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I have a RZT50 Zero turn and my RF tire went flat, so I took it off the wheel and the inside of the tire had a lot of grease in it? I'm guessing it gets in there when I grease the axle?
Has anyone experienced this before? If so, how did you prevent it?
I looked at new wheels and they are 91.00 form Cub Cadet.

fredo said:

I have a RZT50 Zero turn and my RF tire went flat, so I took it off the wheel and the inside of the tire had a lot of grease in it? I'm guessing it gets in there when I grease the axle?
Has anyone experienced this before? If so, how did you prevent it?
I looked at new wheels and they are 91.00 form Cub Cadet.

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I have to say its something I have never come across. The front castor wheels on my mower have tubes in them. No wonder the tire went flat, if grease can go into the tire, air can go into the grease.

I took the wheel and cleaned it real good and I cannot see where any grease would get into the tire. I am stumped?

Are you wiping off excessive grease from fittings with shop towel after using grease gun? I would take tire & wheel to tire shop, unless you have an air compressor, & have them check it out. Unless wheel is bent, cracked, distorted, etc. you do not need a new wheel, tire may be the culprit.

Reinstall tire on wheel air it up & check for leaks with spray bottle of soapy water, if no leaks give it a go.

mechanic mark said:

Are you wiping off excessive grease from fittings with shop towel after using grease gun? I would take tire & wheel to tire shop, unless you have an air compressor, & have them check it out. Unless wheel is bent, cracked, distorted, etc. you do not need a new wheel, tire may be the culprit.

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The grease is inside the tire, not on the outside. I have taken everything apart and cleaned it, including the inside of the tire. The hole on both sides of the wheel where the axle slides through is all clean now and I do not see anywhere in there where
the grease would go into the inside of the tire. I am still stumped? Also the wheel looks fine, not bent or cracked, or distorted.

Is it grease or tire soap? Who ever mounted the tire might have gotten a bit carried away with lubing the tire before mounting it. Try mounting the tire back on the wheel, airing it up and then putting it a tub of water or spraying soapy water around the bead to check for leaks.
Tom

I would go the other way.
Mount the axel back in the rim and pump it up with grease to see if grease is getting from the axel cavity to inside the rim.
If it is a two piece pressed rim then the welding might be faulty allowing grease to get in.
If it is rolled rim then the grease most likely was left over from fitting.
I have seen rubber grease ( always dyed red ) used to fit stubborn tyres so that is a possibility.

I found a crack in the Axle cavity that was letting grease get by an into the tire. I took some JB Weld and put all the way around the wheel weld where the wheel is welded together.
Hopefully this will hold, so I don't have to buy a $91.00 wheel from Cub Cadet.

JB should do the job, A couple of coats of heavy paint, silicone sealant all should work, you could probably get away with duct tape