I have a number of rear wheels for the 24 inch Victas that have come apart on the join. Obviously this was a problem from the start as I have had many wheels that must have been repaired by the dealers. They had big staples about 2 inches long holding them together. I'm wondering if anybody has any thoughts as to how I could repair the ones I have here?
I have had wheels like this that were drilled in the centre of the tread and every couple of inches a long self taper screws down the rubber tread into the steel centre (on an angle so the self taper comes through the sheet metal.)
The head of the screw is below the tread in the tyre .
A cheap fix will look a little rough sometimes.
Not sure if anyone else has successfully repaired this problem without replacing the wheel and the wheels will still look standard.
Seems like the rubber has contracted and maybe a sign it's well past it's use by date. That's probably off an early 24 frame and reached 50 years of age. Can you order them as a part? Otherwise, scavenge them off of Victa Vacs or other Super 24s and 600s with munted frames.
Nice array of metal tools in the pic BTW.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Not something I’ve had to resolve with these but I have had a couple of other similar situations.
A bushie type fix would be to make new tyres either by wrapping thick belting around a hub and fusing it or cutting the correct size out of an old earthmover tyre, half a tyre a side and heating them to force them over the hub then using retread bonder to stick the two halves together.
In my experience you need newish rubber to do it, the older ones lose their elasticity and won’t come back to the correct shape. There’s also stuff called block or blocking rubber. I’ve cut “tyres” out of that too.
I may try using a worm drive clamp around it to see if that will pull them back together, then work out to hold them in place. Maybe some Sikaflex product might bond them together
Maybe easier to change the wheels ,MTD have 12 inch wheels about $15 a wheel but may be difficult to find in Aus ,I have 4 of them also seen bike trailer wheels with pump up tyres and they are about 12 inches.
Hold on, I recall the rear wheels on the fully imported models with Victa labelling printed on them like the Thunder and Hurricane (?) have the same size rears on them.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I think if I can't repair the wheels I have I will have to scrap a couple of these slashers. Front wheels I have used MTD wheels there but the back wheels are where I am struggling
Hold on, I recall the rear wheels on the fully imported models with Victa labelling printed on them like the Thunder and Hurricane (?) have the same size rears on them.
unfortunately MF, those wheels are as weak as p***
Hi Norm, try some roofing screws through the wheel into the existing rubber to hold it in place and then Urethane to make up the gap. Don't bother with the clamp, as soon as you remove it it'll stress the join and come apart. I would position the screws as per my updated picture.