ZnsaneRyder
Member
- Local time
- 2:30 PM
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2008
- Messages
- 805
Those fake rubber Harbor Freight air tires stink, as I've burned up 5 pairs (that's right 10 tires) of those tires before going to air-free. THAT was the very reason I went to airless tires. I got maybe 50-80 miles out of a pair before they'd wear through the cloth ply and pop the tubes!
If you get the real thick rubber sawtooth Cheng-Shin or similar handtruck tires (not the HF fake rubber ones) they will last. I have an extra set of those still. Also you can get 10-inch Turf-Saver lawnmower type tires in some places.
Nobody has tried the Marathon flat-free foam tires yet? They are only $25 each at Home Depot. I have well over 2000+ on them, treads are worn off, and they are still good. The foam is the same all the way through, they are just coated to look shiny, and the foam is very tough. I went to St Pete on those tires before. My tires are really bald now too, but they rode better the more they wore down. My brother's 15" Amerityre has ~250 miles on it, and is not very worn at all.
By the video, your foam tire had more life on it, you are supposed to be able to wear them down a whole lot compared to an air tire. However, it shows they are not made with the same quality foam of the Marathon or Amerityre ones. I never had any chunks rip out of my tire. There are several different grades of foam. The Marathon are tough, but soft, and the Amerityre are very hard and tough foam.
It's good you sold the trailer, as it's up to the new owner to keep up tire maintenance. At least 10 inch tires are a dime a dozen.
I've bought enough 10 inch tires on my old trailer now, and seen enough other tires to conclude this:
Air Tires:
Carlisle or Cheng-Shin Rubber Handtruck tires - Good
Harbor Freight Rubber - VERY BAD
Foam Tires:
Marathon or Amerityre - good for many miles
Tractor Supply version - lasts longer than HF air tires, but not longer than the other flat-free
To answer some questions you have about how the 15" tire on my brother's trailer was mounted, it was ghetto, but it works. Two 1/4" holes were drilled in each side of the hub on the rim. Two holes drilled in the axle, so the bolts in the rim-hub will go through the axle like lock pins. I use stainless steel bolts, but you have to replace a bolt every so often after many miles. The Sprocket turns the axle, the axle turns the rim because of the bolts. That's also how my old trailer turned my 10 inch tires. If I could find a Keyed-Hub to fit the rim, I'd change the setup, but it seems to work fine.
As far as the 13-inch air pocketbike tire on my new trailer - It's doing ok, but it's nearly bald already, and I had to patch a hole, but it's fine now. This tire has thick sidewalls, and it will ride ok while completely flat. I'm already looking for another tire for when this one wears out. I wish I had a foam tire instead, I hate putting air in tires and fixing leaks.
If you get the real thick rubber sawtooth Cheng-Shin or similar handtruck tires (not the HF fake rubber ones) they will last. I have an extra set of those still. Also you can get 10-inch Turf-Saver lawnmower type tires in some places.
Nobody has tried the Marathon flat-free foam tires yet? They are only $25 each at Home Depot. I have well over 2000+ on them, treads are worn off, and they are still good. The foam is the same all the way through, they are just coated to look shiny, and the foam is very tough. I went to St Pete on those tires before. My tires are really bald now too, but they rode better the more they wore down. My brother's 15" Amerityre has ~250 miles on it, and is not very worn at all.
By the video, your foam tire had more life on it, you are supposed to be able to wear them down a whole lot compared to an air tire. However, it shows they are not made with the same quality foam of the Marathon or Amerityre ones. I never had any chunks rip out of my tire. There are several different grades of foam. The Marathon are tough, but soft, and the Amerityre are very hard and tough foam.
It's good you sold the trailer, as it's up to the new owner to keep up tire maintenance. At least 10 inch tires are a dime a dozen.
I've bought enough 10 inch tires on my old trailer now, and seen enough other tires to conclude this:
Air Tires:
Carlisle or Cheng-Shin Rubber Handtruck tires - Good
Harbor Freight Rubber - VERY BAD
Foam Tires:
Marathon or Amerityre - good for many miles
Tractor Supply version - lasts longer than HF air tires, but not longer than the other flat-free
To answer some questions you have about how the 15" tire on my brother's trailer was mounted, it was ghetto, but it works. Two 1/4" holes were drilled in each side of the hub on the rim. Two holes drilled in the axle, so the bolts in the rim-hub will go through the axle like lock pins. I use stainless steel bolts, but you have to replace a bolt every so often after many miles. The Sprocket turns the axle, the axle turns the rim because of the bolts. That's also how my old trailer turned my 10 inch tires. If I could find a Keyed-Hub to fit the rim, I'd change the setup, but it seems to work fine.
As far as the 13-inch air pocketbike tire on my new trailer - It's doing ok, but it's nearly bald already, and I had to patch a hole, but it's fine now. This tire has thick sidewalls, and it will ride ok while completely flat. I'm already looking for another tire for when this one wears out. I wish I had a foam tire instead, I hate putting air in tires and fixing leaks.
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