How to Fix a Wheelbarrow Tire – The DIY Methods
Nothing lasts forever. And there is no exception with wheelbarrow tires. But one good news with damaged wheelbarrow tires is- they are fixable! And at your utter surprise, it’s a very doable, DIY method for everyone.
But the fact is- there are two broad types of wheelbarrow tires. And each of them comes up with different fixing methods, tools and precautions.
In today’s blog post, we’ve crafted a very digestible set of steps that will lead you to the solutions for both kinds of wheelbarrow tires. It includes the list of tools and steps on how to fix a wheelbarrow tire, both tubed and tubeless.
Seems promising? Let’s dive right in-
Repair or Replace- How Much Damage You’re Dealing With?
Before proceeding with the methods on how to fix a wheelbarrow tire, we need to take a break here. Well, we’re talking about assessing the damage of your used wheelbarrow tire and deciding if it’s worth a repair effort or asking for a replacement.
Well, if you find these few conditions in your wheelbarrow tire, we might go with a repair (which we are going to talk about). The symptoms are-
- One or two leaks within the tire or tube.
- Wheelbarrow tire keeps running out of straight line.
- A sudden burst occurred within the wheelbarrow tire.
In most of the other cases, it’s better to replace the tire with a new one. A new set of tires will always make the wheelbarrow more efficient and comfortable to control as well.
Method One- Repairing the Tire of a Tubeless Wheelbarrow
As you know tires are contained in the tire(outer) and the tube inside. To power the wheel up, you need to inflate the tube inside.
With a tubeless wheelbarrow wheel, we have kind of the opposite scenario here. It’s basically an all-in-one tire with no tube inside. The compressed air inside is held by the one-body tire itself.
And once you got the damaged version of it, follow these steps to fix it up asap-
Tools You Are Going to Need
Of course, it’s not a hand-job to fix a wheelbarrow tire, no matter how ‘tubeless’ it is. Therefore, we are going to need a set of tools over here. Here goes the list-
- A wrench.
- A tire plug kit.
- Rubber plug.
- Nylon strap(optional).
- Air compressor (static or portable).
Done with managing them? Let’s check out the steps-
Step 1: Remove the wheelbarrow tire with a wrench
The first step involves removing the tire from its wheelbarrow. And for that, you need to do two things. One- turn the wheelbarrow upside down and two- use a couple of wrenches.
Two wrenches will be required in this case for a reason. One will be holding the nut up, while the other on the other side will be unscrewing it. Finally, after a few twists and turns, the tire will come off the wheelbarrow.
Once the wheel is separated, set the wheelbarrow aside and proceed to the next steps with it in hand.
Step 2: Find the culprit
Possibly, it’s a leak that is causing all the troubles within the wheel. A leak can drain out all the air inside and take the wheel out of order.
And at this step, we will find that particular leak(s).
Take an air compressor and get the hose ready to provide compressed air. Uncover the air valve of the tire and start applying the compressed air into it.
Once the tire will be decently firm and tight with air, you might hear someone whistling noise of air coming out through a leak. With a little bit of checking out, you should be able to pinpoint the leak or hole within the tire body.
Two tips are around this step-
- In the case of no air compressor, you can use a good quality air pump.
- Don’t exceed the pressure level of 25-30 psi with a wheelbarrow tire.
Just in case you can’t locate the air leak, you can pour it up with a few splashes or soap water. It will show the exact point of leak through bubbles.
Step 3: Fix the puncture
Now, this is the step where all the doctoring will take place. We have assumed that you’ve found the location of the leak and are attempting to fix it right away.
In here, you would need the tire puncture kit. This kit box contains stuff like rubber plug, applicator, and reamer.
The sub-steps of this step go as follows-
- Mind the location of the puncture and use the reamer to make it round.
- Now, take the rubber plug from the kit box and pull it through the hole that you’ve just created.
- Use pliers to tighten the rubber and pull it all the way through.
By the end of this step, the tire is ready to be re-inflated over again.
Step 4: Inflate it up and put it back
By this step, we are going to re-inflate the tire back and keep it in its place within the wheelbarrow.
Like previously said, you can use either an air compressor or an air pump based on which one is available to you. Either way, don’t forget to stick to the pressure level of 25-30 psi for single-wheel wheelbarrow tires.
Once done, put it back to its place using those screws and nuts that you took off the wheelbarrow before.
Make sure the tightening is done perfectly. Otherwise, the tire won’t lead straight.
Method Two- Tubed Wheelbarrow Tire Repair
The good news about wheelbarrow tires with tubes is- they are quite easy to fix up. And the drawback is, they are more leak-prone compared to the tubeless ones.
Having said that, we presume that you have a leaked or damaged wheelbarrow tire with a tube. And through the next few sessions, we are going to find the solution to the problem.
Tools You Would Need
Just like the previous one, you would need some tools to proceed. Here is the list-
- Screwdriver.
- Air pump.
- Water.
- Tube sealer.
Step 1: Open up the tube
Right now, at this moment, we might have an uninflated, squeezed tire tube that we have to work on. For that, take the tube out by breaking the bead of the tire. It’s comparatively easier than taking off the entire tire just as we did in the early method.
All you need to insert the screwdriver into the tire and bring out one portion of the tube. The rest of it will be coming out by stretching only.
Step 2: Locate the leak
The next task is to locate where the leak is. And that’s quite easy if you have an air pump and a bucket half-full of water.
Inflate the damaged tube to a decent extent and keep immersing it into the bucket of water portion-by-portion. Eventually, you will end up locating the exact leak or leaks (if there are more than one of them).
Step 3: Fix the leak
Now, unbox the tube sealer from your toolbox where you will have all the essentials to fix a tube leak.
By applying the rubber putty on the leak, don’t forget to add some extra adhesive on top of it. Let it dry under open air for a few minutes and we are done.
Step 4: Put the tube back
Now, all you need to put the tube back into the tire. If you find it hard to do while the tube is semi-inflated, empty it up before putting it in the place. Once done, use the air pump now to fill the tube up with compressed air.
Done? Great! Your wheelbarrow tire is back to the form again!
A Few Tips Before We Wrap Up
We know that you might have gone with one of the two aforementioned methods. No matter whichever was your cup of team, here are some generalized advice for you-
- Don’t exceed the suggested pressure level (25-30 psi) while inflating your wheelbarrow tire.
- If you’re not used to running air pumps or compressors, take help from someone experienced in this.
- While locating the bucket-water method for locating the leak, look for bubbles coming out of the leak.
- Some extra adhesive to whatever leak-fixing putty you’ve used always works well.
- Tighten up the screw multiple times if you’ve taken off the entire tire from the wheelbarrow.
- In case of too many leaks or worn out portions, it’s better to go with a wheelbarrow tire replacement.
Parting Words
Well, if you ask our honest opinion, there can be many sub-concerns to be discussed with each of the steps involved with the process. But if you are just new to the methods of how to fix a wheelbarrow tire, this guideline will set the track for you.
All you need is to know the right uses of the right tools. Also while using sharp hand tools and power tools, don’t forget to protect yourself up from any potential damage.
