Flat Tractor Tire

On the Fourth of July it was hot, dry and we were baling hay.  All went well, 8 bales (a thin stand) from the west bahia field, until at the end we got a flat in one of the rear tractor tires.  We switched the baler from the John Deere 2955 to the Fiat 60-66.  Slowly Jeffrey drove on the flat to a level shady spot, then we proceeded on the repair. 

With blocks and the 12 ton bottle jack we lift the tractor. 

With a special tool and a socket wrench, Jeffrey pushes the tire bead off the rim.

Addional persuasion is applied with a not so special tool (hitting the tire, not the tool).

Once the outer bead is pushed in off the rim, the same is done on the inside.

Then, with prybars, the bead is worked up and over the rim.

With the outer tire bead off the rim, Jeffrey pulls out the inner tube. 

Then with the prybars, the inner bead and whole tire is worked off the outer edge of the rim.

The tire is off, ready for repair.  In this case it's an old tire with a few slits in the sidewall.   One them open enough to see through.  This is where we think the inner tube got punctured. 

These big tires are expensive, and while eventually we will have to replace both of them, for now we will try a patch.   Jeffrey has a new inner tube to use.  So we load up the tire in the Gator, transfer it to the truck and take it to the tire shop.   For $11 they put a big patch on the inside of the tire.