Did they make tires that were solid and no air?

[DDTJRAC]

Look at the front tires on this truck. Looks solid to me. 

 

eBay photo

 

[m-mman]

Yes.  
Horse drawn wagons don’t use pneumatic tires and do very well. 
Bicycles proved the value of air filled tires in providing a comfortable ride and the earliest cars oftentimes used bicycle wheels and tires.  

BUT, pneumatic tires go flat and when they do, you are parked. Also creating an air filled tire that could support a heavy load took some time. 

A truck carries a heavy load and doesn’t want the down time from flat tires so early trucks used (hard riding, uncomfortable) solid rubber tires.  

[TerryB]

Early trucks had solid rubber tires. Later as pneumatic tire technology improved, tires that could support the load weight of trucks became available and the changeover to pneumatic was adopted.  Along the way many states charged higher licensing fees for trucks equipped with solid rubber tires as they were causing more damage to the roadway than pneumatic tires.  

[dustycrusty]

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/322135-solid-rubber-tired-trucks/

 

[57Classic]

Jay Leno had a video on his 1916 Autocar coal transporter. That had solid rubber tires. 

[John Byrd]

There were also versions of these !

[dustycrusty]

And then there was the Avery truck, with its unique wooden plugs (like bottle corks) that could be replaced individually as needed.

 

 https://iowa80truckingmuseum.com/exhibits-list/avery-tractor-gasoline-farm-wagon-rutenber-4-cylinder/1/

[Studemax]

I seem to remember that early Mack trucks had solid rubber tires.

[wayne sheldon]

Most heavy trucks had solid tires before about 1925. Solid tires were even sold for cars for individuals that were sick of fixing flats.

[JACK M]

8 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Solid tires were even sold for cars for individuals that were sick of fixing flats.

 

I had an old golf kart to get around one property that I used to live on.

The place was unkept and had black berry briers all over the place and I was at minimum airing every day and plugging every other day.

I found a place that filled the tires with solid rubber, and problem solved.

I don't recall now where I had that done, and I doubt the old thing is still running.

But when I moved the place next door bought it as they had the same problems and thought I was genius.