I have an old rigid circa 1960’s truck that I’m putting on display on permanent blocks. The rear tray will be made into a stage/decked area with a roof over it for entertainment. It will be blocked up enough from the chassis so the tires just touch the ground but bear no wieght. I do however still want the tires to look like they are full and it is sitting on them. So the advice I’m looking for is what to fill my tires with rather than air so they look full and stay that way for years. I was thinking expander foam, would that work or is there better ways. Thanks Gary.
1 Answer
Your best bet may actually just be air. Radial tires have a stiff structure which will hold their shape fine as long as there's no weight on them. Just look at tires in a store, they don't collapse. You don't even have to keep them inflated and they'll still look fine.
However, you may want them hard, so if someone kicks them they will seem full, in which case expanding foam will work fine. You'll need to account for the foam displacing air. If I were doing it I'd remove the valve core from the stem and drill a hole in the sidewall on the inside of the tire on the opposite end of the tire from the stem valve, making it just a bit bigger than the tube. The foam will displace air, which will have two outlets. The hole you fill from won't be seen because its on the inside of the tire. You could also drill a couple of small air holes between the grooves of the tire as well.
-
-
1I might try over filling with air a bit first then see how that lasts and if it doesn’t then I’ll try expander foam similar to how you’ve described. Much appreciated– GaryCommented Jun 26 at 9:27
-
I'm no authority on tire displays, but filling them with nitrogen will keep them from oxidation and condensation. It's available at many tire stores.– JupiterCommented Jun 26 at 13:20