Best wheels/tyres for transom wheels.

[Fenlander]

Ahh... panic over.

With some time to look more closely in the garage I found the Zodiac axle tubes were a little belled at the end so filed them down and then took a tiny bit from their overall diameter and removed imperfections with some engineering grade abrasive paper I found.

Similarly I found the wheels being a cheap plastic casting were slightly narrowed in diameter at the bore ends. So a half round file and final finishing with engineering paper wrapped on a round dowel has produced a more constant bore... and they fit!

I was obviously over thinking this.

[Fenlander]

Here's a look at the comparison with OE wheels and my solids update.

They weigh 1.8kg more each and have a slight negative buoyancy which will save fighting them under water to clip on and take off.

Tide good for the end of next week... as is the forecast at the moment.... so they might get a trial soon.

[Fenlander]

Used them now and a good success.

They are a little more clonky on the road not having air in them but the diameter is fine for normal small kerbs/potholes etc.

What's brilliant is them having 1.5kg each negative buoyancy which makes them so much easier to remove/attach in the water compared to the original air filled tyres.

[Fenlander]

In the pursuit of my personal OCD wheel experience...

The only negative was that Mrs Fenlander thought the solids really heavy adding 3.6kg to the pair of legs for her to carry back to the car.... so as I have a secondary use for the solids I've just bought some sandhoppers as well.

£16-50 inc next day post from Ebay... and the bores were the right size to slip over the axle nicely...

2 x Dinghy Launch Trolley Wheels 10" Sand Hopper MP416 - Free Next Day Delivery! | eBay

They are 0.2kg each lighter than the OE pneumatic wheels so no complaints there... and their displacement is minimal so they still have a good negative buoyancy in use of 1.3kg (leg and wheel).

Their diameter is 10" compared to the 11.25" (advertised at 12") of the solids.... so just 0.75" less ground clearance for the outboard skeg.

Please excuse mixed met/imp units.

[Mickhitchuk]

Reading your wheel review with interest, I also cannot get the wheelbarrow style wheels down once I have launched and have to do it in the surf while standing in the water lifting the rear of the sib up, so I think I might order some sand hopper style wheels myself.
Does the fact that they have a negative buoyancy make them harder to lift up due to the weight but easer to put down, the kinda opposite to wheelbarrow wheels?
The only problem I might have is the extra width may mean they fowl on the, (excuse my lack of vocabulary ) the pointy bit of tube that sticks out beyond the transom,

[Fenlander]

Compared to the OE wheelbarrow inflated wheels the sandhoppers are a fraction lighter out of water so as easy/easier to handle in all respects when the legs are off the boat.

When putting them down the 1.3kg negative buoyancy is a massive help.

When lifting them the 1.3kg is no problem at all. Most important I've found in lifting wheelbarrow wheels with massive buoyancy whatever the mechanism for attaching them down (pin, tabs, detent) the buoyancy makes it hard to overcome this initial release before they swing up.

Also with the detachable type wheels I have now (and have had several times in the past) if the wheels have great buoyancy and your hands are wet as you push them down to release from the tabs they can fly up through the water pulling through your hands and bash under a tube. Given they are often rough ended axle tubes with pointy split pins or R-clips this could be a puncture risk.

The sandhoppers look wide compared to the solids I've shown above but they are actually only 9cm wide compared to the overall 9.5cm width of my OE wheelbarrow types taken at the most bulbous part of the sidewall.

[Mickhitchuk]

Thxs, order placed😊

[Fenlander]

Hope they suit you!

The only extra thing you might need depending on the hub width of your old wheels is some washers as spacers. The sandhopper hubs were about "four washers" narrower in width than my OE wheels so I put some 27mm stainless washers on the axle to push the sandhoppers away from rubbing on the leg in some circumstances.

[Mickhitchuk]

Ok cheers, I'll get some ready

[paddlers]

Had a 4" stainless handles welded onto mine which makes handling the buoyant wheels a doddle. They sit above the transom when in the up position and make locating on the stud very easy,

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by Mickhitchuk

Reading your wheel review with interest, I also cannot get the wheelbarrow style wheels down once I have launched and have to do it in the surf while standing in the water lifting the rear of the sib up, so I think I might order some sand hopper style wheels myself.

I had 49cm Wheeleez tyres that I put onto my SIB, as they were the smallest to handle the 500lb weight of the boat. They were a bear to get back underneath, but a little practice made it doable. I used one of my paddles and put the blade on the axle between the tyre and leg. At this point it was sticking straight back floating on top of the water. I would lean my thigh against the motor so I would have something to balance on and feel movement, then jam the paddle down following the arch of the leg as it dove underwater. Never fell overboard and was always able to get them under the boat.

This act was always performed a ways from shore in deeper water, then drive to shore under power. Along with disconnecting fuel tank and unstrapping it, removing anchor crate straps, etc. to lighten the boat quickly once shore was reached, so boat could be pulled up the often steep beach berm.

[Fenlander]

Well the sandhoppers have been OK for three years but recently the surfaces and undulations we've been trolleying over have shown the shortcomings of the smallish diameter on potholes or kerbs and lack of bump absorption. And we don't actually need their flat wide profile as we don't launch over sand.

100% not going back to pneumatic tyres because of the flotation problems but wondered about the puncture proof wheelbarrow type tyres. They are the same diameter give or take as the Zodiac/Trem HD wheels but ought to have less flotation. Something like this...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323753905...84.m1436.l2649

Anyone using them... even if only on a wheelbarrow... to give an opinion.

Pic attached of the sandhoppers against the Zodiac HD wheels for a dia comparison.

[Fenlander]

Well in my... sometimes lonely... search for the perfect transom wheel setup I'm going to try the puncture-proof wheels of the standard size Zodiac pneumatic wheels.

Looking around quite a few reports of the cheaper unbranded Chinese wheel/tyre combos being little more than a normal tyre full of some random foam that can break down quite quickly and get a permanent flat side.

So went for the... very green... Greentyre which is a proper UK brand and got lucky with a pair of shop soiled ones missing their centre bushes sold under half price at £20/pr... I had spare buses anyway.

Each weighs over 1.5lb more than the Zodiac pneumatics with a similar displacement so they should maintain the ease of pushing down in the water the Sandhoppers have but roll loads better on and off road with their large diameter.

As usual the proof will be on first launch.

[Kong]

I had a separate thread on this but I thought I’d share here.

Tested out my Wheeleez yesterday after I’d had the axles extended on the launching arms.

Worked perfectly up the same soft sand which dug trenches with the 26cm sandhopper wheels.

Yes there’s zero chance of deploying them on water because they are so buoyant. But there is an easy technique, you drag the boat as far as you can out of the wake, lift one side up to fit one wheel then do the other side. You can even chock it with a piece of timber so you can do it solo.

The only compromise is you really need to leave them behind in the car. But if you can do that then these are the best solution.

[Kong]

Fernlander I just notice you said you don’t launch on sand so my post probably not too relevant to your situation!

[Fenlander]

Well maybe not but perfect info for a which wheels thread.

Even though Mrs F helps with brief difficult sections of a launch recover I have to regard myself as single handed for the majority of the time getting the boat afloat and out again. So we plan outings to places with a slipway or hard these days... in particular for 1/2 week holiday destinations to cut down time and effort launching.

But those wheel look a brilliant solution if you end up at beach locations.

[Fenlander]

By the way which is that OB in the image... I thought you'd moved to a Mercury or Mariner 15??

[Kong]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

By the way which is that OB in the image... I thought you'd moved to a Mercury or Mariner 15??

A few weeks ago on a whim I ordered a really nice second hand 2 stroke Yamaha 25hp from a dealer. Took it for a blast out in Northumberland over the weekend, goes like a rocket (zero transom splash too). Unfortunately despite me kidding myself to the contrary, it’s just too heavy to manhandle on my own. I know if I slip a disc I’ll never forgive myself so it’s back to my 15hp. I should’ve know better!

[maverick58]

Originally Posted by Kong

I had a separate thread on this but I thought I’d share here.



Tested out my Wheeleez yesterday after I’d had the axles extended on the launching arms.



Worked perfectly up the same soft sand which dug trenches with the 26cm sandhopper wheels.



Yes there’s zero chance of deploying them on water because they are so buoyant. But there is an easy technique, you drag the boat as far as you can out of the wake, lift one side up to fit one wheel then do the other side. You can even chock it with a piece of timber so you can do it solo.



The only compromise is you really need to leave them behind in the car. But if you can do that then these are the best solution.

What wheels are those?? They look lush!!! I’ve got zodiac pneumatic ones at mo

[Kong]

They are Wheeleez low pressure beach tyres, I got them from Ross castors UK website. They are a game changer for me although I must warn you they are ridiculously expensive. I only coughed up the money because for my usage I had no choice!