![]() I got the aluminum from an Aircraft supply comp. It was a rather large pain in the butt sourcing and ordering all the materials and when it was all said and done I may have come out $150 cheaper than a new set, not counting my time(which I had much more of then).Not worth it. I made my first set and they were engineered exactly like "Cat Trax" made hubs and bearing races. If anyone has any actual input about the original post topic - sourcing parts to build a set of wheels - that would be most helpful. Throwing a fist full of cash at the problem is a simple and obvious solution, but unfortunately one that isn't available to me right now. All we're talking about is a pair of wheels, an axle, and a basic hub/bearing assembly. I know they work well, but I also know that it didn't take a rocket engineer to design them. My folks have a pair that they've used for close to 20 years. You guys mean to tell me that no one has successfully made a decent pair of beachwheels on their own using ATV tires or something similar? Of couse I could buy a set of Cat trax. I threw tubes in close to three years ago, and I don't think I've added air since then. You aren't putting any load on them, and the chance of the tube pinching itself and leaking is pretty low. The tire is a 21x12x8, I think both of mine have a 22x12x8 tube in them. Cat-trax have a strange tire size, and its tough to get a tube that is the right size. I think I broke the bead on mine with my foot. ![]() You don't even have to pull the tire off, just break the bead on both sides, get the tube in. ![]() Put a tube in, the tires are soft as hell, and easy to get off of a rim, or go somewhere and pay them $4 to put the tube in. And I really don't care if it worked for you, you're an anomaly. I've changed a lot of tires, that sh!t is straight up nasty to deal with, and it doesn't really work that well in the first place. If you have tubeless beach wheels that are leaking or you can't get the tire to seal to the wheel, try adding a sealant made for tubeless mountain bike tires. In cases like this SLIME makes some heavy SLIME filled tubes that will sometimes work. There are some cases such as a damaged rim and tire bead where nothing short of a tube will work and the damage keeps poking a hole in the tube so you have nothing to lose. This has extended the life of my original Rolleeze by 5 years. Trying this will cost you $10-25 depending on product and wheel size but if it works you can get a couple of extra years of life out of a set of wheels. I don't use Slime especially on beach wheels because it has ammonia in it and can corrode aluminum wheels. Right now my preferred sealant for big tires is Caffélatex. Other issue will require that up refill the tires with sealant once or twice a year as the sealant dries up or is used up. Some problems like hard to seal to the rim can be fixed with one application. This has worked for me on various beach and lawnmower tires. As to solving the alternative problem, PVC pipes work pretty well as surfaces to slide the boat on and are very inexpensive compared with wheels. The other solution is to lock them up, which I might do on a weekend. So I am relegated to carrying them back and forth, or moving them on the trailer, all of which is a huge pain I'd rather not deal with. I doubt these new wheels will be spending time overnight on my beach. I've also had a set of beach wheels stolen or trashed at a different location (not a beach or waterfront for that matter). In general, I'm not worried about stuff getting stolen, but it has happened, and given the current economy is more likely than in prevalent times. My boats live on the beach during the summer, which is a 5 minute walk from my house. Your problem however is one that I sympathize with. Other beach wheels don't roll easily on soft sand, weigh more, and are easier to puncture. I just forked over my >$500 for a new set of Cat Trax, simply because they are the only wheels I've used that work well each and every time, no matter the surface. Never quite got to building my own wheels, mostly because you can't find suitable tires for less than $130 each. I've been down this road a number of times.
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