Front tubes again

[Matt Kirsch]

Not finding one of the certainly countless threads out there on who makes a good front tube...

So, who makes a good front tube for 4.00-12 front tires?

I bought the "butyl rubber" tubes at the local Runnings (like a Fleet Farm, Rural King, etc.), and one was sitting there flat. Won't hold air on the tractor.

I pulled the tube out of the tire and for the life of me I can NOT find any leaks. The tire has been soaped, dunked in water... Not a bubble to be found. It's been holding air for two weeks now. Inside of the tire is clean and smooth. Inside of the rim is clean and smooth. Not even a speck of dust.

Still don't want to go back with this tube. I just don't trust it.

[Don McCombs]

Try a local tire dealer that services heavy equipment and tractors.

[Waif]

Did you dunk the valve stem itself?
Sometimes tightening one can stop a leak.

(I'm just back in the house after hand pumping golf cart tires....And I have pumped up a rear on a Cub by hand too. I dislike leaks!)

[radioguy41]

I had one new tube go flat and it turned out the valve stem wasn't quite tight. If you removed the stem to remove the tube then put it back to fill it up and check for leaks you may have accidentally solved the problem.

[Eugene]

Valve core, frequent cause of a slow leak. First thing to check when you have a slow leak.

Obtain a valve core (schrader valve core) removal tool, hand full of valve cores, and valve stem caps.

[staninlowerAL]

Metal Valve stem caps with a rubber seal made in the cap are available. I've use them for an additional seal. Also found that a tube that is old sometimes develops a leak (dry rot) around the place where the stem is connected to the tube. Usually visible if the tube is inflated then manipulate the valve stem.

[ajhbike]

I put either Berymans or FlatOut in every one of my fronts after changing countless tubes. Both are water soluble and don't affect the rims. I have not had a problem since

[Gary Dotson]

Yes, those el cheapo tubes, from the big box stores are horribly thin, air slowly passes through. One of our local tire shop sells me Firestone tubes, they're about double the thickness of those cheap ones. I've had very good success with those. I'm sure most quality brands are good, as well. Ask your tire shop, I'm sure they wouldn't waste their time with leakers.

[ajhbike]

Even with great tubes, I still put the juice in.

[SONNY]

Been down that hole before too! ---NOT a good thing to deal with. Had 2 here that acted the same way, tire shop said put in a new one so they did---next day flat again with their tube---THEN they said the tire itself was the problem! LOL!--anything to save face I guess!
As for a good brand---- dont think it exists! They all have misfits from what I can tell.

[tnestell]

The tire dealer that i use doesn't charge for flat repairs. They even didn't charge me for a flat that I had on a tire that can new on my car. Replaced a tube from my Cub tube with one from TSC and that didn't work out well. Took that to the tire dealer and they charged me $8.00 for a new tube and nothing for labor. A couple dollars less than I paid at TSC and did it faster than I could.

[Clemsonfor]

Yea find a local shop, they charge me about the same or less than I buy a tube at TSC and the uninstall it for that price.

Me personally I put slime in all my tubes. Stops those leaks. I am always bushogging blackberries with my other Tractor and getting small leaks in fronts it seals them up. I may go to the farm and on tractor is totally flat. Fill it with air, drive it around 5 minutes and it will hold air for months again without even moving. Actually use it and will stay up even longer