install tubes in zero turn caster tires, problems?
 

The front tires on our zero turn have started leaking. They are tubeless.

I've had good luck in the past with smaller stuff, like dollies and wheelbarrows installing tubes.

Is there any good reason that I shouldn't install tubes in the front/caster tires?

Are there any wear/friction issues between the tube and inner tire?
Securing the location of the new valve stem?

That's a good question. I wouldn't think there would be any major issues with friction once fully inflated.

I was a bit wondering about the valve stem.

My guess is the inner tube either needs to be:

-Fully bonded to the inside of the tire.
Use a flexible, rubber-safe, non-hardening adhesive.
The soft inner tube still needs to stretch extremely at the "V" leverage points when the thick hardened old rubber tire runs over a sharp obstacle.

or

-It need to be fully free-floating.
Maybe a ton of talcum powder/graphite powder. Those make break down rubber eventually.
Or a silicone lubricant oil fully wiped on thick with a brush.
This may still pull laterally at the valve stem.
Rubber glue could be added next to it on both sides. The rest lubricated.

Look at the price of tubes. Then look at the price of new front tires. Then look at the hassle of installing the tube vs new tires... I'd just put new tires on and be done with it.

Let me correct myself.... First, where are they leaking from? Is it from something piercing the tire, cracks in the sidewall from age, or around the tire bead? I had a tire that leaked because the valve stem cracked.

Other option (and the easiest) is a can of fix-a-flat or tire-goo.

If it's coming from the Schrader valve stem those probably shouldn't be used.
$2 replacement fix.

Spray some soap/bubbly around the rim and valve stem, first, and make sure that where the leak is coming from.

Deflating. breaking the bead, rotating slightly, using tire sealant, and remounting will do the same trick.
It's a low speed industrial application so not too much science involved.

If you can do it, go for it. Based on my experience I would go for airless tires and never look back. They are a bit spendy, but if time and frustration have value airless tires are cheap.

Tire slime works great as long as the crack or puncture isn't in the sidewall. Stuff makes a mess out of the steel wheel if left in there long enough.

Another easy way to find the leak on a tire that small is to fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and roll the tire in the bucket. When you see bubbles, you know where to start soap checking.

Harbor Fright replacements?

Need general wheel diameter, axle diameter, rim width for securing it.
Big fender washers and/or sleeves are your friend.

lately iv been using antifreze for cracked tires. Seems to work as well or better than slime or whatever else. Just pull out the core put a hose and small funnel on the stem push the tire in so it sucks the coolant in.

Lots of good stuff folks, thanks.

I gave up on Slime in my wheelbarrow and bought a Chinese tube. It was surprisingly easy to install. YMMV on a smaller tire.

Yep, I did the same with my old wheelbarrow and dollie. The front tires on the zero turn and bigger and much beefier. I've got tubes from Amazon, and see some folks on youtube that have done the same. If I fail, I'll grab a new front wheel/tire.

Word of advice, keep the tires on, let out almost all of the air and try to break the bead. Those things can be really stubborn. They're typically designed to run on lower air pressure than something like a soft sidewall wheelbarrow tire.

Yes, I had started this the other day and determined that breaking the bead was going to be a huge pain in the rear compared to other stuff that I've worked on.

Just let the air out and drive the mower around turning frequently. They'll pop right off. I had it happen twice on my dad's mower before I realized his valve stem had cracked and was letting the air out. In my defense, I was wearing earplugs from mowing when I was filling the tires so I couldn't hear the leak.

We have a habit of overthinking things here . Tube those mothers, and get mowing . !
Good advice from Cabby , breaking the bead will be the hardest part .

Thanks folks.

Reviving an older thread.

1 Getting the tires off to install tubes is a HUGE PITA!
2 Getting the tires back on is also a huge PITA, and the first time I gouged the tube, LOL. I've replaced the tube 2-3 times. They keep going flat.

I'd say tubes are a bust.

There are a slew of cheap Chinese wheel/tire assemblies on Amazon, but I don't want to go that route.
I can get just tires. They'll be made in China, but at least I can get Carlisle which I think is a decent brand.
I can get OEM which would probably be $300 for both front tire/wheel assemblies
I can get "NoAir" branded for $249 which have the following description.

The originals have bushings, but no bearings. It seems like bearings would be better, but I don't know.

I broke down and took a chance of the "NoAIr" branded tires. They seem well made. You have to grease them before installing them. I suspect that most of the folks that complained of failures did not grease them, or did not adequately grease them. I ran the grease gun until things started moving. It ended up taking a whole 14oz cartridge of grease, but on both sides, the bushings started pushing out after much pumping. On the first side, I monitored watching for when grease started pushing through the bearings. Hopefully, these last a while.