Bedliner on old tires ?

[glaciercub]

sometime in last year I read somewhere some body had coated their tires with bedliner... well I had an old pair of airstreaks I like to play with they were getting really bad, so I did it...got a quart from napa coated them with two light coats, flew several hours with landings on everything from rock, shale, sand and blacktop.... I have to report it's amazing...very flexibly, tough as nails....they look new, thought they might grab on pavement but no more then before. I would count this experiment
a 9.5..............

keep em flying

 

[Tim]

After getting my bushwheels I thought about that stuff for coating them. How long do you think it will stick, or will it just wear off?
Tim

 

[DW]

Ask Carey Gray he has a pair of 31s with it on them, looks good and appears to work well.

 

[Dave Calkins]

I had heard about Carey's experiment as well.

GlacierCub, what brand and flavor of bedliner did you use?

DAVE

 

[Josh]

Will it fill in small weather checking?

 

[DW]

The tires I saw had it on the contact surface only and not the sidewalls it looked good and seemed to be wearing very well as far as small checking don't know but I'd give it a try.

 

[Tim]

I bought a can at NAPA today and tried it on a plastic 55gal barrel. After it dried I could scrape it off with my fingernail. I couldn't resist trying it on my tires. I put one light coat on, 3" wide and 6" long on the center of the tire. two hours later I couldn't scrape it off. It did seem to fill in some small cuts. I'll give it the asphalt test tomorrow, I have to go fuel up. I just worry it might do something to the rubber.

Tim

 

[glaciercub]

questions?

Clear things up with the following. I had a VERY old set of airstreaks with checking, cracks and some patches of missing rubber ( cord showing).

I mounted them, washed with soap and water...when dry wiped them down with thinner. Put two coats of Herculon brand bedliner, bought at Napa..(one quart) gotta mix the heck out of it (stir not shake as per label as I guess can is under pressure) I used the entire can between two coats, Did sidewalls and all. I did put extra on bad places. I cant say how things will be 6 months and 100 landings from how BUT in past few days I tried to beat the rubber off with everything I could throw at them....
Seems to be bullet proof, I did let them cure for couple days in the sun.
were tacky for first day or two..not wet tacky but picked up stuff when I rolled them across the yard to the hangar... now not so and as I reported before did several landings on pavement thinking they might grab like ?? well but not so... understand it's a rough texture coating, not smooth..
I'm really impressed with the stuff, have a friend doing the same to another pair of airstreaks now. I figure what have you got to loose? I paid 33 bucks for the quart. Take Care and let us know how it works for you.

Paul

 

[Coyote Ugly]

How about an update, now that a little time has gone by.... Just curious.

 

[39-J3]

Sounds like a good commercial for the bed-liner folks.

I think I will just purchase new tires when mine get thin or weathered.

 

[DW]

Flew with Carey Saturday and his still look great.

DW

 

[glaciercub]

Sticks like Goop !

Coyote...I posted a reply on other site.... but to sum it up they out lasted the rest of the airplane. Stood up to everything I could through at them and even more than I wish I could say.... I am sold on it for alot of reasons
it fills all the little cuts,cracks, and protects, is pliable and held up to even the worst situation. Wish I could say the same for the rest of the lil. bird and even myself. But am healing and looking at parts and even other planes. Haven't decided yet on rebuild? or just part it out and move on.

Sucks being grounded in this beautiful weather, clear and 10 degrees with
ski season here it's hard to look up when something flys over...

Be Careful out there and fly safe!!
Wave as you go over, or stop in for coffee....only about 3" on strip

 

[Coyote Ugly]

Didn't put it all together until just now, but thanks for the update, and Good Luck.....