DIY foam filling for small tires?

[newbury]

There's several threads on foam filling.
I recently bought a new set of rears for my B7610, mainly due to age.
Now I've got "my" Gorilla carts and wheelbarrows getting flats from cheap chinese tires. I and my family have about 6 of the carts, so that's a quantity of about 30 tires, all 13".
Replacement tires are ~$20.
Looking on utube a few cans of spray foam MAY fix them for years, but which foam is best?

I realize proper foam filling requires pro grade materials but are there some mixes out there that will get me another 10 years from these tires?










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[ROUSTABOUT]

I bought solid rubber tires, wheels. Put tubes in other things. I ain't touched none of them tires in years. I have an air compressor, tire machine, tire tools. I go fix flats on site. I got all my little tires straight. My dad tried the foam crap on his wheel barrow, and that's exactly what it is. Tried foaming wheels on hay fluffer, another fine example of crap. Solid tires are too easily available. Two wheel dollys, solid. Five wheel barrows, solid. Yard cart, solid. Riding mowers all have tubes, have been touch free for years.

 

[TractorGuy]

I tried using Great Stuff on some cart tires once and it didn't go well. I drilled holes around the tread to try to get it to expand evenly but it didn't happen. I spent more time and money than it was worth. It rolled but was a little lumpy.

On my wheel barrow I bought a solid rubber wheel and tire from HF. The hub was offset. I cut one of the existing spacers in half to center the wheel. That has worked good so far.

 

[Smokeydog]

Insulation foam is not the same as tire foam.

 

[jwmorris]

I tried myself. For whatever reason, one tire came out right. 25% success Isn’t that great though. I wouldn’t try it again but would suggest to use very, very little and cross your fingers that it doesn’t remain a very sticky goo.

For the $12, 13 inch tires I would just replace them, would be my luck that the foam would work great, then the next day the bearings fall out.

13 in. Pneumatic Tire with White Hub

Amazing deals on this 13In Pneumatic Tire, White Hub at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[PILOON]

It seems that all those 'offshore' tires come with designed leakage.
Heck even the inner tubes leak all on their own.
They must inject air holes into the rubber mix.

 

[alexpops]

slime on what I don't really care about (garden tractors, lawn trailers), flat out on the bigger stuff. The company that makes flat out has a version that can be used in ballasted tires too.

 

[4570Man]

Buy solid tires or pay a tire store to fill them. Solid tires are probably cheaper.

 

[PILOON]

While discussing foamed tires----

My CUT tires are seriously weather checked and scary.
Did buy a new set but they 'weather checked' over the first winter.
My size is simply not available anymore any where so I want to 'foam' them. (usage wise they have perfect threads)

Can someone suggest a foam filler facility near Montreal that I can go to.
Many attempts to locate one have so far been unsuccessful.

 

[TractorGuy]

I slimed some once and had little green specs of goo leaching out all around and across the tread.

I have also used fix-a-flat in small tires.

Both worked somewhat in dry rot rubber.

That furrin rubber is crap.

 

[4570Man]

While discussing foamed tires----

My CUT tires are seriously weather checked and scary.
Did buy a new set but they 'weather checked' over the first winter.
My size is simply not available anymore any where so I want to 'foam' them. (usage wise they have perfect threads)

Can someone suggest a foam filler facility near Montreal that I can go to.
Many attempts to locate one have so far been unsuccessful.

It’s usually recommended to not fill tractor tires. They’re hard and run more risk of damaging the axel. Also it’s expensive. Probably $200-300 USD to fill a front tractor tire.

 

[PILOON]

It’s usually recommended to not fill tractor tires. They’re hard and run more risk of damaging the axel. Also it’s expensive. Probably $200-300 USD to fill a front tractor tire.

Well 4 sure I'd prefer a new pair but absolutely none are available in my size (9.5 x 18 R3)
Seems I got the last pair In Canada and they weather checked scary like over 5 months.
I fought and they finally issued a cash refund as none were available.
LOL, they wanted me to return my defective rears but could not find replacements.
So, I would ride on rims?
Being 4 x 4 I absolutely need to respect ratios and while I can fit smaller rears I can't go smaller in the front and as you know ratios must be respected.
Ergo, foaming the rears is my answer.
As I mentioned, no noticeable wear, heck they only have , more or less, 60 hours of usage.
OK, I know the ride will be rougher but so is chaining up the rears.

 

[4570Man]

Well 4 sure I'd prefer a new pair but absolutely none are available in my size (9.5 x 18 R3)
Seems I got the last pair In Canada and they weather checked scary like over 5 months.
I fought and they finally issued a cash refund as none were available.
LOL, they wanted me to return my defective rears but could not find replacements.
So, I would ride on rims?
Being 4 x 4 I absolutely need to respect ratios and while I can fit smaller rears I can't go smaller in the front and as you know ratios must be respected.
Ergo, foaming the rears is my answer.
As I mentioned, no noticeable wear, heck they only have , more or less, 60 hours of usage.
OK, I know the ride will be rougher but so is chaining up the rears.

If you’re changing all 4 you can put a different size on. You’d just have to figure out how many times the front axel turns per turn of the rear axle and then get a pair with the right rolling ratio.

 

[PILOON]

If you’re changing all 4 you can put a different size on. You’d just have to figure out how many times the front axel turns per turn of the rear axle and then get a pair with the right rolling ratio.

I fully understand that but since my fronts are already 12 inches I'd find myself needing what? 10 or 8 inch wheels?
That would make using my FEL rather difficult or near impossible.

As to calculating front/back rolling distances, I've been thru that exercise.
OK, I have found suitable vehicle rears ( but again they were a rare size mainly used on jeeps for rock climbing) and since that sport is not common in my area, simply not to be found.

Since my crappy rears still have near virgin treads I still thing foaming is my answer, if I can find a source to foam them locally.
So far any foaming folks I've contacted simply don't reply to inquiries.
Also I would not wish to need to ship my wheeled tires 1/2 way across the country to have them foamed.

The shame of it is otherwise I have a perfectly reliable, useful CUT that has served me well to date.

 

[LD1]

Actual tire foam is like a urethane rubber compound. Calling it "foam" is misleading and has led people to try and use expanding foam to do small tires.

I suppose it would work if you had access to closed cell foam for smaller tires....but all the stuff in cans is open cell.

And I wouldnt do it on a tractor. Mixed results on small stuff as mentioned, like wheel barrows and carts, but I agree....solid tires are just too cheap and easy to come by