[ponyakr]

Meant to post this thread sooner, but just forgot. I've asked on several tractor forums & got very little to no help. Thought maybe somebody here might know.

While clearing some of TJ's horse trails recently, we had a flat on the tractor. It was my fault, for not checking the rear tire air pressure. I usually just give 'em a fist bump, & if they feel tight I ASSUME they have plenty of air. WRONG !

The tractor is a 2009 CK27 Kioti. The rear tires are 15-19.5 R-4 ind tread. They are tubeless. If the air pressure gets too low, the bead will lose it's seal against the wheel.

That's what happened this time. And it happened about a mile or more away from home, out in the woods, on one of TJ's many horse trails. Thankfully, that particular trail was wide enuff so that we could drive our Tacoma pickup right to where the tractor was. Loaded up the generator & all needed tools & took the wheel/tire off. Took it to our local tire shop. He used a homemade blaster, made from what appeared to be a small propane tank. One blast popped the tire right back out & sealed it against the wheel.

He said to keep about 40lbs of air in it & that won't happen. I checked the other rear tire, It had 18lbs. So, I made sure the rear tires had 40lbs & the fronts about 32lbs. From now on, I'll try to think to check the pressure with a gauge, rather than just a fist bump.

Anyhow, the reason for this thread is that I wanna rig up an emergency spare, so that if we have another flat, away from home, we can just put on the spare, to get the tractor home, then have the flat fixed, at my convenience.

Our last tractor was a New Holland. I'd bought a brand new Titan tire/wheel, for a spare. Never had to use it. I thought the price was very reasonable. Seems that the price was only around $300 or so, shipped.

But, times & prices have changed. From what I've found, it would cost at least $800, & probably more to get a new tire/wheel. So, I decided to try to find a decent used tire/wheel. The tire size is common, therefore not a big problem. BUT, the wheel has turned out to be a REAL big problem. It's a 6-hole, with a metric 170mm bolt circle. I've posted threads on several tractor forums. So far, nobody can tell me what other tractor brands/models use this same 6-hole metric wheel. Here's a copy of my last post on the tractor threads. Maybe some of you guys can help me. ???

" Again, my CK27 Kioti has 6-hole wheels, with a metric 170mm bolt circle. The b.c. is also sometimes called a 6.69" or a 6.693" or even a 6 11/16". The center hole is called a 5.32". I haven't seen it listed with it's metric number.

So, I simply want to know what other tractors, if there are any, use those exact same 6-hole x 170mm b.c. wheels, with a 5.32" center hole. ?????

So far, I've only come up with 2 solutions.

(1) Make a center section & weld it into a wheel which has some other pattern center.

(2) Use an 8-hole 170mm b.c. 1999-2004 Ford dually wheel. The 2 studs in the Kioti axles will fit into any 2 opposite holes in the 8-hole wheel. That would probably get the tractor home. Or, I can add a couple of holes, in order to use 4 fasteners. The 16" tires would be much shorter than the 15-19.5 R-4 tires. But, again, this is only for an emergency spare, just to get the tractor home. 2 miles is about the farthest it ever gets from home.

Just think of this as one of the space saver spares that come in many vehicles. They're only meant to be used in an emergency..."

So far, I'm not aware of any tractor junkyards in my area that fool with compact tractors. Called some big yards. They only fool with big commercial tractors & equipment. Can order a custom made wheel. Shipped price for that is ridiculous. Can get a new 16" Ford dually wheel for less than $100. Guessing $50 or less, if I can find one in a local junkyard.

So, anybody have any helpful info ?

[dataway]

I just completed a similar project this year. Here is the thread on TractorBuyNet

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-rear-rim.html

One thing to keep in mind is that the drive train on 4wd tractors are "sync'ed" if used in 4wd they have to have OEM size tires front and back or you can damage the drive train as the back tries to "push" the front, or the front tries to "pull" the rear.

After much frustration looking for an affordable option I ended up buying a new aftermarket rim section and welding it to the center section of the old wheel. In your case you would have to fab a center section, not a big deal, usually almost flat, something like 1/4" plate.

I got the rim section to fit my OEM tire size here: https://www.steinertractor.com/
In my case the aftermarket rim section was absolutely identical to the OEM piece. I also have seen numerous rim sections for sale on Amazon and ebay.

Just keep in mind .... if you use a "short" tire/wheel, don't use 4wd .... and even with 2wd you are going to be working that differential a ton.

If you haven't already you could try Tractorbynet.com ... probably the best forum around.

[dataway]

Strange ... I don't even see the wheels listed in the official Kioti parts lists.

[hgiv]

You can but a bead seating tool way cheaper than a spare tire. That doesn't mean you wont get a flat but tractor flats are rare unless you are doing some real rough work. Often they involve something getting jammed in the rim and getting between the bead and rim. Obviously if it wrecks the bead you're toast but many times it doesn't. Other flats can be fixed with a gallon of slime. I always carried slime in my off road kit. That stuff will seal some pretty significant holes. In a car tire its a rough fix because of the mess and balance issues but in a tractor its not an issue.

[dataway]

Odds are you keep up the pressure in that tire and you will never have a problem again.

Another option ... get them foam filled.

[HO 67 BIRD]

what if you could find bead locks to fit the rims or have some cut out.

[ponyakr]

"...Just keep in mind .... if you use a "short" tire/wheel, don't use 4wd .... and even with 2wd you are going to be working that differential a ton..."

Yeah, I thought of all that. But we're only talkin about maybe a mile, or less. 2 miles absolute max. I assume it has spider gears in the rear, that allow the right & left axles to turn at different speeds, like a car or truck. So, every time the tractor makes a sharp turn, or one tire loses traction, the spiders must turn at different speeds. And, I'd be going real slow, just to get back home. So, I can't see how a SHORT, SLOW trip like that could damage the rear.



"...If you haven't already you could try Tractorbynet.com ... probably the best forum around."

Yeah, I posted in that one, & tractorforum.com, & mytractorforum.com, & orangetractortalks.com, & on Craigslist.

Apparently, this is a rare bolt pattern, that was used on VERY few tractors. So few in fact, that hardly anybody seems to have ever even heard of it.

I'd never heard of it myself, 'til TJ & I measured the bolt pattern & center hole diameter. Best we could tell, the bolt pattern looked to be around 6 5/8" to 6 11/16". And the center hole looked to be around 5 3/8". It was very obviously metric.

After discovering this, I just assumed that it was a common size, used on many of the foreign made tractors. Apparently that is NOT the case. The Kioti is said to be made in South Korea, as are several other brands. Some are, or at least WERE made in India. & I assume some are made in China.

The Kubota guys say that is the ONLY brand to even consider. But, at the time we bought this Kioti, a similar Kubota was MANY thousands more. A USA made JD was many thousands more than the Kubota.

Had a New Holland, which was fine, but didn't have a loader. After having this Kioti with loader, I wouldn't won't a tractor without a loader. Last few days I've looked at a few tractors, online. Seems that Mahindra & LS are now the popular lower priced brands. There are many more Mahindra & LS dealers in my area than Kioti dealers.

Back when I bought the Kioti, I went to dealers & drove a Mahindra, a couple of JD's, a Kubota, & a Kioti. The larger USA made JD was by far the best driving of them all. But, the price was ridiculous. More than twice the Kioti price. Didn't like the cheap JD, at all. I assume it's foreign made, to get a slice of the cheap tractor pie. Didn't like the feel of the Mahindra either. The Kubota was OK, but the Kioti felt just as good, to me, & was quite a bit cheaper.

After that experience, If money was not a consideration, I'd probably go with the bigger JD. I think it was a 30hp model. It was heavier & REALLY smooth. Just shifting the trans, I could feel the quality. It shifted easy & smooth. IIRC, the price was nearly $30k. I think we paid around $12k + tax, for the Kioti.

[ponyakr]

I'm not saying that I have absolutely not found a single wheel with this pattern, online.

Here's one, that is 15 x 24. Says it's for a New Holland Boomer tractor.

https://www.agwheelexpress.com/store...YaAlzlEALw_wcB

But, the shipped price is much more than I'm willing to pay, for just a spare wheel, that is not even the exact size I need.

[dataway]

Yep, your best bet may be getting the correct rim section for your tire and making up your own center section. In my area the local steel supply would computer flame cut the piece for cheap if I provide the CAD drawing. Still ... I'd be looking at $250 without a tire on it ... although for a spare tire you could probably find a clapped out tire for cheap or free.

But again, my guess is if you keep an eye on the pressure it will never happen again. I think you can have them foam filled for about $100 ... but of course that makes tire changes in the future a real battle.

[ponyakr]

"...But again, my guess is if you keep an eye on the pressure it will never happen again..."

Yeah, that's also my opinion. We don't use the tractor in many situations that would subject it to punctures. BUT, that don't mean it's not possible.

Found some new dually wheels, even a little cheaper.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Taskmaste...orea/827359516

So, I could buy either a new or used dually wheel & either use the shorter 16" tire, on that wheel, OR, cut the center out of the dually wheel, & weld it into a used tractor wheel. Would be MUCH easier(for me) to SLIGHTLY modify the dually center than to make a center, from scratch, out of a solid piece of steel.

Wouldn't make a whole lot of difference whether I buy a dually wheel with a 6.5" or the 170mm bolt circle. But, the 6.5 b.c. wheel would require a bit more grinding in 2 bolt holes.

I even found a 19.5" dually wheel, with the 170mm b.c.

https://www.wheelstiresandmore.com/p...95x6-3341.aspx

Assume that some of the taller 19.5" tires would be a bit taller than the tallest 16" tires. I'll do some searching on that. New, tall 19'5" tires may cost more than a decent used tractor tire.

The center hole in the dually wheels is slightly smaller than the Kioti wheel center hole. So, I realize that I'd have to grind it out a bit.

[lust4speed]

Probably putting a tube in the tire would fix the problem. My old Ford 4000 rims look good but one side slowly aired down, and a tube fixed that.

[dataway]

I run tubes in all my tractor tires. Downside is then you can't use the usual methods to "plug" the tire. Upside is less likely to leak, less concern about rim corrosion if they are filled. I don't use filled tires since I usually have a back hoe mounted, if not I run a ballast rack on the 3 pt.

[ponyakr]

Originally Posted by lust4speed

Probably putting a tube in the tire would fix the problem. My old Ford 4000 rims look good but one side slowly aired down, and a tube fixed that.

Wouldn't consider running a tube in the tractor tire, at all ! Before I'd do that, I'd either pay for a new wheel or a new tire, which ever was required.

All of my early years & most of my adult life was spent having to deal with tubes in truck tires. Fixed only a VERY small fraction as many as my Dad did. But, I fixed enuff truck flats to know that I don't wanna depend on a tube in my tractor tires.

BUT, just for the emergency spare, I might consider it. In fact, I'm toying with the idea of using one of the left over 20" truck wheels & a tube type 900-20 tire. May have to buy a new tube. But I think I have several usable wheels/tires left. Hey, I might even still have a few that will still hold air. So, all that may be required is to make a center section that will bolt to the tractor axle.

I even have some 1000-20 tires that are even taller. I'll do some inventory & see what I have. That may be my cheapest way to rig up an emergency spare.

PS: The subject of putting a tube in a tractor tire reminds me of a story from my past. My Dad had a couple of Ford 2000 gas tractors, at the time. Since we live in Louisiana, it very seldom stays cold enuff to freeze water, more than a very thin layer on top, where the wind can blow on it. But, on rare occasions it will dip into the teens, & stay below freezing temp for a few days. Well, we had this one cold spell that did produce temps that we called a "hard freeze".

Because of our mild winters, my Dad had filled his tractor tubes with plain water. When he heard that we were going to have an especially cold night(for our area), he parked the tractor in the barn, where he THOUGHT the water in the tubes would not freeze. WRONG ! Early the next morning, he needed to use the tractor, probably to pull a truck that didn't wanna start, because of the cold. Well, enuff of the water in the tubes had frozen so that as the tires rotated the ice cut the tubes, causing a flat. I assume you are supposed to use some sort of antifreeze in the tires, just as in a radiator. The ice ruined the tubes so that they could not be patched. Dad had to buy new tubes.

[ponyakr]

Somebody posted this on a Kubota forum. Looks like there were several L series tractors that used rear wheels with the same bolt pattern & center hole. Out of that many models, there should be a cheap decent wheel out there somewhere. Just may not be anywhere close to me.

https://www.orangetractortalks.com/f...8/#post-421007

[ramair_bryan]

Thems awesome tractors bud.
But that's right about using water instead of air.
Us farmers don't use air except on lawn equp.

One thing to keep in mind, These ain't cars. You ain't (like that word lately)..
Going to damage the tire driving it off the rim.
Just drive it home next time, park it next to the air.

You guys are going to kill me , but we use wd 40, or plain old starter fluid
to mount those back up on the bead......it's a real blast.............

It likely doesn't have a hole in it. That's a 16 ply tire I bet. valve stem leak
would be nice. Keep it parked next to the air.

This info brought to you by-
Urgent care. ''Little things in life that make us a buck''........................

[ponyakr]

"...use wd 40, or plain old starter fluid
to mount those back up on the bead......it's a real blast..."

Yeah, I bet it is !

My tire guy used a "controlled blast".

But, I suppose if you use just exactly the right amount of "explosive", it will work & be perfectly safe.

I suppose the wrong recipe/procedure could be a bit dangerous.

[ramair_bryan]

piece of cake.................................

[dataway]

I used that method to mount the tires on my tractor. Used brake cleaner. Not as big a deal as it sounds .... start with a smallish amount and work your way up to what works. Rather than start with a large amount and work your way into a grave

Last few years I've gone to just using inner tubes .. must be getting old.