Replacing Lawn Mower Tires
There are two types of wheels and tires used on lawn mowers. One is hard rubber and the other is air filled. Push mowers usually have the hard rubber Lawn Mower Tires and riding lawn mowers or tractor mowers, while there may be hard rubber on the fronts, have air filled Lawn Mower Tires. The hard rubber tires will rarely need to be changed and the only cause will be normal wearing down or dry rot, where they start cracking and falling apart. Air filled tires, like car tires, will go flat when they are punctured and have to be repaired or replaced then or in the case of dry rot also. In general, the softer tires are less hard wearing on your lawn. There are kits available for do it yourself repair or the tire can be taken to a tire place for repair.
Changing a lawn mower tire is not an extremely difficult task. For a riding mower, the process is much the same as changing a car tire. The mower should be on a level surface, put the mower in gear and engage the break. The mower will need to be raised, use a jack for this task. The front tires are typically on a spindle, which has a black rubber boot on the end. Pliers work well for removing the boot, pull carefully so as not to tear the rubber. The next step will be to remove the "C" clip using a flat tip screwdriver. These clips tend to fly when removed so be ready to fetch if you aren't careful. At this point, the tire should pull easily off. Slide the new tire onto the spindle, replace the "C" clip, it will need to be pushed down until it locks into place. The rubber boot will need to be stretched back over the end of the spindle and pushed into place. Lower the mower, removing any blocks used for safety.
The rear lawn mower tires are on an axle and held on with bolts. Follow the same instructions for the front tires until at the step of removing the boot. Remove the bolts using a ratchet, remove the tire and replace with the new one. Replace and tighten the bolts, lower the mower and finish the mowing job. You can find any parts you need from places such as Sears, or Snapper specialists.
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