Recapping foam filled tires?

[digger242j]

The builder I often work for has a Lull telehandler. The tires are now pretty bald and soon will need replacement. They're foam filled. He spoke to a tire dealer yesterday, and got a price of about a grand each, to cut the old ones off and put new ones on, and fill them, if dropped off at thier shop.

Tire dealer said specifically that recapping wouldn't be worth the cost, although the builder might find somebody that would be willing to do it. I think the dealer probably is interested in selling new tires, although I don't know for sure what the cost/benefit of recapping would be, if it can even be done.

I think they're 13X24 tires.

Opinions??

 

[ORDINGEN]

Recapping foam filled tires can not be done : the best solution is to buy cushion solid tires.
Try NU - AIR , they might have that size.

 

[digger242j]

Recapping foam filled tires can not be done

I don't know about that. It's been quite a while, but I recall a friend getting a set of skidsteer tires, foam filled, recapped, still mounted on the wheels, of course.

You could be correct of course, but that's my recollection.

 

[Speedpup]

I am fairly sure they can be recapped. The Nu-Air tires I have seen on some machines like a Lull. No clue how they recap with the heat it requires. I'll have too ask my tire guy,

 

[surfer-joe]

Generally speaking, trying to recap foam filled tires is not worth the cost and effort. Just getting the old tires off the rims is very difficult. Even if you did, there is no way the re-treader can inspect the inside of the casing for breaks or other damage. Usually, you have to make financial allowances to replace not only the tires, but the rims as well.

 

[digger242j]

....there is no way the re-treader can inspect the inside of the casing for breaks or other damage.

You know that I respect your opinion, Joe, but just to further my own education, why would casing breaks or other damage be an issue on a low-speed, off-road, foam-filled tire? Wouldn't the foam compensate for any casing damage?

We had a skid loader running around the job years ago, with foam filled tires, that literally had one with a chunk the size of a football missing out of it before they had the whole set replaced. Yes, it was annoying as heck to the operator (THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...), and it couldn't really get the job done, but it still ran around and only got worse a little at a time. It wasn't a case of catastrophic failure.

(Actually, that may be the one I had in mind about getting the tires recapped. Now that I think a little further about it, it may have been set up to have them done, but they ran them too long and screwed themselves out of that chance to save a buck. Damn 50-something memory ain't what it used to be... ointhead)

Just getting the old tires off the rims is very difficult.... ....Usually, you have to make financial allowances to replace not only the tires, but the rims as well.

Well, the current tires are going to get cut off the rims anyway. How would capping them once first hurt the rims?

(Again, not saying you're wrong, but trying to learn something.)

I probably ought to mention too, that this machine, with the original tires, has only 1,100 some hours on it. It spends literally all its time on either pavement, or slag, which is pretty abrasive. It's never been run on dirt, and probably never will be.

Is that way below avarage for tread life?

 

[Speedpup]

1100 is not bad on pavement. I think they have a cold cap process also. Rins will be fine and no need to replace them.


interesting info here http://www.yearwoodtire.com/severe_use_tires.htm



YouTube - ‪OTR - Tire Retreads‬‎


YouTube - ‪Transportation Matters: Tour of Goodyear retread plant in Trenton‬‎

 

[John C.]

I thought most all telehandlers had to be ballasted on the rear tires.

Don't have any experience or opinion on recapping foam filled tires. The places where I've seen them generally throw them away when they start running on the foam and not before.

Good Luck!

 

[digger242j]

Well, I just got off the phone with a recapping company, and pretty much was told that it might be do-able, but it isn't worth what it would cost. He also wasn't 100% sure about capping them if they're filled. Turn around time would be prohibitive as well.

Case closed. Thanks for the replies. :notworthy

(Of course, if anyone has anything else to add, feel free.)

 

[mitch504]

I thought most all telehandlers had to be ballasted on the rear tires.

Good Luck!

The foam filled tires i've had could only be made heavier by filling with molten lead instead.

 

[Speedpup]

I thought most all telehandlers had to be ballasted on the rear tires.

Don't have any experience or opinion on recapping foam filled tires. The places where I've seen them generally throw them away when they start running on the foam and not before.

Good Luck!

Some need ballast some don't it is an option. By the time you see foam if you have an accident good look in court.

 

[digger242j]

The foam filled tires i've had could only be made heavier by filling with molten lead instead.

Not on a telehandler, but a skid loader, the old tires wore out, and they got new ones. Old ones foam filled, new ones, not. The first time I got on it and picked up a nice heaping bucketful of material like I knew I'd done a hundred times before, when I raised it high enough to reach over the side of the truck, it darn near fell flat on its nose.

 

[powerjoke]

Springfield Bobcat offers a exchange program on foam filled tires, it cost like $500, and they give you repainted wheels and recapped faom filled tires....so yeah it can be done, call your bobcat dealer it may be something others are doing too..

EDIT: i shoudl add that the story i heard was it was $500 for all 4

EDIT#2:....could we please get a mod to move this to the skid steer section these damned kids just post where ever they want lol

Pj

 

[Speedpup]

Springfield Bobcat offers a exchange program on foam filled tires, it cost like $500, and they give you repainted wheels and recapped faom filled tires....so yeah it can be done, call your bobcat dealer it may be something others are doing too..

EDIT: i shoudl add that the story i heard was it was $500 for all 4

EDIT#2:....could we please get a mod to move this to the skid steer section these damned kids just post where ever they want lol

Pj

original post is about a telehandler.

 

[ke6gwf]

OK, a little personal experience, some logic and then some WAG...

It is possible to re-cap foam filled tires.
It can save you a bundle of money.

A couple of years ago I had a set of Bobcat foam-filled tires re-capped, and although I can't remember the prices now, it was a fraction of the cost of cutting old tires off, putting new tires on, and then foam-filling them.
It was also a fraction of the cost of the airless tires available.
It was even cheaper than just the new tires themselves would have cost!
They told me that as long as the tread plies weren't badly messed up they could recap them, and I got the impression that I could have filled any big chunks that might have been missing with some rubber compound and they would have still capped them.


Now, logic would tell me it would be a different story with a forklift tire, since there are a lot more rules for them, and your life-safety issues are greater.
However, if the carcass is still in safe condition, it should be possible to re-cap them.
Not all tires can be re-capped, so the brand and model of tire would be a factor


As to the recapper person saying it wouldn't be worth the money, would take too long and he wasn't sure if foams could be capped, it sounds like you need to find a recapping outfit that knows a little more about their business...
The whole point about re-capping is that you get new tread at a fraction of the cost of a new tire. If they are able to re-cap a foamy, it should cost the same as doing a bare tire, since the materials and labor are identical! :Banghead

When I got the bobcat foams recapped, it took like 4 days, and it only took that long because they sent the truck to my neck of the woods every 4 days.


If anybody wants, I can contact the place that did mine, and confirm the details. It is stupid paying for new foam and a new carcass and all the labor to sawzall the old tire and foam off, when you can just recap!


Ben~

 

[gpurves]

Recapping foam filled tires can not be done : the best solution is to buy cushion solid tires.
Try NU - AIR , they might have that size.

I must correct you on that. There are companies that can recap your foam filled tires without removing them from the wheel or sacrificing the filler. I had this done once, and they were skid steer tires. They were sent to some place in Oklahoma and came back like new tires.

 

[1693TA]

Not on a telehandler, but a skid loader, the old tires wore out, and they got new ones. Old ones foam filled, new ones, not. The first time I got on it and picked up a nice heaping bucketful of material like I knew I'd done a hundred times before, when I raised it high enough to reach over the side of the truck, it darn near fell flat on its nose.

I know this is an old thread but I did the same thing when replacing the tires and rims on my 1845C. When I purchased that skid steer back in 2000 it went straight to the tire shop for new skins and I had calcium put in the tubed tires. Never had a flat till they were run down to slicks. Replaced both the tires, and rims at Christmas, (gift from family) 2014 without the fluid fill. Almost nosed over picking up a bucket of rocks I'd moved in the past with the old tires. Come up about eye level with the bucket and with very little warning started to roll over. Quickly down with the handles precluded this but the learning experience is remembered to this day.