Foam does work pretty good but not great stuff. A/B HD foam works perfect. The kind Coast guard approves for mounting 1000 gallon fuel tanks in boats. Granted it’s high dollar you can still get it at any boat repair shop. Thanks for the video! I didn’t even attempt the great stuff after seeing all the fails.
I did this twice on my lawn trailer tires and wasted 2 cans of Great Stuff trying this. The foam never expanded or solidified. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that the product needs MOISTURE to work properly. On my third attempt, I injected about 2 ounces of water into each tire, spun the tires to distribute the water evenly, and then re-injeccted them with Great Stuff. This worked out very well and gave me great results! The manufacturer was adamant, however, that THIS IS NOT AN APPROVED USE OF THEIR PRODUCT.
Not sure, but the probable reason they failed so completely was that wheelbarrow/garden cart tires are not rated for use on pavement at any speed faster than an average riding lawnmower will atain. The sidewalls and the treadbase probably expanded and heated as well as the foam inside plus with the holes drilled into the tire carcass, they were already compromised. You might try the experiment again over time and only moving the cart on turf (or at least minimal time /speed/distance on pavement and gravel).
I simply filled at the bead and did not drill holes. I then used a ratchet strap to mount the bead while the foam expanded and released the strap an hour or so later and by morning it was rock hard. This was a rather large front tire on our zero turn mower. Been running it all season flawlessly. Btw I used window and door cause that's what I had. I think the holes are a mistake personally.
I appreciate the comment fiskfarm -- impressive results for almost an entire season! Here's some additional testing: ua-cam.com/video/88ZYnSid3g4/v-deo.html
I think it was the heat. Road tires get hot. Also, foam becomes brittle and crumbles under pressure, after it fully dries. Maybe stay with garden cart tires and similar.
So each tire is actually carrying half the total weight, 175 lbs each. Spray foam probably has a structural rigidity somewhere between 50 and 100 lbs depending and density inside the tire, this hack may be better suited to units like pressure washers, garden carts and wheelbarrows not used for cement or rock ?
I had already thought of using expanding foam fix my 4 wheel garden cart. Thanks for showing me how to do it and what to expect. Only diff is that mine have inner tubes. And no, the wheels are not worth getting new rubber for. Just want a few more seasons out of the wagon.
It really depends on application and weight to size ratio. Folks seem tot think its a long term magic bullet - but if you use the foam with the realization that its a mid-term way to prolong getting new tires for a season or two I think it can be a solution to consider. Best of luck!
If you have an inner tube remove the core from the valve and have it above half way and I recommend the loctite high density foam. Give it a good fill and when you’re done quickly put the core back
I am curious to know more on your testing method. Foam filled tires have problems dissipating heat. What may work on a wheel barrow may not work on a trailer Long term durability on a Wheelbarrow would be of interest to me.
I just filled my electric scooter 11 inch rear tire with expanding foam (front still filled with air), its seems to hold my weight when standing on the scooter, tomorrow i will try it in real life and see if i can ride it.
@@GanderFlight Well it lasted about 15 Km, the handling was pretty bad, i reached about 60 Km/h, the battery consumption was alot worse too, not recommended and the mess that made was horrible.
I foam fill tires for a living, I really don't see spray foam working because it doesn't flex. Also, for a tire that size(I'm guessing 4.80-8) it's probably about $26-$30, however, it does add weight and they'd weigh around 8 pounds apiece
@@GanderFlight I work for McCarthy tire in wilkes barre, PA. I fill everything from 3" tires all the way up to 29.5-25's. The system I use is Tyrfill, we also do recycled foam fill which is almost half the cost of virgin fill and we grind up old foam and it's mixed with virgin 60/40
First of all,drill the holes in the tread. Second,as the foam expands screw the appropriate size lag bolt into each hole. The foam will expand in the tire if you plug the holes. Screw the lag bolts flush with the tread.
The experiment should be re done under new conditions. It has very good merit but perhaps wasn’t fully thought out. 1, I wouldn’t drill the tire at all. If anything I would’ve drilled an additional valve stem removing both valves. For 2 reasons first to allow air to escape and allow foam to expand only inside the tire. Second keep tire integrity. However your comments at the end gave me perhaps a better idea. Put an inner tube into the modified 2 valve stem wheel fill inner tube with foam to about 60/75% ( best guess ) then fill the tire with the softer sticky foam between the tire and tube. This could give you the cushion feel similar to air. Of course could try a modified run flat system. Build a jig fill inner tube with big gap foam to smaller tire dimension. Cut off valve stem place in good tire set pneumatic pressure as normal this may work as a run flat tire
I don't think you put as many holes on the first wheel . But it doesn't matter now knowing that the foam will breakdown over time or much weight. Good experiment though
@@GanderFlight I got Foam Pipe Wrap in the front tire of my Mountain bike now, the tire was so tight going on that I needed 2 tire installation tools to get the tire up where I needed to pop the tire on the rim with my hand, but I broke both tools trying to get the tire off the rim, no idea how it works yet, I just threw the tire back on the bike, I need to get all the spray foam off the outside of the rim, the spray foam's rubbing against my brake pad, for a 26" tire, you'll need an extra pipe wrap, to cut pieces off of to fill in the gap at the ends of the wrap, to get all the way around the rim & tire .
@@GanderFlight Try Filling a Bike tire that's got a max psi rating for 65 PSI with a Foam pipe wrap insulation & filling the hole for a pipe in the insulation with Steel Cable, if you can use coated cable, that'd probably go in better, but could try a 1/2" cable, as long as you fill up the 1/2" hole in the insulation with cable, you should be good, but do some testing with those methods, compared to each other & against an inner tube full of air & a foam pipe insulation wrap filled with an inner tube with enough air to add pressure to the foam, shouldn't need much, to get the tire equal to 65 PSI, the inner tube inside the foam wrap insulation should be about 35 PSI, to get the same hardness on the tire as full PSI. the foam wrap insulation should protect the tire from abrasion from the cable, add cushioning & all that stuff, but I think it's worth a shot, it'd be a pretty interesting video to see, I think.
@@GanderFlight I'm not putting an inner tube in my tires, I'm filling the pipe insulation with steel cable to stiffen the tire more, so I get equal to 65 PSI, instead of 35 PSI
You really don't understand that yard tires are not made for over the road at 30mph. The friction of the road causes heat to build up and break down the foam. They are made for 2-5 mph with weights of max 250lbs. on grass for short distances.
You’re correct- this test was largely unfair, although I didn’t go 30mph. However, Ive got a riding mower and another trailer that I’m testing right now for the next few months. The rider has a front tire and rear tire filled with foam and both tires on the trailer are as well. Keep a lookout closer to summer with my long term results! Thanks for taking the time to comment Sean!
Professional foam fillers put one hole in the top of the tread with tire vertical, fill from the valve stem down low and screw a bolt into the one hole so nothing escapes. Of course they are using a two part commercial grade foam that really really works. I have a brand new set of front tires on the front of my lazer z 60 and I am so disgusted. I just got the rims to stop leaking today with some bead sealer but the tire that my dog always grabs when I turn the blades on has 2 plugs in the side wall already and needs 5 more plugs. I thought about grabbing a can of the big gap filler as a last ditch effort to save the tire. That or a tube. A tube cost as much as a tire now days though. These tires are so cheaply made its ridiculous. It should not be so easy for a dog to destroy and puncture them. I'm sick and tired of pumping up mower tires and finishing with half flat tires. Sorry for the rant! 😀
Next time ask... that could save you alot of time and 💰 🤑 💸..... o would work great for like an air compresor, small wheel barrel, dolley, torpedo heater, etc nothing over 75lbs
Not having a basic understanding of all the possible variables involved in any type experiment/test that you conduct, not only teaches you nothing, but also moves your channel into the comedy category.
Watch all the spray foam testing here: ua-cam.com/video/KnpHSMAvPPc/v-deo.html
Foam does work pretty good but not great stuff. A/B HD foam works perfect. The kind Coast guard approves for mounting 1000 gallon fuel tanks in boats. Granted it’s high dollar you can still get it at any boat repair shop. Thanks for the video! I didn’t even attempt the great stuff after seeing all the fails.
Good to see ur failers as well as ur passes in projects
Thanks man!
@@GanderFlight not a problem at all
I did this twice on my lawn trailer tires and wasted 2 cans of Great Stuff trying this. The foam never expanded or solidified. I contacted the manufacturer and was told that the product needs MOISTURE to work properly. On my third attempt, I injected about 2 ounces of water into each tire, spun the tires to distribute the water evenly, and then re-injeccted them with Great Stuff. This worked out very well and gave me great results! The manufacturer was adamant, however, that THIS IS NOT AN APPROVED USE OF THEIR PRODUCT.
Yupp definitely needs the moisture. You might find this additional testing interesting: ua-cam.com/video/88ZYnSid3g4/v-deo.htmlsi=XwK4svlZph22h6Oz
Not sure, but the probable reason they failed so completely was that wheelbarrow/garden cart tires are not rated for use on pavement at any speed faster than an average riding lawnmower will atain. The sidewalls and the treadbase probably expanded and heated as well as the foam inside plus with the holes drilled into the tire carcass, they were already compromised. You might try the experiment again over time and only moving the cart on turf (or at least minimal time /speed/distance on pavement and gravel).
Great points.
Awesome video and test.
Thank you!
I simply filled at the bead and did not drill holes. I then used a ratchet strap to mount the bead while the foam expanded and released the strap an hour or so later and by morning it was rock hard. This was a rather large front tire on our zero turn mower. Been running it all season flawlessly. Btw I used window and door cause that's what I had. I think the holes are a mistake personally.
I appreciate the comment fiskfarm -- impressive results for almost an entire season! Here's some additional testing: ua-cam.com/video/88ZYnSid3g4/v-deo.html
How long did it cure for
I think it was the heat. Road tires get hot.
Also, foam becomes brittle and crumbles under pressure, after it fully dries.
Maybe stay with garden cart tires and similar.
Yeah just doesn't hold up to heavy use. Here's some additional testing: ua-cam.com/video/88ZYnSid3g4/v-deo.html
So each tire is actually carrying half the total weight, 175 lbs each. Spray foam probably has a structural rigidity somewhere between 50 and 100 lbs depending and density inside the tire, this hack may be better suited to units like pressure washers, garden carts and wheelbarrows not used for cement or rock ?
Agreed. I think its definitely a volume of foam to mass ratio - and this was too much.
I had already thought of using expanding foam fix my 4 wheel garden cart. Thanks for showing me how to do it and what to expect. Only diff is that mine have inner tubes. And no, the wheels are not worth getting new rubber for. Just want a few more seasons out of the wagon.
It really depends on application and weight to size ratio. Folks seem tot think its a long term magic bullet - but if you use the foam with the realization that its a mid-term way to prolong getting new tires for a season or two I think it can be a solution to consider. Best of luck!
If you have an inner tube remove the core from the valve and have it above half way and I recommend the loctite high density foam. Give it a good fill and when you’re done quickly put the core back
I am curious to know more on your testing method. Foam filled tires have problems dissipating heat. What may work on a wheel barrow may not work on a trailer Long term durability on a Wheelbarrow would be of interest to me.
I'm starting to do some long term testing and will hopefully have a new video out this summer on it!
I just filled my electric scooter 11 inch rear tire with expanding foam (front still filled with air), its seems to hold my weight when standing on the scooter, tomorrow i will try it in real life and see if i can ride it.
I'd guess that it won't last too long - keep us updated!
@@GanderFlight Well it lasted about 15 Km, the handling was pretty bad, i reached about 60 Km/h, the battery consumption was alot worse too, not recommended and the mess that made was horrible.
Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure! Here's some additional testing: ua-cam.com/video/88ZYnSid3g4/v-deo.html
Seemed like a fair test. That cart is rated at 350 - 400 Lbs and each tire/wheel is rated at 300 lbs so your load was within the rated capacities.
I'm guessing though that it would have popped pneumatic tires too - maybe I'll try it again someday and see :0
I foam fill tires for a living, I really don't see spray foam working because it doesn't flex. Also, for a tire that size(I'm guessing 4.80-8) it's probably about $26-$30, however, it does add weight and they'd weigh around 8 pounds apiece
Where can a consumer go to get that done?
@@GanderFlight I work for McCarthy tire in wilkes barre, PA. I fill everything from 3" tires all the way up to 29.5-25's. The system I use is Tyrfill, we also do recycled foam fill which is almost half the cost of virgin fill and we grind up old foam and it's mixed with virgin 60/40
@@jonk9304 Good ta know, ua-cam.com/video/i-JPbl4tgS0/v-deo.html
It never would have occurred to me to try!
Just testing it out :)
First of all,drill the holes in the tread. Second,as the foam expands screw the appropriate size lag bolt into each hole. The foam will expand in the tire if you plug the holes. Screw the lag bolts flush with the tread.
👍
The experiment should be re done under new conditions. It has very good merit but perhaps wasn’t fully thought out.
1, I wouldn’t drill the tire at all. If anything I would’ve drilled an additional valve stem removing both valves. For 2 reasons first to allow air to escape and allow foam to expand only inside the tire. Second keep tire integrity.
However your comments at the end gave me perhaps a better idea. Put an inner tube into the modified 2 valve stem wheel fill inner tube with foam to about 60/75% ( best guess ) then fill the tire with the softer sticky foam between the tire and tube. This could give you the cushion feel similar to air.
Of course could try a modified run flat system. Build a jig fill inner tube with big gap foam to smaller tire dimension. Cut off valve stem place in good tire set pneumatic pressure as normal this may work as a run flat tire
Interesting thoughts 💭
Poor idea.
Good info. I would go with a tube. Thanks for the info.
All depends on what youre using it for and how much youre trying to carry. Tube is always a safe bet for sure.
Your spending about the same, spray foam or new tube!!
Tubes wouldnt work for me, Too many puncturous objects lying about.
Thanks very much, I was tempted to try it. Now I'm not...big time saver
The problem is in the size of the holes you created. you need some back pressure to make the foam spread inside the tire.
Back pressure would also force the foam back OUT of the holes I pumped it though. The foam needs to vent in order to cure.
I don't think you put as many holes on the first wheel . But it doesn't matter now knowing that the foam will breakdown over time or much weight. Good experiment though
thank you it did not work BUT you saved me good show !
Glad it helped enlighten and entertain!
Here is some additional testing: ua-cam.com/video/88ZYnSid3g4/v-deo.html
try filling the tire with foam Pipe Insulation wraps & see how it does
I've heard of folks doing this and then still using air - that way they have a "limp" mode should they loose tire pressure. Great idea!
@@GanderFlight I got Foam Pipe Wrap in the front tire of my Mountain bike now, the tire was so tight going on that I needed 2 tire installation tools to get the tire up where I needed to pop the tire on the rim with my hand, but I broke both tools trying to get the tire off the rim, no idea how it works yet, I just threw the tire back on the bike, I need to get all the spray foam off the outside of the rim, the spray foam's rubbing against my brake pad, for a 26" tire, you'll need an extra pipe wrap, to cut pieces off of to fill in the gap at the ends of the wrap, to get all the way around the rim & tire
.
@@GanderFlight Try Filling a Bike tire that's got a max psi rating for 65 PSI with a Foam pipe wrap insulation & filling the hole for a pipe in the insulation with Steel Cable, if you can use coated cable, that'd probably go in better, but could try a 1/2" cable, as long as you fill up the 1/2" hole in the insulation with cable, you should be good, but do some testing with those methods, compared to each other & against an inner tube full of air & a foam pipe insulation wrap filled with an inner tube with enough air to add pressure to the foam, shouldn't need much, to get the tire equal to 65 PSI, the inner tube inside the foam wrap insulation should be about 35 PSI, to get the same hardness on the tire as full PSI. the foam wrap insulation should protect the tire from abrasion from the cable, add cushioning & all that stuff, but I think it's worth a shot, it'd be a pretty interesting video to see, I think.
@@kruppratte218 I'm not sure I understand - so the bike tire is going to have the pipe insulation, an inner tube, and what is the steel cable for?
@@GanderFlight I'm not putting an inner tube in my tires, I'm filling the pipe insulation with steel cable to stiffen the tire more, so I get equal to 65 PSI, instead of 35 PSI
Those tires not rated for roads only for slow yard work not the highway cuz it's too much heat.
Correct - they are not rated for anything near highway speeds.
You really don't understand that yard tires are not made for over the road at 30mph. The friction of the road causes heat to build up and break down the foam. They are made for 2-5 mph with weights of max 250lbs. on grass for short distances.
You’re correct- this test was largely unfair, although I didn’t go 30mph. However, Ive got a riding mower and another trailer that I’m testing right now for the next few months. The rider has a front tire and rear tire filled with foam and both tires on the trailer are as well. Keep a lookout closer to summer with my long term results! Thanks for taking the time to comment Sean!
Had some i filled with foam eventually it turned to dust
What kind of application were you using it for?
@@GanderFlight lawn tractor tire kept going flat filled it with foam worked for about a month.
Professional foam fillers put one hole in the top of the tread with tire vertical, fill from the valve stem down low and screw a bolt into the one hole so nothing escapes. Of course they are using a two part commercial grade foam that really really works.
I have a brand new set of front tires on the front of my lazer z 60 and I am so disgusted. I just got the rims to stop leaking today with some bead sealer but the tire that my dog always grabs when I turn the blades on has 2 plugs in the side wall already and needs 5 more plugs.
I thought about grabbing a can of the big gap filler as a last ditch effort to save the tire. That or a tube. A tube cost as much as a tire now days though. These tires are so cheaply made its ridiculous. It should not be so easy for a dog to destroy and puncture them.
I'm sick and tired of pumping up mower tires and finishing with half flat tires. Sorry for the rant!
😀
Sounds like a tube might be the way to go for you!
Next time ask... that could save you alot of time and 💰 🤑 💸..... o would work great for like an air compresor, small wheel barrel, dolley, torpedo heater, etc nothing over 75lbs
👍🏻
"Failure is an option here" Elon Musk
👍
Not having a basic understanding of all the possible variables involved in any type experiment/test that you conduct, not only teaches you nothing, but also moves your channel into the comedy category.
No worries - I'm not for everyone - hope you find what you're looking for!