Punctures!!! Grrrrrrrr

[Scooterman]

How do I go about fitting rear wheels and tyres like these to my new 'used' salsa/jive?

[shirley_hkg]

This may help.
https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 1&start=30

[shirley_hkg]

Details here .
https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 5&start=90

[Jay_x]

Question: do pnuematic knobby tires wear out faster than pnuematic smooth tires?

[Burgerman]

By around 20 times in my experience. They just dont like hard surfaces. I tried various off road style rubber. All of it lasted around 2 months on paved surfaces. Slick style tyres, esp real road going ones like the tubeless ones I use mostly seem to last years.

[Jay_x]

ok thanks

[ex-Gooserider]

Many folks also report that the knobby style also give a much less comfortable ride as you get a bobble going from one knob to the next....

ex-Gooserider

[Khreat]

Has anybody found a decent puncture proofing solution for tubed tyres? From what I've read, even the OKO off road sealant will not help much.
Someone I saw today uses their scooter in a community garden, so will constantly be getting punctures with pneumatics but they're a really odd size so infilled isn't an option.

[Burgerman]

Yes. Swap wheels for some that can use tubeless tyres. I started doing this after having around 30 punctures in a 2 year period. It droveme nuts. The infilled ones cause my muscle spasm to feel like an electric shock as I roll along. So those were out.

So why tubeless? For one these are normally a much tougher road going solution. The tyres themselves are much higher quality build wise and heavier construction. And if you do get a nail or something in the tyre, which has happened I just ignore it or pull it out. The tyre sealer will seal a tubeless tyres garanteed even with some huge holes like 1/4 inch drill... Tested and watched demos at various motorcycle shows. The problem with tubes is that they are like balloons and a nail even if it made a small hole cant be sealed. As the tube is thin, stretched, moves around and expands around the hole due to the pressure.

The problem is that you cant just buy tubeless rims that bolt straight on. So you will need to make or have made some adapters. Some scooters now do have tubeless tyres as stock. So swapping your scooter may be an option.

Theres nothing really that you can do with tubes. They are just unreliable. No way to help that.
It might be better to use tubeless tyres on stock rims even with a tube. As they are usually much more substantial.

[Khreat]

Thanks burgerman. I'm not sure it's possible to go tubeless with this as it's still in warranty.

I recently started working as a tech for a mobility company and the scooter is a customer's. I want to do right by the customer's but have to work within the way the company does things or create a decent argument.

[shirley_hkg]

Found this very nice tubeless wheel for caster , and I'm sure it will give a comfortable ride.

80/60-5 (9") and 10"x3.6-5 to choose .

@£12

[faico_26]

My powerchair has solid rear wheels.
It's the best decision I've ever made in my life.
Now I can leave the house...
If my doors were wider I would have thought about changing tires.
I even save a lot of money on tires and inner tubes.
My powerchair has 12 x 1/2 X 2 1/4 wheels.

P.S. I recommend looking for equivalent industrial tires.
Industrial tires (black) are cheap and of good quality.

Mine too, no problems anymore but rough ride.

[shirley_hkg]

Tubeless tyres last for 6 yrs or more.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

[Burgerman]

Well some might.

I kill all terrain tyres in a month. Tubeless.

I kill the TURF type ones in the same wide sizes in 18 to 24 months.

The DURO kitako, 120/70-8 tyres also tubeless last me around 3 years.

Where to get these https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 41#p214748

[shirley_hkg]

Taobao / Aliexpress

Look for CST brand.

[Burgerman]

In 3 initial years I had 10 or more punctures. Then I decided that tubes were useless.
Tried solid, my spine cannot stand that!

So fitted TUBELESS rims, and TUBELESS tyres. Never had a puncture that resulted in a deflated tyre in 26 years. Had the odd nail, just removed it, and the sealer stopped the leak. No problem!

[shirley_hkg]

Where to get these https://www.wheelchairdriver.com/board/ ... 41#p214748

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005542260282.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009698870060.html

It has 6002 bearings installed. Need to do 14.98mm shaft and pair of spacers.

[Burgerman]

Thanks.
Was looking at the plastic ones a week ago. Same tyre size. Same type. But cheap and no corosion. Should be plenty strong enough. What do you think?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007156512831.html

All these chinese wheels use 15 x 32 x 10 bearings and need a 15mm shaft.
If you just replace that 6002 cheap ZZ bearing with a 6201RS or 2RS in stainless steel (eBay) then you can use a typical stock powerchairs existing 12mm axle shaft. And a couple of 12mm bore spacers. These are 12 x 32 x 10 sized.

How do I know? I have some on the shelf!

[shirley_hkg]

Are you sure it is tubeless ?

My aluminum rims costs 25% more, but it looks much better, exceptionally good with monkey bike rear wheels.

[Burgerman]

Theres 2 different plastic rims A and B. One is a split rim. With bolts.
That a picture of one. The other looks different and shows no screws. I was thinking it was tubeless. Maybe not?

No bolts...

I do wish they would give more information. We always have to guess.

[shirley_hkg]

@£10 tubeless casters mounted.

Inflated to 9 psi. Couldn't go lower or tyre came off bead when hitting curbs sideways.

[Burgerman]

So theres no lip, that a tubeless tyre should have?

Looks good! But you could have used stainless bearings and stainless bolts because it will rust and look bad.

[shirley_hkg]

It comes with RS bearings.
Tyre is £6 alone and I still have to pay someone to mount it.
Whole wheel is £10. Why bother.

Yes. It looks very nice, well matched with rear tubeless rims.

[Burgerman]

Why? You say it looks nice. And it does. But as soon as it gets wet it will rust. And so wont look nice for very long. And so the bearings dont die when water gets in, because thats what kills bearings. They dont rear, they corrode internally. And so that the bearing/bolts do not rust and doesent look bad. Stainless 2rs bearings, and stainless allen bolts are very cheap too. Reliablity is key. At least to me.

[shirley_hkg]

Here we don't have salty corrosive pavement / roads. Steel bearings last for a decade. I definitely need to replace the tyre before that.

My last tubeless drive tyre and rims lasted for over
5 years. I changed the rims as well, though it was just not looking nice anymore.

Compares to that of mobility dearer's price tag, We are happy to play big spender.

[Raro]

They look great! Post a picture showing both the front and rear wheels, Shirley.

[martin007]

Here we don't have salty corrosive pavement / roads. Steel bearings last for a decade. I definitely need to replace the tyre before that.

My last tubeless drive tyre and rims lasted for over
5 years. I changed the rims as well, though it was just not looking nice anymore.

Compares to that of mobility dearer's price tag, We are happy to play big spender.

Did your tires last 5 years?

[shirley_hkg]

My friend's lasted for 10 years, and still going. He drives not aggressive like me.

[shirley_hkg]

[Burgerman]

He means that tubes are the problem.

Since I went to tubeless tyres, like a car, in 98, I have NEVER had a deflation. I have had nails etc but just like a nail in a modern tubeless car tyre you do not get a deflated tyre.

And with tubes, that tear or the puncture "hole" opens up because a tube is basically a balloon. Because of pressure it stretches lets air out, the tubeless tyre just seals itself. That hole cant stretch. So even if the nail is pulled out the rubber springs back and you only get a very slow leak. And that slow leak seals itself completely with some of that puncture sealer gunk in the tyre automatically. So you are never aware it ever happened. That stuff just doesent work on tubes.

I can stab a tubeless tyre or drill a hole in it, and then turn it 1 single revolution and its all self sealed for good.

Solid tyres?
Like riding on iron. OK on a 4mph chair maybe. Sets of my muscle spasm. Hurts my spine. They also wear fast, and grip less. And eat battery power as they have higher rolling resistance. So true no punctures. But...