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Cracks on tractor tires

S

Steve-Maine

Member
The tires on my Ford 3400 are about 40 years old have found either a crack cut down to the threads, Is there something I can fill these cuts with. Also need a tire preservative Tires have excellent tread and only use about 10 hours a year. Thanks
 
Don't know if it still something you can get but Tech made a 2 part rubber sort of stuff for just such types of things. Cat.#858. A bit pricey but works well.
 
At 40 years old run em till they go, not much you can do to preserve them at this point, or any point really. Rubber eventually dries out and breaks down. The good news is with such limited use it may last a long time even cracked. For filling the crack 3m window weld works well, it's used for gluing in windshields and bonds to metal, glass, plastic and rubber well, some trucks like certain kenworths have a rubber gasket bonded to the fiberglass cab and this is what they use.
 
My old Ford 9N had cracks in the rear tires so deep you could almost touch the inner tube. I ran it that way for around 10 years and then finally got new tires.
 
I wonder if fluid in tires may be responsible for cracks because the tire flexes more.

Best advice is keep rubber out of the sun.
People with RVs cover their tires.
 
You could try Sikaflex. Black is available. I used it on my '53 Model 60 JD (1 original tire) and it has stood up. Little use and shop stored. HTH
 
My F-20 had new looking tires on it. Both tires split open because of the fluid in them. I drained and fixed them. I doubt that the tractor will ever need new tires while I have it. Fluid will be the death of older tires,IMO.
 
Run them till they wont run anymore. I had a set that were cracked, cut, and punctured all over the place. Lasted for years like that. I replaced them when I started leaving chunks of tires behind.
 
I've filled some tractor tire cracks with that black urethane roof sealer that comes in a caulking tube. I put a little on a stiff Snap on gasket scraper, force it in and scrape it clean.
 
Like the others said they will go for years as long as the cords are not broken. Sun is the killer of tires. Keep the sun off them all you can when not in use. Some cheap silver tarps will help if you don't have a shed.
 
Here is what I have done with success as they have been working for probably 40 years.
Not pretty but works on limites use smaller tractor.
http://photos.yesterdaystractors.com/gallery/uptest/a137602.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 18:41:07 06/08/21) I've filled some tractor tire cracks with that black urethane roof sealer that comes in a caulking tube. I put a little on a stiff Snap on gasket scraper, force it in and scrape it clean.
Click to expand...

Seems like that ought to seal them to keep the rain out so the steel belts don't rust any worse than they may be. Maybe some the flex seal paste or whatever. Something that bonds with rubber and then cover it all with black tire paint.
 

You can giggle tractor tire crack repair. Popular stuff is silicone sealant. Spray inside and outside the crack with silicone to soften up the rubber. Loctite PL polyurethane roof sealant from home depot is popular and after it dries then trim off the excess with a blade. Black rtv sealant. Small cracks can be fixed with rubber sealant used for tire patches. Looked at some old YT posts. For wide cracks with the outer layer separated from the inner, one guy drilled small holes on both sides and stitched it up with piano or baling wire.

Unless you are out plowing a couple sections then a cosmetic fix should work and you can always put tubes into a tubeless tire if it won't hold air. Also check with all the tire dealers as they save used tires that are good. Sometimes someone with half worn tires may cut a tire and then decide to replace both while they have the dealer truck out there on location.

Also ask them about other tires under the new metric system with the numbers in millimeters. My 16.9X28 tires on 15" rims which say 14x26 underneath are the same as the 420/85R28 tires according to the local dealer.
 
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