Searching for Roller Tires - Florida

[MercMontMars]

Hi everyone, I’m trying to find some cheap roller tires for my recent 39’ Chrysler project. All 4 tires are flat and won’t at least hold air to roll. I’ve called about every place in town, and ended my search with Coker tire but they told me that they’d be about $300 a piece.. I’m not looking to invest that much in tires until I’m actually driving the car. I tried using roller dollies but the asphalt the car is on at the moment is too rough to roll with those. Where should I look? I’m gonna figure out my bolt pattern and maybe pick some donut spares from my local junkyard, but they’ve recently gone out of their mind on prices. 
 

The tires on the car now say they’re a size 6.00-16. I believe the car needs 16x6.25. If anyone has had luck finding tires or might have some around, let me know.

 

Thanks for any help!

 

 

 

[joe_padavano]

If all you need are round things to move the car around in the shop, consider cutting discs out of 3/4" plywood. They never go flat.

 

 

If you want to go crazy, wrap a bicycle tire around it.

 

[Robert G. Smits]

Where do you live?

[MercMontMars]

@joe_padavano Huh, that’s something I’ve never thought of before. Pretty creative, if I can’t find anything I might just try that.

[MercMontMars]

@Robert G. Smits I’m located in Florida.

[Nate Dort]

Couldn't you just find some appropriately sized inner tubes to put in your existing tires?

[MercMontMars]

@wmtunate I could, but would that work since they’re dry rotted and cracked/split all around? I feel like they’d just fall apart.

[Marty Roth]

@MercMontMars

2 minutes ago, MercMontMars said:

@wmtunate I could, but would that work since they’re dry rotted and cracked/split all around? I feel like they’d just fall apart.

If you are only using the tires to roll the car around in your work area, then decent tubes in your current tires would be fine - you're not driving it around town and cross-country, are you?

[Robert G. Smits]

I will PM you

[MercMontMars]

@Marty Roth No, haha.  Far from that stage. Both my cars I’ve bought so far had decent rollers on them, this is the first time I’ve dealt with 4 flats. Im just picturing myself putting tubes into it and the tire just crumbling, leaving me with an exposed tube. I’ll have a closer look and see if I can just do that, would make the process easier.

[Robert G. Smits]

I agree with the tube suggestion.  See if you can find some used tubes and they do not have to be the correct size to work.  Find a tire shop that handles farm needs and they may have some used ones that will work

[MercMontMars]

Would something like this work? I’ve got a tractor supply store nearby so I might grab these and try them.

 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubbermaster-plus-g-k16-tr13-bias-passenger-tube-50135-1570144?cid=Shopping-Google-Product-1570144&gbraid=0AAAAAD3fmFP6aMP-5NU7xE6I2hVFGKTzA&gclid=CjwKCAjwgZCoBhBnEiwAz35Rwt1T8BNoaW46gbvL8u5LCLYG2opRqDuGuY5IBMs5HlOjNX11D6Y2axoCXQcQAvD_BwE

[Marty Roth]

10 minutes ago, MercMontMars said:

Would something like this work? I’ve got a tractor supply store nearby so I might grab these and try them.

 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubbermaster-plus-g-k16-tr13-bias-passenger-tube-50135-1570144?cid=Shopping-Google-Product-1570144&gbraid=0AAAAAD3fmFP6aMP-5NU7xE6I2hVFGKTzA&gclid=CjwKCAjwgZCoBhBnEiwAz35Rwt1T8BNoaW46gbvL8u5LCLYG2opRqDuGuY5IBMs5HlOjNX11D6Y2axoCXQcQAvD_BwE

Yes, and I found some good ones on Amazon, as low as two (2) for $25 with free delivery which are now in the side-mount spares of my Roadmaster

[BlueDevil]

Be aware, old bias ply tires can get harder than Chinese arithmetic. 

I had a tire store break their machine trying to get tires off a 1938 Packard.

I ended up having to cut them off.

[MercMontMars]

@BlueDevil Oh boy.. not looking forward to that. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult. It’s not looking great though, as these tires appear to be from the late 60s and sat just about as long flat.. only one way to find out.

[Marty Roth]

Have you tried airing them up?

You just might be surprised, as it is possible that they may still pump up and hold air - at least for a while

[MercMontMars]

@Marty Roth Not yet, I saw a big hole in the sidewall and assumed their fate was sealed. But before I go to buy tubes I’ll at least try them, worst that can happen is they just don’t do anything. 

[Robert G. Smits]

I have a 34 Pontiac parts car that I purchased in the 80's and the tires  looked worse that yours.  They pumped up about 4 weeks ago when I had to move the car.  Still inflated today.  Give it a try.  If all else fails I have a set I took off a 31 Cadillac years ago if you can figure how to get them.

[DFeeney]

You might consider a set of Harbor Freight inexpensive dollys.  They come in handy for future projects,

[joe_padavano]

10 minutes ago, DFeeney said:

You might consider a set of Harbor Freight inexpensive dollys.  They come in handy for future projects,

I've found that the inexpensive dollies roll about as well as the old flat tires... 🤔

[JFranklin]

Here are some new ones for $400.

 

 

[MercMontMars]

@DFeeney Already tried, they seem to be only good for a flat clean shop floor.

[Joe Cocuzza]

13 minutes ago, JFranklin said:

Here are some new ones for $400.

 

 

You beat me to it. I was just about ready to post this.....

If I needed these it would have been perfect because they are about 15 minutes from me....but I need 18" tires

[Rusty_OToole]

Before you cut wheels out of plywood you could try laying the plywood on the ground and rolling the dollies over them. Scraps or half sheets would do, you keep moving the pieces as you roll off them.

[joe_padavano]

10 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Before you cut wheels out of plywood you could try laying the plywood on the ground and rolling the dollies over them. Scraps or half sheets would do, you keep moving the pieces as you roll off them.

But then he has to buy plywood AND dollies...

[Reynard]

Don't a lot of camp trailers and utility trailers run 16" tires? There should be a zillion tire shops  and trailer repair shops in Florida that cater to the trailer crowd. I'm on the other end of the country, but shops around here are happy to part with old used tires for the asking. They've already charged a customer a recycling fee and would just as soon not pay someone to take them to tire heaven, wherever that is.

Still the old Chrysler wheels probably will need tubes...

 

P.S.--Could the modern rice burner 16 inchers, even though they are much fatter than the Chrysler wheels, fit on for temporary use. The tuner crowd should have stacks and stacks of tread-bare carcasses behind their garages.

[arcticbuicks]

Monofoam........worked for me on a old display car[and one i didnt get real tight so i drilled a hole in the tire and blasted more in-plug the hole ] .........or in Cuba they pack straw and grass very tight ......and drive another 8 years

[Bryan G]

I had a car that ran 6.00-16's. Like every old car I've owned, I drove it a LOT. I never bought a new set of tires, but would pick up used sets off Craigslist or Marketplace. I could usually find some for around $100-125/set with decent tread. Never had a moments trouble out of them. My current ride has 8.20-15's, a lot more difficult to find!

 

Slightly off topic, this spring I resurrected a mid-60s riding mower that had been sitting for decades. The part of the rear tire tread that was on the ground had come totally loose and was just flapping. Sidewalls and remaining tread were all cracked. I had nothing to lose so tried pumping them up. Yep, held air just fine and didn't leak a bit!

Edited September 16, 2023 by Bryan G
additional dialog (see edit history)

[Borough Essex]

If the ones you have won't pump up, just take one of the wheels to your friendly neighbourhood tyre shop. They are bound to have some used 16" light truck tyres on their pile that will do the job for now and, as others have said, they'll be glad to get rid of them. You'll need new tubes of course.

[60FlatTop]

If anyone decides to follow up on the idea of the plywood with bicycle tires check with a local bicycle shop. When people bring in a bike with a flat tire the shop usually bumps the sale up to a pair. The bike mechanic usually has a stash of the spares "that were too good to throw away".

 

I have 8 of them right now for two cars in western New York if anyone wants them.

[Rusty_OToole]

16 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

But then he has to buy plywood AND dollies...

He already has dollies. Sometimes you can find scrap plywood at construction sites.

[Marty Roth]

20 hours ago, Borough Essex said:

If the ones you have won't pump up, just take one of the wheels to your friendly neighbourhood tyre shop. They are bound to have some used 16" light truck tyres on their pile that will do the job for now and, as others have said, they'll be glad to get rid of them. You'll need new tubes of course.

Surprisingly, once the old tires and tubes are removed, an early rim such as the ones on my '41 Cadillac will often work with modern tubeless tires, holding air pressure without a tube -

so used 16" modern take-offs could work for you as well

[MercMontMars]

@Marty Roth Looks like that’s what I’ll have to use, these are “new” enough to be 4-ply tubeless tires. Good to know that they’ll take tubeless.

Edited September 16, 2023 by MercMontMars (see edit history)

[Joe Cocuzza]

9 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

He already has dollies. Sometimes you can find scrap plywood at construction sites.

Rusty,

Gotta be careful.....

Not to change the subject but years ago I was taking some scrap plywood (it was in a burn pile) from a house being built and the guy across the street called the State Police on me. They called me at home and after I explained what I was taking they just laughed.

[Rusty_OToole]

8 hours ago, Joe Cocuzza said:

Rusty,

Gotta be careful.....

Not to change the subject but years ago I was taking some scrap plywood (it was in a burn pile) from a house being built and the guy across the street called the State Police on me. They called me at home and after I explained what I was taking they just laughed.

This is too obvious but it you should ask permission before you take anything.

[Joe Cocuzza]

32 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said:

This is too obvious but it you should ask permission before you take anything.

You're right!!!!!!!!!!

[joe_padavano]

18 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

He already has dollies. Sometimes you can find scrap plywood at construction sites.

"Scrap" 4x8 sheets thick enough to roll a car on? 🤔

[60FlatTop]

One of my favorite occupational stereotypes is the carpenter scurrying about with his cherished pieces of scrap wood. I rebuilt the front porch of my 1850s house some years back. At the time I bought for 12' 2X6s or X8s to support the roof. They were something like $12 each back then. The antics a carpenter went through to avoid cutting a dovetail in those boards still brings a tear of laughter to my eye. He used scrap wood to get around the cut. And he saved those boards. It was well worth $50 to keep the roof from falling down. But to sacrifice those boards.

 

Those four boards were in the way for nearly 15 years before I finally cut them up and put them out for the trash pick up. Someone probably pulled them out and said "These are good scraps to save!"

 

"Scurry about". Those two words always make me thing of a carpenter with scraps. But I also know a good one about industrial pneumatic controls and truck farming.

 

Life has its moments.

[joe_padavano]

[JFranklin]

On 9/15/2023 at 5:58 PM, JFranklin said:

Here are some new ones for $400.

 

 

Just buy these and forget the scraps!