Solidify launching trolley wheels ?

simonfraser said:
Two flat tyres, could replace them, but just fill them up with a can of expanding foam ?
Or would that not be durable enough ?

Anyone tried it ?


p.s. bought some solid wheels / tyre combo, they don't fit of course agh :(
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Id think new inner tubes would be the way to go if the covers are serviceable ........ maybe just new valve cores ??

Cans of foam require moisture so may not expand properly in an enclosed dry space

Even with sufficeint moisture how would you judge how much foam to inject ?

I think you might need to vent the air off or you could end up with a tyre that is soft in one spot.
 
I've seen it tried.
Messy and ineffective.

That's the people who tried it.

I think the foam in cans is too rigid, so will crush rather than spread the weight, unless it's a very light boat and trolley.
I recently bought some inner tubes on eBay, they came from a seller called something like 'wedding extras', which might be more suitable as a Lounge topic?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230884334257?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

You can also get new wheels quite cheaply.
 
There used to be a product called Finilec, a foam get-you-home tyre fixer for motorcycles which sort of worked (but made a horrible mess in your luggage if you fell off and broke the can...guess how I know). Loading on a boat trailer's tyres is probably a bit higher, though.

Longer term, the trouble with foam 'tubes' is that they deform under normal rolling loadings and in doing so generate heat. Eventually the foam will disintegrate.
 
You can get solid all plastic wheelbarrow wheels now which would be fine for launching wheels. I intend to get them for my inflatabubble when the present tyres finally give up the ghost.
 
Expanding "builders'" foam (as has been said) won't work. There are many tyre fixing latex foams and fluids that are sold as puncture repair kits and they can work, but you usually need to drive about 20 miles to cure the foam and (more importantly) distribute it evenly round the inside of the tyre). One problem is, however, when you come to take the tyre off the rim at some future point - especially in a very small wheel. Usually when used in a car tyre, the stuff only really forms a skin round the inside of the tyre carcass. Whether or not it would work if you completely filled a tyre with it I don't know, but getting it off the rim afterwards would be interesting!
 
Pneumatic tyres roll MUCH better than solid ones on uneven or difficult surfaces such as shingle. And trolley wheels are not very expensive, and it only takes a moment to put in a few more psi, and you don't need to do it very often.

They don't last for ever - possibly about 10 - 15 years typically - and sometimes explode with a surprisingly loud report.

Usually it's the cover that goes, but you might as well buy a complete wheel as it won't cost much more.
 
You can get a pair of wheels on e bay for under £15 but make sure from experience you dont get the ones with mild steel bearing inserts!
 
OP and posters have not mentioned the buoyancy aspect of tyres. Any time I have used a launching trolley I have been frustrated by the trolley wanting to float when you want it down on the sand. So solid tyres would be a better deal I imagine. olewill
 
solid wheels are harder to pull

Rigger Mortice said:
You can get solid all plastic wheelbarrow wheels now which would be fine for launching wheels. I intend to get them for my inflatabubble when the present tyres finally give up the ghost.
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I got some 'Greentyre' wheels from B and Q for my launching trolley. They have standard plastic rims - even to the inflator valve hole - and green foam plastic tyres. They support the dinghy OK and don't get flat patches when left to stand, but the trolley is definitely harder to pull over the shingle. I would recommend sticking to inflatables for serious use.

Neil
 
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