Tire Balls...

[gawarrior]

Anyone have them, are they worth the price?

 

[1998yamahawarrior]

Most guys just do Hedstrom balls or pool noodles in the tires here. Unless your racing your warrior I wouldnt spring for them, pretty pricey.

 

[gawarrior]

Most guys just do Hedstrom balls or pool noodles in the tires here. Unless your racing your warrior I wouldnt spring for them, pretty pricey.

Pool noodles, that's an intresting idea...No, not racing this thing, just rolling around the house, but it would be nice to get a set of tires and not have 20 plugs in them after 6 months...

 

[1998yamahawarrior]

Now a little more info there is the pool noodles overtime will break down and powder. The Hedstrom balls(small kids kick balls) will last a lot longer. Yes the hedstroms are a bit more, but will require less times of replacement.

 

[ratmraptor]

Or get 6 -ply tires.

 

[miami1]

Pool noodles, that's an intresting idea...No, not racing this thing, just rolling around the house, but it would be nice to get a set of tires and not have 20 plugs in them after 6 months...

what kind of tires are you running? maybe your $ would be better spent on a good set of rubbers

 

[beastlywarrior228]

x2 i ride in some rough terrain and have yet to get a flat or roll the bead on my razrs

 

[gawarrior]

I'm running the same tires I bought it with, Cheng-shins, or some other cheap brand...Believe they're probably stock...

They're full of plugs, and still leak... I'd like to get a set of 20" backs and decent fronts, something I don't have to air up every time I ride... Just a good set of trail tires, don
't race and don't mud it...

How will a flatter set of 20's affect handling and performance? Running 22's right now...

 

[beastlywarrior228]

I'm running the same tires I bought it with, Cheng-shins, or some other cheap brand...Believe they're probably stock...

They're full of plugs, and still leak... I'd like to get a set of 20" backs and decent fronts, something I don't have to air up every time I ride... Just a good set of trail tires, don
't race and don't mud it...

How will a flatter set of 20's affect handling and performance? Running 22's right now...

theres your problem, cheap aftermarket tires. a flat 20" makes a HUGE difference in handling. i even bought a set of mudlites for when it gets super sloppy and snowy but i hate them anywhere else compaired to my razrs

 

[gawarrior]

Yeah, I need to just say **** it and get a set of decent tires... But I also need tires on my truck and they're fricking outrageous!!! Want some decent A/T's for it, but $200 a tire is just too much when I have other things to worry about, like my quad...

 

[beastlywarrior228]

walmart goodyear wrangler 235/75r/15 $80 each

if your looking for tires for your quad try the kenda klaw from motosport

 

[miami1]

if you want to seal them up go to a craft store (hobby lobby, michaels, ect) and get some "mold builder", its a thick liquid latex, mix it with equal parts of water (to a thick but runny cream) and put about a cup and a half in each tire.

i run my mountain bike tires tubeless and use this in them, last time i had my rear tire off it had 18 thorns in it and i never had a flat once.

 

[gawarrior]

walmart goodyear wrangler 235/75r/15 $80 each

if your looking for tires for your quad try the kenda klaw from motosport

Yeah, but I need 17's... bumps the price up quite a bit...<sigh>
Even tried to go to 16" rims (found a great deal on BF A/T K/O's, with nice rims for $350), but front caliper is too big to run 16's...

I do like the Kenda klaws, probably what I'll wind up with... Wife just about to go back to work full time, so that'll be a big help...4 kids puts a crimp in the play money...

 

[gawarrior]

if you want to seal them up go to a craft store (hobby lobby, michaels, ect) and get some "mold builder", its a thick liquid latex, mix it with equal parts of water (to a thick but runny cream) and put about a cup and a half in each tire.

i run my mountain bike tires tubeless and use this in them, last time i had my rear tire off it had 18 thorns in it and i never had a flat once.

That's a hell of an idea...might try that to get me by for a few more months...

 

[ratmraptor]

Or I think for some vehicle tires you can re-tread them

 

[gawarrior]

Or I think for some vehicle tires you can re-tread them

If it was just me, www.treadwright.com has some retreads for great prices, but I don't trust that to put my family in... Found decent off-brands for about $640 out the door, but still looking...

 

[bikewarrior350]

Seems like the tireballs have already been dismissed as an option but let me give you the scoop on them. I should mention that i work as a dirtbike mechanic National Enduro racer so i deal with tireballs on a weekly basis.

First off i should point out that they are almost more work than they are worth. Each individual tire takes about 36 balls and every one of those balls needs to be individually inflated to the same pressure. The balls use a valve similar to what is on a basket ball and as a result they do lose pressure over time so whenever a tire is changed the pressure needs to be checked.

Also leaving them in a tire for an extended period of time isn't very good because the balls need to be lubed with a special silicone lube regularly or they will wear through the rubber and it the cords in within the tire. The balls themselves can also develop leaks because of a lack of lubrication.

We change tires before every race and i've found that these balls leak more than you would expect in the course of one to two weeks. Also with the tireballs installed its like trying to mount an inflated tire on the rim which can be next to impossible at times not to mention the fact that the tire ends up coated in the silicone lube making it slipperier than hell.

Then there is the price. Tireballs cost about $200 per tire so it costs roughly $400 to equip a motorcycle and $800 for an atv. At that price a flat tire once and a while doesn't sound so bad.

Bottom line is that unless you race and can employ someone to change the tires for you they arent really worth it. Especially for trail riding. Me personally id take a heavy duty tire or tube over tire balls any day.

 

[gawarrior]

Bikewarrior, awesomely informative post... Knowing that, it definitely rules out tire balls as a solution to any tire issues... Thank you.

 

[miami1]

if you want a solid tire you cant beat an itp holeshot hd, or a maxxis razr 2

 

[gawarrior]

Just made a deal from a guy on CL with 4 Michelin AT tires, about 1k miles on them, for $450... Well under my budget for tires, so Kenda Klaws, here I come!