MTFCA Forum

Hello. I have a 1915 touring that I purchased last August and have been enjoying the car and go for daily drives. The gentleman I bought it from told me I would never have to worry about the tires because they are foam filled. Well it has a set of nice Coker clenchers on it and they stay up but the ride like steel wheels. I have the painted demountable wood spoke with fellow wheels. I ordered a set of Firestone's with flaps and new tubes. My question is, Has anybody out there ever dealt with foam filled tires? Is the foam contained in the inner tube? Can I salvage the old tires or will I have to cut them off? Thanks, bobt

I ran a set for several thousand miles. The ones I had ran pretty good. I would do it again if the price had not gone way up. The tube is filled with foam. No, you cannot save the tires. Take a Sawzall to them to get them off.

+1 on using a sawzall to remove them. Remove the tube valve core just to be sure they are actually foam filled. Then be careful NOT to hit the rims when you saw. I might or might not have to cut them twice to get the off of the rim. They may be too stiff to get off with just one cut. Hopefully, you'll get lucky and one cut will work just fine. The good thing about foam filled tubes; you don't have to clean foam off of the rim before you can put your new tires on.

Good Luck,
Terry

And just when I thought I'd seen or heard everything...

It’s a popular approach to forklift tires!!

I have heard that sometimes car museum displays use foam filled tires to cut out the maintenance issue of keeping tires full of air.

I am up for it where to you call?

Back in the day, just go to your local auto parts supplier.

Pack 'em in.




Today, do it your self, grab some foam swim noodle floats and cut them up and stuff.

Be careful if you are thinking about doing this.
1. At one time was not approved for on road use. Do not know now.
2. If who ever does this does not get 100% of the air out of tire, there will be “air pockets” where no foam is. This will let the tire come apart and destroy it self. Removing the air was done by sticking a big needle in the tire sidewall so air could escape. Not sure how done now.
Hope this helped. Dan

Might not be a bad idea for that spare tire that always seems to be low on air when you need it.

Dan

Just checked DOT and rules don’t forbid foam specifically, but guidance says materials other than air could be against rule if these materials affect tire performance. Maybe too an insurance liability issue to use anything other than what the pneumatic tire mfg. recommends.

I have a set of Stranger wire wheels that came off a T that was used for mail delivery. The tires were solid rubber without the normal holes going horizontal like sometime seen on ton trucks, looked like normal tires. I took them off with a sawzall and it took a LONG time!

This last fall I grabbed the wheelbarrow and as always the tire was flat. I pulled the tube out and drilled ,4 holes right in the center of the tread. 2 cans of expanding foam made a mess but it won't go flat again!

Tim Moore

Spranger wheels, auto-correct on phone.

Tim Moore wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:13 pm

This last fall I grabbed the wheelbarrow and as always the tire was flat. I pulled the tube out and drilled ,4 holes right in the center of the tread. 2 cans of expanding foam made a mess but it won't go flat again!

Tim Moore

That is a great idea. Can it actually haul the amount of weight it is rated for, or does it squish down and then the tire is loose on the rim and foam?

And yet another really bad idea grows legs and takes off...

Scott_Conger wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 10, 2020 10:51 am

And yet another really bad idea grows legs and takes off...

For use on my wheelbarrow? I wouldn't do it on a car.

So far no trouble. I just push it around the yard so don't expect the foam to break down soon. Actually that expanding foam gets hard. When I first did this I figured it didn't work I would go to harbor freight and buy a solid tire. For some reason my wheelbarrow tires have never held air.

certainly not on a wheelbarrow, no.