Advantages of Solid Knuckle Boom Lift Tires

Knuckle boom lifts offer businesses a highly versatile way to reach otherwise inaccessible heights. They play a key role in a variety of different outdoor industries, from construction, to power and telecommunications, to arboriculture. One of the most important components of a knuckle boom lift are its tires, which allow safe passage over uneven terrain, and provide a stable base when the lift is extended.

Most companies understand that pneumatic knuckle boom lift tires don't make a great choice for knuckle boom lift, since these tires can easily be compromised by punctures and blowouts. That leaves two different tire choices: (1) foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires and (2) solid knuckle boom lift tires. This article takes a closer look at these two varieties, ultimately demonstrating that solid knuckle boom lift tires are the best choice for knuckle boom lifts.

The Basics

Both foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires and solid knuckle boom lift tires fall under the broader category of puncture-proof tires. The need for such tires greatly increases when working in hostile environments, where pneumatic knuckle boom lift tires simply present too great a risk. Foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires alleviate this risk by doing away with the need for air. Instead, the knuckle boom lift tire's cavity is filled with a dense foam, thus protecting against puncture flats caused by nails, rocks, rebar and other sharp objects.

A solid knuckle boom lift tire takes a different approach. Here, the entire knuckle boom lift tire consists of heavy-duty rubber. Like foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires, this grants the tire complete immunity against the types of damage that would otherwise cripple a traditional pneumatic knuckle boom lift tire. Don't make the mistake of assuming that these two types of tires are interchangeable, however. Solid knuckle boom lift tires possess several key advantages when compared to foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires.

Damage Resistance

The first advantage of solid knuckle boom lift tires has to do with their ability to resist damage. Just because a foam-filled knuckle boom lift tire can resist the sorts of acute failure associated with pneumatic knuckle boom lift tires, they are still vulnerable to other forms of damage. If the rubber wall of the tire suffers a large enough cut or gash, the tire may begin leaking foam.

This kind of damage causes the knuckle boom lift tire to deform and eventually losing its shape to the point that it can no longer provide a stable base for the work platform. A solid knuckle boom lift tire possesses complete immunity from such damage. Since the entire tire consists of heavy-duty rubber, it can maintain its overall shape and continue to provide grip and support even as it wears away or experiences minor chunking.

Service Life

Even a tire that suffers no catastrophic damage will gradually wear down as a result of friction. This holds true for all three major categories of tires. When it comes to service life, solid knuckle boom lift tires have a huge advantage over both pneumatic knuckle boom lift tires and foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires. As it turns out, the foam in a foam-filled knuckle boom lift tire doesn't offer any real longevity benefits.

Solid knuckle boom lift tires excel in a number of ways. To begin with, the tire simply has more rubber on the tire giving it a much longer wear lift. Both pneumatic knuckle boom lift tires and foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires have a relatively thin outer layer of rubber. Once this has worn away, the interior will be exposed, leading to either a flat or a foam leak, respectively.

Furthermore, the rubber used to create solid knuckle boom lift tires contains special severe-duty compound. These compounds augment the knuckle boom lift tire's ability to withstand friction and wear. Likewise, solid knuckle boom lift tires often have thicker treads that help to extend service life. Ultimately, solid knuckle boom lift tires may end up having service lives 3 or 5 times greater than foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires.

Serviceability

Certain types of solid knuckle boom lift tires have yet another crucial benefit when compared to foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires: the ability to be quickly and cheaply repaired. Certain types of traumatic damage can lead to larger chunks of rubber breaking off of a tire. Such damage can be catastrophic for foam-filled knuckle boom lift tires, often necessitating that the tire be replaced entirely.

Serviceable solid knuckle boom lift tires, by contrast, can be repaired by your machine operator. Such individuals can replace missing or damaged sections of rubber. Not only does this extend the tire's service life, but it ensures that anyone working on the knuckle boom lift remains as safe as possible.

For more information about equipping your knuckle boom lift with premium solid knuckle boom lift tires, contact an industry pros at Evolution Wheel.