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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:14 am 
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Location: Southern New Jersey
I have a set of Cat Trax beach wheels for my Hobie 18 and the tire rubber is getting old. There are cracks appearing in the “tread” area of the tire. The tires still held air (last season) but I’m afraid of the day I’m on the beach with a flat tire and 100+ yards of sand between the boat and the trailer. :(

I see I can buy replacement parts at Catamaran Sailor dot com

Has anyone had experience changing Cat Trax tires? Can I get away with just adding Inner Tubes to the existing tire/wheel? Any other suggested sellers for Cat Trax replacement Tires/Inner Tubes?

Thanks.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:13 am 
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Hobie dealers carry trax wheels and have access to spare wheels. This is shown in the catalog as #1635. Not sure on the inner tube idea.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:21 pm 
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Location: Santa Cruz
I carry inner tubes and replace them at regattas all the time. I use my size 12 to break the bead. The tire has to be in fairly decent shape, and it has to come off the axle to install them. I think they're around $25.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:49 am 
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Location: Southern New Jersey
Thanks for the info Jeremy. I think my tires are still good enough for a season or two more since they are still holding air, But I’ll like to get the inner tubes as a precaution. Are the inner tubes sold on catsailor.com anything special or can I use (the right size) lawn tracker inner tubes for TSC? Also, I’ve never had the wheels off the axis. Is it difficult to unmount/remount the wheels, rebuild the bearings, etc??? Are there instructions available? I’d hate to be learning this by trial and error (usually more error :oops: ) on the beach. Thanks.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:16 am 
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Location: Jersey Shore
The wheels are easy to remove from the axle. Un-bolt and remove the hull cradles. Then pull the outside cotter pin from the axle. Slide off the large washer and then slide the wheel off the axle (the plastic roller bearings will fall out). Installation is the reverse process.

Removing the tire from the wheel is a bigger issue. You may need to take it to a tire shop to have it removed.

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:36 am 
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Location: Lake Champlain, Vermont
Fix-a-flat? (in a can)? Maybe not cause you're supposed to spin the wheels faster I think.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:53 am 
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Location: Santa Cruz
danneskjold wrote:
Thanks for the info Jeremy. I think my tires are still good enough for a season or two more since they are still holding air, But I’ll like to get the inner tubes as a precaution. Are the inner tubes sold on catsailor.com anything special or can I use (the right size) lawn tracker inner tubes for TSC? Also, I’ve never had the wheels off the axis. Is it difficult to unmount/remount the wheels, rebuild the bearings, etc??? Are there instructions available? I’d hate to be learning this by trial and error (usually more error :oops: ) on the beach. Thanks.



Hello,
You can usually break the bead by placing the wheel on it's side, hold on to something ( picnic table or whatever) and stomping on the bead. Break the bead on the valve stem side. The only inner tubes that will last are the ones with stainless valves. The other ones are cheaper, but won't last. I don't know what catsailor has. Some tire shops can do this for you. They won't have the right inner tube laying around, but they can usually break the bead. Go to a motorcycle place.

One note of caution. There are several types of wheels this will only work if you have the aluminum rim and rubber tire (newer style).

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:20 am 
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Slime makes sealant for both tube and tubeless tiers. You would probably need to go with a bigger bottle of the quantity they recommend for use on ATV tires (32 oz.?). Drain the tire fully, break the bead, squeeze in the slime, re-fill and spin...

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:21 pm 
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Location: Santa Cruz
BrianCT wrote:
Slime makes sealant for both tube and tubeless tiers. You would probably need to go with a bigger bottle of the quantity they recommend for use on ATV tires (32 oz.?). Drain the tire fully, break the bead, squeeze in the slime, re-fill and spin...



I love slime! But most of the time the issue with leaky wheels is that there is corrosion where the tire meets the rim. Slime doesn't work well for this type of leak. It just makes a big mess when you have to put a tube in.

slime wrote:
Will SLiME seal my bead leak?

We do not recommend or guarantee SLiME for sealing bead or valve leaks.
When the sealant is installed, and the tire is in rotation, SLiME is forced only to the tread area...

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:43 am 
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Location: Southern New Jersey
Quote:
The only inner tubes that will last are the ones with stainless valves. The other ones are cheaper, but won't last. I don't know what catsailor has. Some tire shops can do this for you. They won't have the right inner tube laying around, but they can usually break the bead. Go to a motorcycle place.


Thanks again Jeremy. Do you have a recommended size and brand of inner tube? The beach wheel tires are an odd size/shape and I don't want to waste anyone's time searching for just the right size. I'm assuming some kind of ATV inter tube would work, but I don't know how to best match the wheel and tire size to an innertube size. I've found this innertube sizing chart on the web. I'm still not sure. I guess have to take some measurements of the beach wheel tires this weekend first. :?

Image

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK. So I looked at the tire and lo-and-behold ther was the size right on the side-wall of the tire. 21x12-8
I was quickly able to find and innertube with the proper size with a metal valve stem in an ATV heavy duty inner tube.
I repaired the tire on satuday with no problems. It does take patience to wait for the trapped air between the inner tube and the tire to escape when you fist inflate the tube.

Thanks again for the info.

Any help?

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'79 Hobie18 - Magnum
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:40 pm 
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Bringing this topic back to the top as I have some questions around installing an innertube in the newer style (tubeless, treadless) Cat Trax. I haven't be able to locate the leak but I suspect it might be coming from the valve stem, which is badly corroded. My question is: when I break the bead and remove the tire, does the old stem come out with it? Is the original valve stem "welded" to the tire or is it simply connected to the wheel? I suspect the innertube linked below would work, but I don't understand what I would need to do (if anything?) regarding removal of the original valve stem. If changing the tube is similar to a bicycle innertube, you simply inflate the tube a bit and gently work it into the tire with the stem aligned with the hole. That sound about right? Thanks guys.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20X12-8-20X12X8-21X12X8-21X12-8-22X11-8-22X11X8-ATV-TIRE-INNER-TUBE-FREE-SHIP-/190685916532


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:13 am 
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Location: Satellite Beach, FL
The old valve stem is probably glued in. Mine was easy to push out though. And yes, once you have the new tube in you just push the valve stem through the hole (like a bike tire. )

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:04 am 
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Location: Lake Norman NC
my cat trax tires rubber are 22 years old I fear that sudden death might happen at any time
thinking of new tires and going ahead with new tubes from florida sailcraft
I dread the thought of a flat at the beach with the mighty heavy hobie 21se
and probably will throw slime in the new tubes
should be good for another 20 years
I do store cat trax in the garage and keep the rubber sprayed with silicone
Former Hobie Admiral Gary


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:09 am 
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Location: Satellite Beach, FL
gary eudy wrote:
my cat trax tires rubber are 22 years old I fear that sudden death might happen at any time
thinking of new tires and going ahead with new tubes from florida sailcraft
I dread the thought of a flat at the beach with the mighty heavy hobie 21se
and probably will throw slime in the new tubes
should be good for another 20 years
I do store cat trax in the garage and keep the rubber sprayed with silicone
Former Hobie Admiral Gary

If you have the new style hubs, just put in some new tubes and be done with it. There is no need to get new tires and slime just makes an unnecessary mess.

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