Shitty Weld of the Week / Manual Tire Changing...

"JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t" (jawzx2)
08/08/2020 at 19:50 • Filed to: SWofW, Welding, Farmlopnik, tires

So the old tires on my hay wagon have finally begun to just disintegrate. The dry rot is too much.

One of them blew while hauling hay. Had to unload the wagon and drag it home on three wheels. Luckily I did not have far to go...

I managed to find some good used 15" Goodyear Wranglers (235/75R15) locally, which is kind of a miracle given how uncommon 15s are these days... And today is tire changing day.

With the help of the front end loader to break beads, the first two went fairly quickly... The sidewalls are so rotten getting the bead broken was a bit of a pain, but not too bad... New tires went on easily and sealed well.

Then I got to wheel number 3....

I did not take a picture before I started fixing it, but when I popped the old valve stem out it tore the hole open raggedly. It was holding air because it had a tube, but even then... Wow. Bad. So now we get to see if I can make an airtight weld :|

1/16" 7014 run at 45 amps. I did not blow any holes through, and I welded both internal and external. I’ll grind down the lumps, drill a hole for the stem and update the post when I know if I succeeded in making an airtight weld...

Bets?

Update 1:

Waiting for half-assed paint to dry. Hole drilled. Weld looks plausible after grinding!

Update 2:

Sadtrombone.wav

Next step: rubber cement all over the back side of this bitch.

Update 3:

No bueno. This one rim is fucked. All three of others are mounted up and sealed all tubeless and modern-like (with a healthy dash of tire Slime for good measure), but this one is messy. I was only able (who am I kidding, I wasn’t trying to save the old tubes, this one was just the only one that survived) to save one tube from the old tires, and it looks pretty rough, though it does hold air... Either way i’m gonna have to dismount the tire... I’m gonna clean up the bead more seriously with the angle grinder, paint it... And probably try to smooth out and seal my weld with silicone. Once I ’ve done that though i’ll be tempted to try tubeless again! But while its off I should really put the tube in... Grrrr. I hate tubes.

DISCUSSION (22)

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 16:04

I’m betting you end up with “liners and tubes” and do it up old-school...

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
08/08/2020 at 16:14

Fuck that shit. Tubeless or bust!

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 16:16

Is that stick or mig welding?

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
08/08/2020 at 16:20

Stick.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
08/08/2020 at 16:20

Looks like stick to me...

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 16:22

This is where OPPO needs a “side area” for Bar Bets like this...

I’d love to run an Over/Under Pool on this one... “How many days before JawzX2 converts to tubes on these buggered up wheels?”

Hell, we might be able to fund the site with a piece of the action for brokering friendly side bets.

PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 16:25

That’s what I thought but since it's becoming less common, I figured I'd ask instead of assume. I like arc welding.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
08/08/2020 at 16:28

Hahaha!

Seriously. No tubes will be used.

Unless there is no other choice.

sony1492 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 16:29

Nee ds more angle grinder

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120
08/08/2020 at 16:29

BTW, I’m “old school” but will always insist that I can get “deeper, more robust” welds with stick— mainly because I can control amperage to get more intense heating-reformation down into mild steel with stick.

I’ll always g o there first if I’m fabbing frame/bracket/mount pieces from good quality steel.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 16:31

It’s top of mind for me... just today as it happens. I’ve got one, lousy Lancia wheel on that old Beta with “just enough” roughness on the bead that it won’t hold.

Tire’s been on and off three or four times by now. The next time it goes back on with a tube inside....

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
08/08/2020 at 16:32

This.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > sony1492
08/08/2020 at 16:34

Hey, I spent at least 2 minutes on it with the grinder.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
08/08/2020 at 16:54

You have initial win. Weld leaks. But i’m’a slather the back side of that bastard with rubber cement and try again....

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 17:40

We said $100 didn’t we? And, I had “12 minutes” in the Over/Under....

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
08/08/2020 at 19:04

I never agreed to money bets. But you win. Only one of the tubes that were in the tires survived.... It's goin in I guess :(

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 19:11

Yeah, I’ve got an old Ford tractor with “calcium carbonate solution” in the tires for weight... It’s been rotting for years and I’m now to the point where I need to dive in. I’m just praying that those tubes held up— or I’m in for some serious remediation on the inside of those wheels. No thing eats up cheap steel like Minnesota Road De-Icer... or CaCO3 solution in a wheel.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
08/08/2020 at 19:38

Just did the wheels on my ‘96 Ford 1720. Sandblasted, primed, and epoxy coated. New tubes. And a whole lot of pumping c alcium chloride solution back and forth. They’re the best looking p art of the tractor now.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 21:39

The bolt pattern on that wheel looks.... ollllddd.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
08/08/2020 at 22:04

Well, the tires on it were not original ag wagon tires, and were from the early 80s... So it's older than that.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
08/08/2020 at 23:15

Is it the actual weld that is leaking, or around the hole drilled for the valve stem?

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/09/2020 at 09:06

Yes. Both leak. I'm taking another stab at it. The wheel bead leaks too. So I'm going to dismount the tire, (get a new flap wheel because the one I have is mostly worn out), go after the rough bits with the angle grinder, touch up my weld (or maybe just try to seal it with a slather of silicone), and paint the inside of the wheel.