I could find it it be for it blows and you need a new tire and tube. I have a 6 inch cut in one of mine,I booted it 5 years ago.

Ok, looked at valve stems... And still can't say if it's tubes or not.
The first picture probably has a tube. That's the tire that does not have the crack. The second picture has some creative engineering involving galvanized plumbing parts, no CLUE what to say as far as tube or not. That's the tire with the crack.

I got some advice today I kind of liked: "It doesn't look too bad, keep an eye on it, if it changes, then boot it."

Kind of a middle opinion there.
It gets back to money, having the tire guy come out and mess with it costs probably less than a new tire, but still more than I have left this month. And there's no way I can do it myself, I'm absolutely not tough enough for that right now.

Pearl

(quoted from post at 19:39:42 05/16/18) Of course I repair my own tires, but I would put the biggest boot I could find it it be for it blows and you need a new tire and tube. I have a 6 inch cut in one of mine,I booted it 5 years ago.

Click to expand...

If I do that, it definitely has to wait till next month. Today is the 16th, and I'm below $100.00 in my account.
Don't suppose you do free tire repairs?

Sorry, today has just been too long of a day, I get silly when exhausted.
Pearl

(quoted from post at 19:46:31 05/16/18)

(quoted from post at 19:39:42 05/16/18) Of course I repair my own tires, but I would put the biggest boot I could find it it be for it blows and you need a new tire and tube. I have a 6 inch cut in one of mine,I booted it 5 years ago.

Click to expand...

If I do that, it definitely has to wait till next month. Today is the 16th, and I'm below $100.00 in my account.
Don't suppose you do free tire repairs?

Sorry, today has just been too long of a day, I get silly when exhausted.
Pearl

Click to expand...

Pearl, in that last pic I see the original proper valve stem with fittings added, apparently because the original stem would not seal. If it is not loosing air or fluid you could be good for a long time. If you have to add air those add-on fittings are going to rust inside. Even though the rim is bad, you shouldn't have a problem with it unless you put a lot of load on the back. If you can avoid stressing it with a lot of rear load it could last for years. If the tire crack blows you will need both a new tire and rim. Watch Ebay and Craig's list. You could score a complete tire and rim cheap.

And it got bad....

The chunk of rim that looked rusty was the tube showing through, really bad. I have a post in the IH section looking for a used rim http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?p=8753011#8753011

The crack will be booted, and a new tube put in, IF we get a rim, last I heard it was not weldable. I saw it when it came off, was really bad. What looks like rust in the pictures is mud on the bare tube.

Whee.
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