Damaged Valve Stems - Bushhogging

Wfudeac92 · Apr 23, 2023

I have been doing some bush hogging and keep getting flat tires
especially on the rear. I have really good 6 ply Carlisle AG tires
on the tractor. The tires have tubes in them. The tires are not
getting punctures instead they always leak right where the valve
stem comes through the wheel. I dont know if it makes any
difference but it is an old 1984 Ford 2810 tractor. Some of the
brush I am cutting are these bushes that are about 5 to 6 feet
tall. Limbs are a max of 1/2 inch diameter. Any idea what is
screwing up my valve stems and how to prevent it from
happening?

WNYBill · Apr 23, 2023

I cut a valve stem last summer while bushhogging in real tough conditions. Thought I had punctured a tire and after a $100 service call we discovered it was just a cut valve stem.... new tube and away we went. I had a old Ford that somebody had welded a 1 1/8 pipe collar over the valve stem to protect it. Just high enough to get the air hose on it.

J.Wondergem · Apr 23, 2023

Maybe thorns and the air is just coming out of the stem hole. I have some front tires doing that. Break them down fix them and a while later more creep in.

sotxbill · Apr 23, 2023

In a tube tire, its common for the air to come out the stem area, even though the leak is elsewhere.. If you ever run the tires very very low, you can tear the tube or break off the valve stem, but normally when mine leak around the valve stem, its a hole somewhere else and the air gets trapped between the tube and tire and finally makes it out to the valve stem... especially when I have water and slim (fix a flat goop) in them. each rear tire gets at least a gallon of pooky in them for the thorns in our pastures. Front tires get at least a quart of green pooky. Tractors are ALWAYS parked in reach of an air hose, so you can start out again with out damaging the tire and tube. Fill em up, and run em quick, so the pooky can quickly slouch around the tire and stop the many leaks. All is good till you park and the hole are on top with no pooky covering them, thus the tires will slowly leak back down over the next couple of days. Fill with air and go, life is good.

Leroy · Apr 23, 2023

That is connisidered a new tractor by a lot of us. Now the fix you have to remove the tires. Not the fix is tale a piece of about 3/16 inch thick strap iron and make a us shape out of it that will fit over the stem but give you room to work and have it welded to the rim. That will keep the stem from being hit. Used to be a lot of rims had that from factory.

rrlund · Apr 23, 2023

I knew a guy who had trouble with valve stems getting sheared on a field cultivator when the dirt was getting flipped up on the side of the tire. He found some full sized hub caps that fit the wheels and put them on. They held the stems in place so they weren't shearing.

wore out · Apr 23, 2023

Here's some ideas for making valve stem protectors.

NEVER weld on an assembled tire and rim, the heat can initiate ''pyrolysis'', which can make the tire explode.

used red MN · Apr 23, 2023

As wore out stated DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT weld
on a rim with a mounted tire on it. Due to the
..pyrolysis.. see link.
Danger of welding on rim of mounted tire

Smalltowner · Apr 23, 2023

Here is an idea.

Jim.ME · Apr 23, 2023

(quoted from post at 19:00:56 04/23/23) Here is an idea.
<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto153082.jpg>

My luck would be that something would hit that loop sticking out and fold it into the valve stem and cut the stem off.

caterpillar guy · Apr 23, 2023

If the rim is rusty around the stem hole it could be sharp and cutting a leak in the tube there. If that is the case it will have to be torn down and a patch welded in the hole. I took the wire welder to a hole last winter and welded the hole shut. Then thickened up some with the welder and drilled a new hole in the same spot and used a carbide burr to open it up to the stem size. Solved the sharp edge in the hole.

Aaron SEIA · Apr 24, 2023

Unless you can see the stem is torn right at the hole, I'd bet you are punching a hole in the tube somewhere else and the air is just coming out at the valve stem. Break the tire down, pull the tube, blow it up, and you'll find the leak.
AaronSEIA

BarnyardEngineering · Apr 24, 2023

Everyone here keeps trying to tell you that the leak is coming from somewhere else.

When you break the tire down to fix the leak, where is the leak?

Is the valve stem damaged or is there a hole in the tube elsewhere?

Damaged valve stems are from charging through the brush, and the brush catching on the stems and ripping them off.

Muir hill 101 · Apr 26, 2023

So disconnect the pressure gauge so the pressure doesnt build up . Holding 300 psi in a tire designed for 100 probably isnt going to end well

Damaged Valve Stems - Bushhogging

Wfudeac92

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WNYBill

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J.Wondergem

Well-known Member

sotxbill

Well-known Member

Leroy

Well-known Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

wore out

Well-known Member

used red MN

Well-known Member

Smalltowner

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Jim.ME

Well-known Member

caterpillar guy

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Aaron SEIA

Well-known Member

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member

Muir hill 101

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