Solid tires

[Raider 134 1]

Hello, I was sondering if anyone knows if it is posible to mount some solid rear tires on my raider 12? I use it like a work horse(pun intended) and im constantly running over nails and screws and getting flats, The worst part is that the tires are not tubless so it is a pain to get a new Tube and fix it(because delivery takes a couple of days if not even weeks) so i could use some solid tires but id prefer to keep the original rims. So if anybody knows if it is possible please leave a comment!.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Raider 134

[953 nut 51,393]

A year or so back I remember John @wallfish had an experiment where he used some low expansion foam to fill tires. Perhaps he can fill you in (yes, pun also intended) with the results.

[rjg854 10,705]

I don't really want to post this  but. ..

I've heard about foam filling tires, which I believe would take care of your problems of anymore flat tires,  but then I don't know if your rims would ever be usable if you wanted to change tires. It would be a royal pain to get them tires off and to clean  the wheels. 

[wallfish 15,870]

 

Pull the tires off the rims and tape up the rims painter's masking tape which will save them from the foam, or at least most of it. You can search foam filling tires on youtube.

Edited July 22, 2019 by wallfish

[ebinmaine 62,892]

12 minutes ago, wallfish said:

Pull the tires off the rims and tape up the rims painter's masking tape which will save them from the foam, or at least most of it. You can search foam filling tires on youtube.

John I tried to search and I wasn't able to find anything that looked like it would actually work.

 

I've been thinking about doing this as well. Have you found anything that is good long-term without having the phone crush down under heavy weight inside the tire?

 

[ebinmaine 62,892]

@Raider 134

Welcome to redsquare!

[wallfish 15,870]

I only did it on a walk behind snow blower tire but I can jump on it and it doesn't crush. @wh500special ? I think, was thinking water may effect the foam and make it closed cell which is much more dense and would certainly hold the eight of a tractor

[The Tuul Crib 7,332]

If you could get a solid tire you would 

have to be able to have a split rim or 

something like old truck tire rims. 

[RandyLittrell 3,827]

In my neck of the woods, there are some tire places that fill them with foam.

 

 

Randy

[pfrederi 17,114]

I have a New Holland 930b finish mower it weighs about 600 lbs.  it has 4 foam filled wheels.  Thyt do get out of round sitting over the winter but after one mowing they are round again.

[ebinmaine 62,892]

2 minutes ago, RandyLittrell said:

In my neck of the woods, there are some tire places that fill them with foam.

 

 

Randy

I've read about that on the internet but never tried to price it around here. I understand it's quite expensive to get done, also permanent.

I've considered to purchasing new rims and new tires and having them done but really can't justify the cost of paying someone else to do that.

 

keeping in mind that we like to do as much DIY as we can, that's my interest in this thread.

 

 

[Raider 134 1]

46 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

A year or so back I remember John @wallfish had an experiment where he used some low expansion foam to fill tires. Perhaps he can fill you in (yes, pun also intended) with the results.

 

43 minutes ago, rjg854 said:

I don't really want to post this  but. ..

I've heard about foam filling tires, which I believe would take care of your problems of anymore flat tires,  but then I don't know if your rims would ever be usable if you wanted to change tires. It would be a royal pain to get them tires off and to clean  the wheels. 

 

38 minutes ago, wallfish said:

 

Pull the tires off the rims and tape up the rims painter's masking tape which will save them from the foam, or at least most of it. You can search foam filling tires on youtube.

 

10 minutes ago, RandyLittrell said:

In my neck of the woods, there are some tire places that fill them with foam.

 

 

Randy

Well that works but its a pain in the *** to change Tires, and from what i have heard the foam crumbles and wont hold the tractor anymore!

 

[wallfish 15,870]

https://www.americanindustrialtire.com/foamfilled.htm

 

What about coating the inside of the tire with a thick layer of flex seal? That should keep it from getting flats

https://www.flexsealproducts.com/product/flex-seal-liquid-rubberized-coating/

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by wallfish

[ebinmaine 62,892]

I've heard of commercial duty tubes that claim to resist or reseal. I can't make any claims or recommendations for them one way or the other.

[JaysHorse 287]

I watched test videos on YouTube and the results weren’t good. I wouldn’t bother with the foam trick. 

[Stepney 2,314]

I've always heard more bad then good in the way of foam.. 

Something we used to do at a scrapyard I worked in. They had a Model A Ford jitterbug as a pusher. On small wheels similar to our WH's. They had HD inner tubes with thick Conveyor belting cut to the ID of the tire, acting like a barrier. (Maybe even 2 or 3 layers of this?) The tires were then filled with .. waste oil.. of all things. That yard has since closed due to EPA issues .. if you could believe it.. 
However we never ever got flats on that car. Maybe it's worth a try? 

[roadapples 6,981]

I know this has been discussed before, but I would use tubes and slime em'.

[RandyLittrell 3,827]

The tires they do around here are filled with a urethane foam that's permanent. They do lots of skid steer a and construction equipment. I am not sure my but cheeks could tolerate solid tires!!

 

 

 

Randy

[19richie66 16,857]

We had two 26x12-12 tires filled with foam and they came out to weigh 198 pounds each. They are great for rear weight but you aren't going to remove them or install them without wheel studs or a jack. 

[ebinmaine 62,892]

1 hour ago, 19richie66 said:

 they came out to weigh 198 pounds each. They are great for rear weight but you aren't going to remove them or install them without wheel studs or a jack. 

Bahhh....

I have my honey for the heavy work.

And a chain falls....

 

[troutbum70 857]

I agree with putting the slime in, I have never used it myself. But I have heard okay reports around here from some that have.

[oliver2-44 8,814]

At my previous work around the dams we had a skid steer and a sky track with commercially foam filled tires. i was involved with getting the replacement tires for the old sky track filled.  The old tires had been worn down to running on tire cords and foam.  They reused the old rims, but I don't know how they did it. The shop that did it offered 3 densities of foam.  With all the rough rock around the dams, these were the way to go.  

About 6 months ago I picked up a set of ag tires on JD 12" rims that are foam filled.  I haven't  used them yet, but as Richie said, they are heavy.  I would say commercial foam filling is the way to go if you can sacrifice the rims and handle the cost.  

[SPINJIM 1,978]

The Amish around here don't have problems with flats.  They use steel wheels.  And so did the early steam tractors.  I think that solid rubber tires would be just as rough a ride as steel wheels with rubber cleats.  Look for steel wheels from an old walk-behind tractor.  

 

Or how about skid-loader tires that have a deeper and heavier tread so nails won't penetrate.

   Jim

Edited July 23, 2019 by SPINJIM

[McGrew 460]

 I have 2 pieces of equipment at work, and had the tires foam filled, as they both operate in some tough conditions.  Nails and screws on the pavement are the norm.  The forklift and scissors lift both had sem-pneumatic tires when I had them filled.  A local forklift dealer filled the tires.  I don’t remember the exact cost, but it was not cheap...  The good news is the tires have been filled for several years, and have never had a problem.  I recommend the OP find a local forklift dealer or forklift service company and price the service.

 

 Wallfish, I have not tried Flex Seal on tires, but bought several spray cans of their sealer to try to waterproof a wooden box.  The box was only about a cubic foot, but it would have taken many more cans to do the job because the Flex Seal was so thin...  I abandoned that plan.  I would not recommend that product, but your results may vary...  Danny

[Howie 882]

I thought about the Flex Seal in the quart can to see if it would seal the side wall on one

of these mower tires but did not try it. did not know how thick the stuff is and did not 

want to waste my money so to speak.