Yesterday, we backed a pickup up to our Cat 930 loader to refuel it and bumped the left rear tire. This was a very soft and slow hit but the tire went flat. It seems to be leaking air from the rim. I notice a very slight gap along the what I asume is a locking band on the rim, which seems to be maybe a sixteenth of an inch. We could not air up the tire, even with it supported by a jack. I realize that strange things happen in cold weather but I am rather shocked to have such a David and Goliath outcome to a minor event. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am not looking forward to removing the tire and taking it to town.

You did remove the tire valve core right?

You want the biggest access you can get into that tire. Remove the coupler or air chuck on the compressor hose and hold it against the stem and see if you can get it that way. If no luck, you can try some stop leak in it and if still no luck you might want to tap it with a shop hammer all the way around the ring and make sure it is free enough to come back out easily. There's a sealing O-ring between the lock ring and the rim that's probably your problem. Most likely have some rust in there that's preventing it sealing back up easily.

Thanks CC. Now, I am wondering if the o-ring broke like the Space Shuttle. Will try again in a little bit.

You might try to pack grease where it leaks air out. My flat bed has 10 ply 14.5 tires on it If one breaks the beade, grease is the only way i have found to rebead the tire Or a shot if either and a match

Trying to put a band aid on the trouble might be a waste of time so I think your best bet is to remove the wheel and take it to a tire store that does big truck and machinery tires and have it done right and save time later as band aid patching it you might come out some morning when you need it bad and have a flat and then the words will fly. Yesterday I had to go to the hospital & have my gall bladder removed and when my son-in-law went out to bring the car up close to load me at the hospital late at night both front tires were nearly flat so he had to run down to a close by gas station & pump them up so we could get home. It has insert studs in the winter tires so he thinks maybe being the tires are from a year or two ago that some studs has worked their way into the inside.He has new ones ordered so should have them in a day or two.He,ll have to remove the old tires & rims & just take them to get changed.

Good to hear you are back home already, SJ! That laparoscopic surgery is the ticket isn't it?

The trouble with tubeless tires is.............getting them to seal up the first time.

Once you get there, by whatever means, you're usually good to go. It's just getting there, so use anything that's safe. I've used the grease too (tire grease if you have it)

If you have a large stem in the wheel, and can remove the valve or at least the valve core and get a direct connection to the compressor tank, you can really pop one out compared to adding the air through the tire valve core and air chuck.

A little too much rust on those parts and you're going to be using stop-leak goop from now on. I find that the one I use is more effective permanently sealing/preventing leaks in tubeless tires than in a tube type assembly. Most effective when applied directly to to the bead area before assembly

I blew the rim clean with the air compressor and warmed the whole thing up with a gentle amount of propane torch and a few taps with a hammer along the lock ring. The tire then would hold air. It leaked a little until we started the loader and rocked the machine back and forth. I then used it to load three 1- ton bales of hay without any problem. I think the main problem is that o-rings don't work right at fifteen below zero. I parked the loader with a jack stand under the axle so that if the tire leaks down it will not set up flat.
Hopefully I can get by until the weather warms up a bit. What does everyone suggest as the best way to get the lug nuts off ? I only have a half-inch drive impact wrench. I have a truck type lug wrench that I was planning to use with a long cheater pipe. Any better ideas?

Good job!

If you end up having to take it off, you've got what you need except for the helper and some rust buster spray for the nuts. Break em and tighten em with the wrench and cheater and run em off and on with the impact if you can adapt a socket to it.

CC,I was afraid you would say that. Probably no magic way to bust the nuts loose anyway. I have an adapter to 3/4" sockets so I can run them with the impact once I get them loose. I may need a really long cheater pipe. I appreciate all the suggestions. This is a great site. When you live out in the middle of nowhere it's nice to have a place to get advice. Thanks again to everyone.

Something I've done a number of times with really tight lug nuts/ studs is to use the truck lug wrench with a short cheater braced against the ground in a way that pulling the rig either forward or back will loosen the buggers. Make sure no one is close 'cuz if that wrench pops off, it can go quite a ways