Tire Foam

Steve in IL · May 11, 2021

Any recommendations on tire foam for a 3 pt finish mower? It
rides on 4 gauge wheels (tubeless 4.10-4NHS), and the rear 2
always seem to be going flat.

old · May 11, 2021

Biggest problem with foam in tires on that would be the fact it would tend to cut uneven in rough areas due to the sort of jumping due to having hard tires. Me I would tube them and then slime them. That would pretty much end the flat tire problem or maybe just slime them as is

BarnyardEngineering · May 11, 2021

I tried to fill some tires with spray foam. It did not work at all. Even though I filled the tires with foam and plugged the holes, when I came out the next morning, the foam had blown out all the plugs, and there was not a drop of foam inside the tire. Not a single drop, no trace of foam ever having been inside. The tires were clean as a whistle inside, and if not for the foam being stuck all over the outside, could have been reused with tubes.

It's hard to find decent tubes in that size tire. They're all made in China and love to split at the seams.

Maybe look for a solid or flat-free tire that size? Having the tires filled by a professional tire foaming outfit will cost more than multiple new replacement tires, and will only work until the rubber wears off.

Steve@Advance · May 11, 2021

You can buy flat free tire/wheel assemblies that size, but not sure the wheel would be heavy enough.

They are not very expensive, maybe you could modify the center, beef it up. Would have to be bolted, not welded.

I've done that on the fronts of 2 zero turn mowers, thin cheap wheels from Northern Tool, and they held up beyond my expectations!

Or have them foam filled if you could find a shop willing to work with something that small.

Home remedies don't work.

DeltaSteve · May 11, 2021

Get some 'flat proof' steel wheels.I use zteel gage wheels on my three point implements. havent had a flat in years....

fusion1 · May 11, 2021

Put a tube in it
foam is messy and not a good idea

redtom · May 11, 2021

The foam I am familiar with is used in industrial tires like forklifts and loaders in scrap yards. To me, its not really foam at all. It is a liquid that they pump in and it cures to a consistency like hardened RTV sealant...maybe a bit squishier. It lasts forever and there is no mess involved. It does add weight and costs a little to have it done. But, in areas where flats are an issue its a lifesaver.

Blackhole49 · May 12, 2021

When I bought this mower new for the City I worked for, I got it with solid tires to prevent numerous flats the seasonal help kept having. After one season, the mechanic put pneumatic tires on it because the non air tires were too hard on the rest of the mower. When we replaced this mower, I was impressed enough with it to bid on it and bring it home. You don't say what is causing the flats, but I would try to figure out a way to minimize them with regular tires.

BarnyardEngineering · May 12, 2021

The biggest reason for flats on tires this size are the garbage tubes. They're not rubber. They're some sort of injection molded plastic, and they split wide open on the parting lines.

Jim.ME · May 12, 2021

"Foam" used in tires is not the same as the aerosol foam one gets at the hardware store which is used for sealing and insulation. As redtom posted it is a liquid. The polyurethane liquid is composed of two parts and after it is pumped into the tire, to displace all the air, it cures into a solid elastomer.

Removal of a filled tire requires cutting it off and a lot of cleaning to salvage the rim, if it is salvaged. This is one reason filling is generally recommended for new tires only.

Tire Foam

Steve in IL

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old

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BarnyardEngineering

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Steve@Advance

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DeltaSteve

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fusion1

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redtom

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Blackhole49

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BarnyardEngineering

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Jim.ME

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