Tires are an expensive necessity on the farm. Just when you think you may be making good progress on a job or a chore, there goes a tire.
It was -35 C in December when Gregory was plowing snow to open trails to feed the animals and open our driveway. Thankfully, he had finished with the animals and had just started on our driveway when all of a sudden it started raining calcium chloride. The tire tube’s stem had rotted and finally broken completely, allowing fluid to leak from a rear tire.
Gregory limped back to the yard, where he jacked up the tractor and put blocks underneath the frame to remove the weight so the tire would keep its shape.
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The next thing was to call Integra Tire in Biggar. With all of the snow this year, we could not be without the snowplow tractor for long. Thankfully, Integra could send a guy first thing the next morning.
The only problem was that it was still -35 C and the snowplow tractor would not fit in our shop. That temperature is not only miserable to work in — it would also be next to impossible to get the tire off without wrecking the bead.
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A plan
Gregory decided to bring a portable work area to the tractor.
The plan included placing a portable windbreak panel next to the tractor and draping it with insulated tarps that also covered the tractor. He laid 2x4s from the top of the windbreak panel to the fender to act as a frame for the insulated tarps to lie on. Placing a few sheets of plywood to skirt the bottom of the shelter blocked the worst of the wind.
Once the tarp and plywood were in place, Gregory placed a propane radiant and diesel heater inside the tarp tent, facing the tire to help warm it and make it more pliable. He had the heat on the tire before the repairman showed up, so the rubber would be warm enough to work with.
Gregory was not sure how well this setup would work, so he had the tire shop send a new tire just in case the bead of the old one was wrecked during the repair. That was good enough insurance and things worked surprisingly well. When the tire was halfway off, they moved the diesel heater to the inside of the tire in order to heat the rear bead. This made it pliable enough to make a proper seat on the rim when the repaired tire was mounted.
With the job successfully complete, Gregory could take apart his portable warming tent. The insulated tarps were folded back up, the 2x4s and plywood went back to the barn, the heaters were cooled and put away and the windbreak panel was taken back to the pasture for the cows. That afternoon the snowplow tractor was back at work clearing feed trails and cleaning out the yard.
It was not the most pleasant of jobs, but it got done. We are very thankful for Integra Tire in Biggar for the timely and quality job.
