PbFlinger 107 #1 Posted Tuesday at 01:01 AM Spring time, trying to get everything back on its feet. Just got done putting new front tires & wheels on my Ford tractor, and now the 312-8 has a persistent leak on the left front. I just put these Hi-Runs on within the last few years. I pulled it off, brought it to the shop, put it in the sink & soaped it up to look for “the” leak. Looked like a bubble bath commercial, air coming out everywhere. Right through the sidewalls & tread. Strange, still new enough to be very rubbery, no apparent damage, just entirely porous. Junk. I could throw a tube in, but I hate tubes unless necessary, and I would expect them to start coming apart soon given the invisible but obvious degradation. Time for some new skins. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #2 Posted Tuesday at 01:20 AM I very much prefer to (meaning exclusively) buy USA made stuff if possible. I was able to get American made rims & tires for the Ford, rims from Steiner & Titan tires. Upon researching all that, most guys said the best tubes available currently are South Korean manufactured, recommended Air-Loc. I got a pair of those with the TR-218 stems, which have a nut to hold them in place in the rims. I was very impressed with the weight & quality. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #3 Posted Tuesday at 01:30 AM So, in researching tires, I didn’t see any acceptable American made 15x6.00-6 tires. I did see that Air-Loc makes some in this size. I ordered a couple of these R-1 6 plys. $75 for a pair, delivered. Not sure how much I’ll like the lug tires in front, but I’m expecting I will. We’ll see. Now just have to clean & paint the rims, and service the rotating bits. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #4 Posted Tuesday at 05:05 AM Wheel #1 knocked down, cleaned, blasted, given a coat of primer, and into the oven for a little bake. I got tired of waiting decades for crappy modern paint to dry, got this little oven to speed things along. A couple of hours at 225 or so & it’s about as hard as it’s gonna get. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 12,119 #5 Posted Tuesday at 09:28 AM Looks to be a good tread pattern that will ride well. I run Ag tires up front on both of mine, mainly due to winter use. No issues with gouging up the grass while mowing. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #6 Posted Wednesday at 01:16 AM Good to know, thanks for the feedback. I have some minor hills & irregularities & was hoping for better side bite & steering authority. I have same tread pattern on the rear, way better than the regular turf tires for my use. I mainly use this one for pulling my weed sprayer rig & a small wagon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adsm08 4,484 #7 Posted Wednesday at 11:35 PM On 5/26/2026 at 5:28 AM, ri702bill said: No issues with gouging up the grass while mowing I do less damage with Ags than I did when I had turfs. Especially if the ground is wet. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #8 Posted yesterday at 12:19 AM I think so too, less skidding around. Besides, I spend way more time trying to beat grass into submission than coddling it, ha. First coat of paint on wheel #1. Rustoleum hammered silver over rusty metal primer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #9 Posted yesterday at 01:25 AM First coat on both, flashed off for a bit, into the oven for a little bake. In a couple of hours I’ll be able to do the second coat & repeat. I just hope they don’t fall or get too crispy on top 😁. Gives me some time to pack the bearings. Tires are supposed to be here tomorrow. I've heard that the young weeds are planning a ranch takeover. I’m gonna show up with 15 gallons of glypho mix & douse the whole crowd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #10 Posted 15 hours ago Paint job came out pretty good. New valve stems. 40 year old American bearings were in fine shape, so I cleaned, packed, & reinstalled them. Tires showed up today, haven’t looked at them yet. Should be mounting here soon. Trying to work my courage up & remember all my cuss words. Also trying to decide whether to mount them in the normal rotational direction or backwards. Any suggestions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 8,874 #11 Posted 12 hours ago Mount one each way. When you put them on the tractor, they will end up being g the same. To swap rotation direction, swap side for side on the tractor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #12 Posted 12 hours ago All done, hopefully ready for service. I managed to remove less than 75% of my new paint. Man I hate small tires. I elected to mount them in the conventional direction. I was always told to mount ag tires backwards on a non drive axle, but studying the bar direction in a turn, looked to me like the conventional direction would give more side shove. Probably a coin flip. The Air-Loc brand tires look great, hope they last a long time. Would have much preferred some American skins, but didn’t see any acceptable ones available. Props to Morrow Tire, I have ordered several things from them and have been very happy. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PbFlinger 107 #13 Posted 12 hours ago Thanks 8n, looks like mounted this way I can flip them side to side if I want to. Do you have an 8n? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
