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Cracking Tires

11K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  motorhead12 
#1 ·
Some of the tires on a mower hold air & have plenty of tread, but they have cracks in them.
Is there a material that I can apply, like a restorer to seal or fill these cracks ?
I hate to throw one away that is still holding air.

Thanks
Doorkeeper
 
#2 ·
A short answer to this is actually no, there is nothing you can do to prevent the cracking and the best thing to do is to replace the tires when they no longer hold air. Since rubber is a organic material and the normal life of the tire is only expected life for a tractor tire is around ten years.

Most tractor tires do last a really long time. On my old Kubota the tires were 30 years old when I replaced them in 2007 as they had severe cracking on all four tires and one actually had a blow out, out of the sidewall.

My personal biggest beef is the tubeless tractor tire. The tires on my 3 year old 2305 all have a habit of losing air and I am going to have the fronts tubed so that it stops losing air.
 
#3 ·
Cracked lawnmower tires

I was talking with a guy that repairs mowers for a living and and he said it was very common for mower tires to crack. You can keep running them until they lose air or go ahead and put a tube in them now. I just bought a tube and had it installed in the back wheel of a lawn tractor and the total price was 9 bucks. Even got the tube same place I get tires for my vehicles.
 
#5 ·
my brother in law owns a tire shop and he says the best thing to do is replace but a tube can buy you more time but sooner or later the tire will have to be replaced even with a tube...another thought is to use a product called slime...gets pumped into a tubless tire (not meant for tubes) it can help but i'd rather use a tube myself...or even fix a flat but both to me are emergency fixes
 
#6 ·
The slime stuff might work to help keep air in them, but either you, or the person who changes the tire in the future won't like dealing with it later. It's, well, slimy, gooey stuff, and not fun to get off of the rim.

I have a 1974 Sears Suburban, with it's original tires. I put tubes in them at least 5 years ago, and they're holding up very well.
 
#7 ·
If the tires are holding air, but look bad due to cracks you can try Miller Tire Black. I think that is what is called. Look up Miller Tire Company. It is basically a paint for the tire and I have seen tires that look pratically new after appling. Worth a shot anyway, but a tube is best for it to hold air. Just my .02
 
#9 ·
Is this it?



1 QT Black Tire Paint

Price:
$19.95

Product Description

Black Tire Paint

$9.95 shipping applies to the Continental United States ONLY.

Best way to make your tires look like new. Permanent water-based paint applies easily and dries quickly. Won't rub off, even when wet. Gives dull, faded tires a non-glossy, like-new finish.
Our black tire paint is more like a stain in that it soaks into the rubber. It is a concentrate, you mix it 50/50 with water and a little bit goes a long way. A quart will cover 8 or more tractor tires.
Our black tire paint will cover whitewalls 99% of the time, depending on what your tires were previously treated with.
 
#10 ·
I have never used the product before, but have heard and seen examples on other forums. It will not fill the large cracks but small imperfections will fill. Maybe a second coat will get some of the bigger cracks. From what I understand it comes concentrated so you must dilute 50/50 with water and paint on the tire. Once dry you will have the look of new tires. For the money I would say its worth a try. I plan to use some this winter on the tires of my WH.
 
#12 ·
My wagon tires started losing air and had cracks - but it's a light (Cub Cadet) unit and at most carries five hundred pounds or so - not a safety issue. I tried slime but was underwhelmed by it; seems a pretty temporary thing. I finally pulled the wheels and put tubes in them. I didn't have any tools for it excepting a screwdriver and a breaker bar - get some tire tools if you want to try this. But a few barked knuckles and some choice cussing later, they were in and the tires have been fine ever since.
 
#13 ·
Tube Em!!!

The rear tires on my YT16 are tubed and cracked to Haiti and back, same with the golf cart we use at my freinds property

Use 303 Protectant to keep future cracking, or on new ones to prevent it from even happening. The stuff is great, it aint no Armor All :ThumbUp:
 
#14 ·
I've used the Miller tire paint for years! A little goes a long way, it won't fill much of a crack, but will definitely make old tires look better. ~~ grnspot
 
#15 ·
Correct me if I'm wrong but the Miller Tire Paint is the same stuff they use on the sidewalls of recap tires to make them look new?!?!? :dunno:

If it is I need to get some
 
#16 · (Edited)
I just rebuilt my wife's 1955 Schwinn Spitfire bicycle with the original tires on it. They were pretty much trashed. Lot's of research led me to John Deere tire restore and windshield caulk. With the tires unaired and the cracks as big as possible, I filled the cracks with caulk. I let that set for a few days then wiped off the excess. It will be a thin film that just rubs off with your fingers, the cracks will stay filled. Spray the tires liberally and repeatedly with the tire restorer, rub this in well each time. I would also put tubes in for a back-up. I've found a ton of uses for the JD tire restore. It cleans and shines like Armor All but doesn't leave the slippery, shiny film.
 
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