Thread: DIY Run flat trolley wheels.

At least if the foam solution doesn't work you still have what your thread stated.

Well, After letting it cure for a week, I put some weight on the trolley, and was disappointed to see that the tyres were still soft, not as soft as dead flat, more like under inflated.

So, I'm calling it a failure, maybe a 2 pack flexible polyurethane would work? But the Selleys space invader is not the answer.

Now I can order some run flat wheels from eBay with a clear conscience...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321428284...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

To make it worthwhile persevering, the cost per wheel of the foam would need to be less than the ebay price.

Why not fill up the tubes with water?

Originally Posted by Black Ned

Why not fill up the tubes with water?

Probably because I didn't think of it? Have you done it?

There is a solution but I do not know of the cost or how you would go about it for a trolley.

No doubt you have seen boom lifts (or cheery picker) at work, often a building site. They all have four wheels - which are in fact solid. If you get the chance to have a close look you will likely find that the tread will have a few bolts in it to indicate that it is filled with a foam and not air filled.
Now where you can get this done for a trolley or the cost I can not help you, but it can be done, certainly on a bigger scale.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

There is a solution but I do not know of the cost or how you would go about it for a trolley.

No doubt you have seen boom lifts (or cheery picker) at work, often a building site. They all have four wheels - which are in fact solid. If you get the chance to have a close look you will likely find that the tread will have a few bolts in it to indicate that it is filled with a foam and not air filled.
Now where you can get this done for a trolley or the cost I can not help you, but it can be done, certainly on a bigger scale.

The ones I have seen are solid rubber like a lot of fork lift tyres.

You can buy a huge range of casting silicon of varying hardness. Apparently popular for producing body moulds of pregnant women, so I was told when I was looking in to it. Not even sure why I was looking now.

Originally Posted by RayG

Well, After letting it cure for a week, I put some weight on the trolley, and was disappointed to see that the tyres were still soft, not as soft as dead flat, more like under inflated.

So, I'm calling it a failure, maybe a 2 pack flexible polyurethane would work? But the Selleys space invader is not the answer.

Now I can order some run flat wheels from eBay with a clear conscience...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321428284...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

To make it worthwhile persevering, the cost per wheel of the foam would need to be less than the ebay price.

These appear to be 6inch rims. The ones I got for $9 were 4inch rims and took a 5/8inch axle, with the same type of bearing.

Dean

Originally Posted by Black Ned

Why not fill up the tubes with water?

Water isn't compressable like air. The result would be like solid wheels.

Jordan

Off-road bike racers, particularly enduro racers , use what they call a 'mousse' instead of a tube. It is a fairly hard foam type stuff which is in at least some brands a straight round section. The ends butt up to each other when installed in a tyre and they are trimmed to size of the tyre at an angle. If you google 'tyre mousse', there, is a lot of info, including in the pictures. They are not cheap and are available in a lot of different configurations.
My son has used them for several years now and swears by them. Hasn't had a flat tyre or used a tue since his first set. They do wear out though due to heat cycling at higher speeds (not much of an issue on trolley wheels I think). Maybe a motorcrosser will give you a used one to play with in the trolley wheels?

Originally Posted by jhovel

Hasn't had a flat tyre

Joe, how can you have a flat tyre if there is nothing to leak out

But RayG had half flat tyres which were filled with part set foam. And there was no leakage.

Ken

Originally Posted by eskimo

Joe, how can you have a flat tyre if there is nothing to leak out

Mousse could leak out.

Dean

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

The ones I have seen are solid rubber like a lot of fork lift tyres.

Originally Posted by Handyjack

No doubt you have seen boom lifts (or cheery picker) at work, often a building site. They all have four wheels - which are in fact solid. If you get the chance to have a close look you will likely find that the tread will have a few bolts in it to indicate that it is filled with a foam and not air filled.

What Jack says is correct. At least for JLG.

Mentions it here, right on page one. "Urethane filled, puncture proof lug tyres".

https://www.jlg.com/-/media/jlg/curr...boom-flyer.pdf

Urethane filled wheels, and they have a bolt in them. M8. I had my hind chewed at a customer for taking to it with an 8 inch shifter / 13mm socket, thinking it was a bolt that a wheel picked up and was about to become a puncture.

That's how they come with a bolt in the wheel circumference / face. They do look like solid tyres. But they have been injected.

Never worked this one out. Those 2 bolts have to wear down at the same rate as the rubber. And what they would do on a pretty epoxied floor.

Phil.

Hi Ray_G
I had a similar problem with some trolley wheels. We have seven of these units with three wheels on each,two 16" dia and one 8" they have around 100kgs permanently mounted on them. They was a constant supply of flat and half flat wheels. A close inspection showed that the tubes are paper thin. I brought a supply of these heavy duty tube from this guy
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-of-Whee...item35edec41af
Over the last 3 months far I have fitted four tubes and no issues, I intend to buy some more. Good luck on getting your tyres off the rims and cleaning up that foam, I think petrol will dissolve a fair bit of it.
Bob

Originally Posted by krisfarm

Hi Ray_G
I had a similar problem with some trolley wheels. We have seven of these units with three wheels on each,two 16" dia and one 8" they have around 100kgs permanently mounted on them. They was a constant supply of flat and half flat wheels. A close inspection showed that the tubes are paper thin. I brought a supply of these heavy duty tube from this guy
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-of-Whee...item35edec41af
Over the last 3 months far I have fitted four tubes and no issues, I intend to buy some more. Good luck on getting your tyres off the rims and cleaning up that foam, I think petrol will dissolve a fair bit of it.
Bob

Better tubes, that's probably the best solution in the long run. However, I've already gone and bought the flat free ones off ebay, so we will see how that goes.

Originally Posted by Machtool

What Jack says is correct. At least for JLG.

Mentions it here, right on page one. "Urethane filled, puncture proof lug tyres".

https://www.jlg.com/-/media/jlg/curr...boom-flyer.pdf

Urethane filled wheels, and they have a bolt in them. M8. I had my hind chewed at a customer for taking to it with an 8 inch shifter / 13mm socket, thinking it was a bolt that a wheel picked up and was about to become a puncture.

That's how they come with a bolt in the wheel circumference / face. They do look like solid tyres. But they have been injected.

Never worked this one out. Those 2 bolts have to wear down at the same rate as the rubber. And what they would do on a pretty epoxied floor.

Phil.

Thanks Phil, it looks like the foam filled idea does work if you get the right stuff. No idea about the bolts... I wonder why they do that.


Regards
Ray