# Has anyone converted tubeless tires to inner tubes?



## tomlct1 (Jan 6, 2016)

This is 1 of my spring projects. The 2008 Ariens ST624E came with Kenda brand 4.1 x 6 tires. I think the tread style is called X-trac. The tires are good, but last winter, I ran over a nail, that went into the air chamber. I was able to pull the nail & push a plug in, and it did not lose much air in the process. If it had, it would have unseated from the rim.
A few years ago, I did this to the tire on my wheel barrow, when I turned direction with a heavy load when the tire was low on air, and the twisting motion flexed the sidewalls and unseated it off the rim.
I don't see an advantage to tubeless, and I do see an advantage to an inner tube - if it goes flat, you don't need high pressure air to inflate it, you can use anything, even a bicycle tire pump.
So just wondering if anyone else shares this pet peeve - tubeless tires on your snow blower.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I had to convert several to tubes, wheelbarrow, mower, snowblower, though I don't go out of my way to do it.

YouTube has a video of someone filling their tire with expanding insulating foam.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Many have, I did on my wood chipper because the tire went flat and there were some small cracks from being old, Not worth buying a new tire for just rolling it 50 feet every couple of yrs LOL but tubeless def have there advantages, One blower I pic up to flip had a flat and wouldn't you know it, It already had a tube and the friend that was buying it was picking it up 2 days after I got it. He HAD to keep a compressor handy and constantly keep refilling it that night to use it in the storm. So he was there on the eve of the last storm and snow had just started to fall, A tubeless you could use fix-a-flat if needed, I always put tire slime in my yard equipment tires and it stops slow leaks and rarely have I had to ever add air. My old riding mower had 2 tires with slow leaks that tire slime stopped and never had another issue. But with a tube none of that works, If you get a flat there is no other option than to pull off the rim, remove the tire and either patch or replace the tube. A lot of work if your in a pinch. OH and I am NOT a big fan of using fix-a-flat on anything but the option is still there with tubeless.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

I've remember reading quite a few post where members have installed tubes in their tires. I think the biggest PITA is getting small tires off the rim to stuff the tube in, then getting it back on. Tubes work, all my bicycles and motorcycles used to have them. The downside comes if you puncture a tube, you are back at square 1.


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## BeansBaxter (Feb 17, 2015)

I did, but not by choice. My wheels were getting old and the bead wouldn't seal properly when I put on X-Tracs. The inner tubes have worked fine for the past 9 years.


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## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

I just cut off the rubber valve stem, break the bead in the vice, seperate one half of the tire from the rim, install appropriate tire tube inside the tire and thread the new valve stem through the rim, Carefully put tire half back on to rim, inflate a little bit at a time so trapped air inside the tire can escape, usually i wiggle the new valve stem to let the air out. Thats about it. Just need to be careful not to pinch the new tube. No need to buy new tires, just add tubes to your tubeless ones.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

To break a bead, I carefully place a board on the tire-(not the rim), and drive my truck on the board.


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## The_Geologist (Feb 6, 2016)

Shaw351 said:


> I just cut off the rubber valve stem, break the bead in the vice, seperate one half of the tire from the rim, install appropriate tire tube inside the tire and thread the new valve stem through the rim, Carefully put tire half back on to rim, inflate a little bit at a time so trapped air inside the tire can escape, usually i wiggle the new valve stem to let the air out. Thats about it. Just need to be careful not to pinch the new tube. No need to buy new tires, just add tubes to your tubeless ones.


:iagree:

This is what I did when I tubed one of my riding mower tires, and will do it again here for one of the rear tires this year. I may have to do this to my Ariens blower as one tire keeps going flat after a month or so.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

I can't push this stuff enough, It just works so well.
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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

Jackmels said:


> To break a bead, I carefully place a board on the tire-(not the rim), and drive my truck on the board.



i use a bottle jack under my work bench and just crank it until it pops. i like your idea though


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I prefer to use tubeless. When it leaks, and it's along the rim, I put fix a flat in it. If it still leaks, I deflate it to see how rusty the rim is and clean it, prime it, paint it. I then inflate it, sometimes using fix a flat. There's been times I've brought it to the tire store, they put a sealer around the rim. If all these fail, then the tube.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Slime works well on tubes....they make a special version of it for tubes. If a tire has a lot of cracks, it gets a tube, if not, slime.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

Mark me down as a Tube Guy. I can't afford to be fiddling around with a broken bead in the middle of winter.

All of my tires that are subjected to being twisted now have tubes . . . . SnowBlower, WheelBarrows, Garden Tractor Front Tires, and WoodSpliter.

It seems that once tubless tires get more than 2 years old, and wheels get rusted and tires get dirty, you can't rightly count on a seal that sticks. Tubes solve that problem.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Does slime make it difficult to work inside the tire, or on the rim? In other words, if it doesn't work, does it make it hard to install a tube later? 

I have installed tubes in leaking lawn tractor tires (6 total), with good results. I've never tried slime, though it probably could have saved me some hassle :roll3yes: The tractor tires were a PITA. Fortunately, the tubes have been working well.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Well my hate for tubes bit me again, my Ariens had a flat, thought it was when I heated the rim trying to get it off the axle and the valve stem was a bit scorched, so I picked up a 2 pack of stems seeing I need one for a Ariens st420 I sold that has a leaking tube, well anyway I break the bead and what do you know, I have a tube in the tire???? Lol so I yank out the tube seeing the seam split on it, I clean up the rim, put the valve stem in, put rubber tire sealant on the rim, wrap a ratchet strap around the tire and fill it up, pop the bead seals. Set to about 20lbs and then spray with windex looking for bubbles, um no bubbles and it's holding pressure???? My guess is it was leaking at the bead, so someone put the tube in. and the sealant fixed the issue, I'll see if the pressure holds in the morning but will add tire slime to it to stop any leaks that may come about.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

I am a tube guy also. That might be because our machine came with tubes back in 1971. When I changed over to the X-Tracs, I put new tubes in. The only reason why I did was because I cut through one of the original tubes when I removed the original tires. If I didn't damage it, I would have used the same original tubes. Maybe I could have patched it, but I didn't want to take any chances. And... the originals were a thicker tube.

I do not see what the big deal is about using tubes. You put them in one time with some hassle and then it is done. I am also the type of guy that does not have time nor do I want to fuss with things during the winter months. All I want to do is clear my property with the least amount of problems and go back inside. 



Vermont007 said:


> Mark me down as a Tube Guy. I can't afford to be fiddling around with a broken bead in the middle of winter.
> 
> All of my tires that are subjected to being twisted now have tubes . . . . SnowBlower, WheelBarrows, Garden Tractor Front Tires, and WoodSpliter.
> 
> It seems that once tubless tires get more than 2 years old, and wheels get rusted and tires get dirty, you can't rightly count on a seal that sticks. Tubes solve that problem.


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## Fat City (Feb 11, 2017)

Tube or tubeless, give the tire a thunk with a hammer handle . Inflate if soft . Tubes require a smooth inside rim , sand, paint rusty rims so rust doesn't puncture tube, or cover rough area with tape . If you like bicycles, tubes are a no brainer, as your already familar . Tubes are not as prone to jumping off rim, the way a [ soft ] tubeless can . Install chains with tire soft, inflation tightens chains .


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Small tubes at Tractor Supply are around $15 or more. New tires online aren't a heck of a lot more.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

I've been buying tubes for 6 inch rims for under $8 at Tractor Supply...the bigger ones for the rear of lawn tractors are $18-21.


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## Blackstar (Dec 27, 2010)

JLawrence08648 said:


> I had to convert several to tubes, wheelbarrow, mower, snowblower, though I don't go out of my way to do it.
> 
> YouTube has a video of someone filling their tire with expanding insulating foam.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I watched this video last summer. The gist of it is it works but you have to put water in the tire before you fill it with expanding insulating foam then drain the water. The foam is only activated by moisture and the environment inside the tire is too dry. This is what he discovered! It was a learning experience for him. He used a few cans of foam as the first did not expand. He kept drilling holes in the tire. It was funny. I felt sorry for him but he did nothing to cover up his mistake so I respect him for that. It was all real.



Blackstar said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p7U27r_kGg


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

"Sets off with water" - huh?


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