Dinghy Wheels - Inner Tube

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nigel1

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Just found both wheels wont stay inflated, and in both cases, the inflation tube (bit which contains the valve) have pin holes in them.
Bit of research provided the cause of the problem, the inflation tubes are made of brass, which does not react well to sea water.

Does anyone know of a manufacturer of inner tubes who makes them with a stainless steel inflation tube, or other non corroding material?
The wheels in question are 3.00 - 4 (260 x 85)

Cheers
Nigel
 
nigel1 said:
Just found both wheels wont stay inflated, and in both cases, the inflation tube (bit which contains the valve) have pin holes in them.
Bit of research provided the cause of the problem, the inflation tubes are made of brass, which does not react well to sea water.

Does anyone know of a manufacturer of inner tubes who makes them with a stainless steel inflation tube, or other non corroding material?
The wheels in question are 3.00 - 4 (260 x 85)

Cheers
Nigel
Click to expand...
I gave up with inner tubes due to issues including punctures. I fitted solid tyres and have never looked back, they are still quite flexible and do not deflate! I cannot recall where I got them ebay probably.
 
nigel1 said:
Can you recommend a make, suitgable for 20mm axle

Cheers
Click to expand...

Is it 20mm? 27mm would be more typical for a dinghy. Do you have a kayak trolley or similar?

...and I don't have a brand in mind, I got mine second hand. Sorry!
 

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After inumerable punctures...Final straw for me was an exploded tyre, due to a very hot sun...no bodging fixes that.


however, Caution re solid wheels...which are widely available from specialist racing dinghy chandlers...

Bought them. NOT CHEAP!

I found that when hauling over a soft sand beach they tend to dig in very readily, much worse than even slightly wider inflated tyres.
Consequently i had to go back to inflated tyres on my launch trolley. Just couldn't get my singlehander up the beach without launch trolley bogging down.

Still have the solid wheels here somewhere (blue I recall?). Interested? I could look, but recall that they are quite heavy?

Cure?
I bought a job lot of wheelbarrow inner tubes (cheap) and greased them up with silicon grease, as a slight improvement....but not perfect. Changed them most winters...

Depends where you launch?
 
Maybe consider the "mousse" inserts which one gets for off road bikes and mountain bikes.
The dimension might be a problem but I am sure one can make a plan as long as the "thickness" (width and height of tyre) of the ring is suitable.
Cut it skew, make the ring smaller and glue it with a suitable cement like epoxy - depending on the material of the mousse.
Fair winds, G.
 
Last edited:
Arrived in Bangor NI at midday today.
Tried the chandler for inner tubes, no luck, they offered replacement wheels, but the hole for the axle is way to big.
Tried all the local tyre supplier, nothing.
Tried a mobility shop (these tyres are used on some mobility no luck there either.

Decided to remove the inner tubes and see if any sort of bodge fix could be done. What I initially throught was pin prick holes in the brass tubes turned out to be air leaking past the tube where it had been pressed into the inner tube. Looks like some sort of adhesive/sealent had been used which had broken down.
One tube fell out when I remoived the inner tube.

Mixed up some epoxy, coated the brass tube and pressed it back in, and made a sort of epoxy bandage to wrap around the junction of inner tube and brass tube.
Touch wood, it has worked, although I have not inflated to full pressure which is 30 PSI, 20 PSI seems OK.

Hopefully this will last for the next 3 weeks.
 
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