I am being driven nuts by pnuematic jockey wheels going flat and wonder
if anyone has tried the foam filled type as an alternative?

The one I am looking at, has a similar sized tyre to my pnuematic one,
but has a plastic centre/ hub with roller bearings. Are the plastic
ones strong enough?

Harry Bloomfield used his keyboard to write :
I am being driven nuts by pnuematic jockey wheels going flat and wonder if
anyone has tried the foam filled type as an alternative?

The one I am looking at, has a similar sized tyre to my pnuematic one, but
has a plastic centre/ hub with roller bearings. Are the plastic ones strong
enough?

As no one replied and I could not wait longer for comment, I ordered a
puncture proof foam wheel complete, which I fitted this morning. It
seems absolutely fine. I ordered this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3809430156...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
My removed wheel (a replacement) had been fitted with brass spacers on
the axle tube, obviously it had been a bit narrower than the original.
This one at 75mm wide, was a fraction wider, so I had to turn the
spacers down in the lathe. It has slightly less bounce than my
pnuematic wheel had, but certainly much better than a solid tyre over
the pebbles I park on, much less inclined to dig itself in. The plastic
centre seems strong enough for the job.

Hopefully an end to the constant problem of jockey wheels going flat.

On Wed, 10 Aug 2016 11:19:41 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Harry Bloomfield used his keyboard to write :
I am being driven nuts by pnuematic jockey wheels going flat and wonder
if anyone has tried the foam filled type as an alternative?

The one I am looking at, has a similar sized tyre to my pnuematic one,
but has a plastic centre/ hub with roller bearings. Are the plastic
ones strong enough?

As no one replied and I could not wait longer for comment, I ordered a
puncture proof foam wheel complete, which I fitted this morning. It
seems absolutely fine. I ordered this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380943015647?
_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEB IDX%3AIT
My removed wheel (a replacement) had been fitted with brass spacers on
the axle tube, obviously it had been a bit narrower than the original.
This one at 75mm wide, was a fraction wider, so I had to turn the
spacers down in the lathe. It has slightly less bounce than my pnuematic
wheel had, but certainly much better than a solid tyre over the pebbles
I park on, much less inclined to dig itself in. The plastic centre seems
strong enough for the job.

Hopefully an end to the constant problem of jockey wheels going flat.

I guess the lack of reply was due to lack of experience in the product.
Never having had a pneumatic, much less foam filled, jockey wheel tyre on
any 'van I certainly wasn't going to proffer an opinion. I'm interested
to note that you have found that solid tyres dig in - its not something I
can say I've ever noticed but, then again, I've never parked on loose
gravel.

Glad you found a solution that seems to work for you.



--
David

DavidP has brought this to us :
I guess the lack of reply was due to lack of experience in the product.
Never having had a pneumatic, much less foam filled, jockey wheel tyre on
any 'van I certainly wasn't going to proffer an opinion. I'm interested
to note that you have found that solid tyres dig in - its not something I
can say I've ever noticed but, then again, I've never parked on loose
gravel.

Because they have no give, solid wheels tend to dig themselves in on
any soft surface or where there are loose pebbles. It is much more of a
problem when a mover is fitted, because you tend to make more use of
the jockey wheel with a mover.

They are not an ordinary tyre just filled with foam, though they do
look like an normal tyre, apart from lacking a valve. It seems to be a
tyre where the middle contains a foam under pressure, I guess rather
like an Aero chocolate bar. It has give, just like a pnuematic tyre,
but without the risk of it going flat.

I must say I am quite impressed with it so far.

After serious thinking Harry Bloomfield wrote :
DavidP has brought this to us :
I guess the lack of reply was due to lack of experience in the product.
Never having had a pneumatic, much less foam filled, jockey wheel tyre on
any 'van I certainly wasn't going to proffer an opinion. I'm interested
to note that you have found that solid tyres dig in - its not something I
can say I've ever noticed but, then again, I've never parked on loose
gravel.

Because they have no give, solid wheels tend to dig themselves in on any soft
surface or where there are loose pebbles. It is much more of a problem when a
mover is fitted, because you tend to make more use of the jockey wheel with a
mover.

They are not an ordinary tyre just filled with foam, though they do look like
an normal tyre, apart from lacking a valve. It seems to be a tyre where the
middle contains a foam under pressure, I guess rather like an Aero chocolate
bar. It has give, just like a pnuematic tyre, but without the risk of it
going flat.

I must say I am quite impressed with it so far.

Then it went down after two days 8-o

I have been in touch with the ebay seller, sent them some photos and
the seller has not offered any explanation, just offered a refund.

It went down such that had I moved the van, it would have come off the
rim. so back to looking for solutions.

On 12/08/2016 18:34, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
After serious thinking Harry Bloomfield wrote :
DavidP has brought this to us :
I guess the lack of reply was due to lack of experience in the product.
Never having had a pneumatic, much less foam filled, jockey wheel tyre on
any 'van I certainly wasn't going to proffer an opinion. I'm interested
to note that you have found that solid tyres dig in - its not something I
can say I've ever noticed but, then again, I've never parked on loose
gravel.

Because they have no give, solid wheels tend to dig themselves in on any soft
surface or where there are loose pebbles. It is much more of a problem when a
mover is fitted, because you tend to make more use of the jockey wheel with a
mover.

They are not an ordinary tyre just filled with foam, though they do look like
an normal tyre, apart from lacking a valve. It seems to be a tyre where the
middle contains a foam under pressure, I guess rather like an Aero chocolate
bar. It has give, just like a pnuematic tyre, but without the risk of it
going flat.

I must say I am quite impressed with it so far.

Then it went down after two days 8-o

I have been in touch with the ebay seller, sent them some photos and
the seller has not offered any explanation, just offered a refund.

It went down such that had I moved the van, it would have come off the
rim. so back to looking for solutions.

The original, presumably tubed, tyre shouldn't give trouble. After 33+
years mine's still OK apart from cracked tyre rubber which is not an issue.

Have you had the tube out? How did it fail? tube defects, puncture from
debris from rusty rim etc.? If it is one of the more recent oriental
tubes made from 90% recycled plastic expect trouble - get a 'proper'
rubber tube and your problems should be over.

The foam filling should be OK also. It's not a new idea but the one
you've been sold appears to have been less than well executed!

Dougal brought next idea :
The original, presumably tubed, tyre shouldn't give trouble. After 33+
years mine's still OK apart from cracked tyre rubber which is not an issue.

It has rather a frustrating tale behind it....

The original pneumatic tyre had been fine for years, until last April,
when I set off for a site with the jockey wheel still down. I wrecked
the tyre and tube, struggled to site it once there. A guy helpfully
collected a replacement wheel at a massively inflated price from a
dealer. That had a bolted together and very thin poor quality metal
rim, which bent under load and trapped the tube bursting it - that was
a couple of weeks ago.

Reusing my original solid rim - I then bought a puncture kit, but the
patches would not stick at all, tried another kit with the same result.
Ordered a new tube, that tube lasted an hour and the tube split.
Similar happened to a replacement from the same seller. Both were the
correct size, my best guess is that they lacked the proper ability to
stretch. There were obvious weak points in the tube mouldings.

I then ordered the puncture proof tyre and wheel complete, fitted that
which seemed fine, but was then flat two days later. That seller has
agreed to send me a refund.

Today I bought a third puncture kit and again the patches just would
not stick to the prepared tube.

I'm now considering using builders expanding foam, which several seem
to have used for similar tyres.

On 12/08/2016 19:48, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Dougal brought next idea :
The original, presumably tubed, tyre shouldn't give trouble. After 33+
years mine's still OK apart from cracked tyre rubber which is not an issue.

It has rather a frustrating tale behind it....

The original pneumatic tyre had been fine for years, until last April,
when I set off for a site with the jockey wheel still down. I wrecked
the tyre and tube, struggled to site it once there. A guy helpfully
collected a replacement wheel at a massively inflated price from a
dealer. That had a bolted together and very thin poor quality metal
rim, which bent under load and trapped the tube bursting it - that was
a couple of weeks ago.

Reusing my original solid rim - I then bought a puncture kit, but the
patches would not stick at all, tried another kit with the same result.
Ordered a new tube, that tube lasted an hour and the tube split.
Similar happened to a replacement from the same seller. Both were the
correct size, my best guess is that they lacked the proper ability to
stretch. There were obvious weak points in the tube mouldings.

Was this tube obviously 'plasticky' or genuinely 'rubbery'? I've had the
plastic ones and they were full of something equivalent to a cold shut
which leaked and when patched promptly found another weak point. Get a
good quality rubber tube and try that. You may need to use a good local
tyre dealer then you can touch it before paying!

Expanding foam will give you a solid tyre with little 'give' which might
not do what you want depending on the ground conditions that you expect.

I then ordered the puncture proof tyre and wheel complete, fitted that
which seemed fine, but was then flat two days later. That seller has
agreed to send me a refund.

Today I bought a third puncture kit and again the patches just would
not stick to the prepared tube.

I'm now considering using builders expanding foam, which several seem
to have used for similar tyres.

Dougal formulated on Friday :
Was this tube obviously 'plasticky' or genuinely 'rubbery'? I've had the
plastic ones and they were full of something equivalent to a cold shut
which leaked and when patched promptly found another weak point. Get a
good quality rubber tube and try that. You may need to use a good local
tyre dealer then you can touch it before paying!

All three felt plasticky - The one from back in April, the ebay one and
the replacement ebay one.

In article , DavidP
writes
On Wed, 10 Aug 2016 11:19:41 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Harry Bloomfield used his keyboard to write :
I am being driven nuts by pnuematic jockey wheels going flat and wonder
if anyone has tried the foam filled type as an alternative?

The one I am looking at, has a similar sized tyre to my pnuematic one,
but has a plastic centre/ hub with roller bearings. Are the plastic
ones strong enough?

As no one replied and I could not wait longer for comment, I ordered a
puncture proof foam wheel complete, which I fitted this morning. It
seems absolutely fine. I ordered this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380943015647?
_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AME BIDX%3AIT
My removed wheel (a replacement) had been fitted with brass spacers on
the axle tube, obviously it had been a bit narrower than the original.
This one at 75mm wide, was a fraction wider, so I had to turn the
spacers down in the lathe. It has slightly less bounce than my pnuematic
wheel had, but certainly much better than a solid tyre over the pebbles
I park on, much less inclined to dig itself in. The plastic centre seems
strong enough for the job.

Hopefully an end to the constant problem of jockey wheels going flat.

I guess the lack of reply was due to lack of experience in the product.
Never having had a pneumatic, much less foam filled, jockey wheel tyre on
any 'van I certainly wasn't going to proffer an opinion. I'm interested
to note that you have found that solid tyres dig in - its not something I
can say I've ever noticed but, then again, I've never parked on loose
gravel.

Glad you found a solution that seems to work for you.



+1
--
bert