Foam filled tires?

[Maine logger88]

Has anyone ever tried it? The caster wheel on my bell has been troublesome ever since I got it. Every once in awhile it will get knocked off the bead and today I drove a stick through it. I was thinking rather than buy a new tire I'd have that one filled with foam 

[Loghauler86]

We have a Morbark three wheeler with a foam filled castor tire. Yes, it obviously hasn't gone flat but it is rough. If you hit a stump or something you really feel it. I don't know that I'd do it again, that's how bad it is.

[Maine logger88]

Ok that's good to know! I went from 35psi to 50 which helped keep it on the bead and I could definitely tell the difference in the ride with that so foam would probably be back breaking then. I know I cringe now when I stand it on its nose cause I know it's gonna hurt when it comes back down...

[mike_belben]

My bobcat tires are hard foamed but i dont think its any rougher than normal since they run about 80psi.  


Hare scramble racers fill wheels with tennis balls or pool noodles so they can still race on flats.  I wonder if soccer balls would hold up.

[Skeans1]

What about the run flat cushion tires make them for fork lift sizes maybe one will be close enough.

[Riwaka]

Trophy trucks can run bead locks and tire sealant.
Racing Prevent & Repair Flat Tires With Monster Seal Tire Sealant

Defense and Off Road heavy haulers can have bead locks to keep the tire on the wheel rim.
Off-The-Road - OTR Beadlock | Hutchinson Industries | Home | Hutchinson Industries | [url=http://www.hutchinsoninc.com]Home | Hutchinson Industries | www.hutchinsoninc.com[/url]

Bell has made a number of versions of the castor wheel attachment for their machines. If the tire is undersized, it can be a case of modifying the rear of the Bell to take a larger wheel and tire.
Bell two rear castor wheels -Bell 220C

[John Mc]

At one point, I read about someone selling foams of differing stiffness to allow for firmer or softer rides, depending on which you chose. I've never tried it myself, however.

[mike_belben]

Yes, there are different density.  4lb, 8lb and 16lb are the typical 2 part foam products i have seen. 

[Crusarius]

do a search for airless tire. that is probably the best you can get. unfortunately they will collect lots of junk in them.

[nativewolf]

Mich makes the Tweel

https://www.michelintweel.com/

I have foam filled my Case 7130 front tires, needed the weight.  It added 3k pounds to each tire, helped me out in a very specific instance of having to balance this 12k lb mulching head on the pto.  

However, I think I'd try the tweel if you could find one that fits, onen't be cheap but they are neat.

[nativewolf]

Meant to add, we rented a telehandler with Tweel's the other week.  Very nice ride.

[Maine logger88]

Great ideas guys! I just ended up ordering a new tire. Hopefully being a new sidewall and bead it will hold up better than the old one. I would have looked into other options but I have to have it going ASAP. 

[Crusarius]

I typically find the older the tire the more durable it is. Seems once you mount them on something they just keep getting harder.

[ehp]

You cannot keep the beads on my skidsteer tires here in this sand as machine is sunk abit at all times so when you turns the tire comes off the rim and I was running 65 psi, I put tubes in my tires and have not had a problem sense

[mike_belben]

You cant let skid steers leak down at all or theyll fall right off the bead.  I kinda cant believe they dont utilize a safety bead rim.  Nothing scrubs sidewalls like a SSL.  I must have wasted 20 cans of ether over a tire with a slow leak many years ago, it came off constantly.  Winter is the worst for getting tires seated.

[barbender]

I have put many, many hours in skid steers and I can only think of one time I knocked one off the bead. That time I think I had a low tire and didn't notice.

[ehp]

then come here :D, I told Bobcat I wanted new tubes in the tires on my new skidsteer, they said I did not need them as you could not knock the tire off the rim, their truck driver knocked one tire off the rim unloading the new machine , the sand here is bad and very light . You have to watch what your doing just to not get stuck

[JB Griffin]

Local guy got the tail wheel foamed for his bell, had the tire on for two days before he bought a new tire and wheel. :D

[woodmaker]

I have a 530 dresser loader that came from a metal recycling business that has foam filled tires. The tires are all cut up,with cuts through the cords and large bolts sticking out. That machine rides a lot rougher than the other two that have air filled tires. Is is also way slower over the road,although I am not sure if the lack of speed is a tire issue or a converter issue.

[mike_belben]

   i cant imagine what those weigh.  I can barely lift a foamed 16.5 bobcat wheel.