# Tires for HS55



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

So I had a tire tear on my HS55. I believe the tire, tube and rim are original, so I might just replace the tubes and tires. The unit still runs, so I am likely waiting until the season is over to make the change but wanted some ideas on brands you prefer because I see pricing all over the place. The current tire and size: Snow Grip II 14x4.0-6.


----------



## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

I have had these Sno Hogs on my MTD for 20 years and they are still great tires...

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200331371_200331371


----------



## arienskids (Jan 26, 2018)

https://www.amazon.com/Carlisle-Trac-ATV-Bias-Tire/dp/B001THCJDE

i would recommend these carlisle tires. a little taller and a little wider but probably the best traction you can get without chains


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

Would both of those fit on the rims? Clearance wise I have plenty of space.


----------



## arienskids (Jan 26, 2018)

they should both fit, nice thing about those hondas are the split rims which means you can install wide tires with very little difficulty, i actually have a set of brand new carlisles i never used because they were to wide for my ariens rims but since you have split rims it wont matter


----------



## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

I had those weird tires on a HS624 I bought. The rubber is ridiculously thin and they have a metal ring that sits in a slot to form a bead. One tire wouldn't hold air so I filled it with slime. When I aired the tire up the slime was coming out of pores in the rubber. I ordered the Carlisles. It was a bear to get one of the two piece wheels apart. It's also a bear to get the heavier Calisle to seat on those rims but it's doable.


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Yes, the Carlisle X-Trac 15" x 5" x 6" is a great replacement tire for your HS55 rims. My only suggestion would be to avoid going tubeless and add 15" x 5" x 6" inner tubes with T87 (90 degree) valves. Honda's split rim design is not a good option for sealing the useless factory tubeless tire (with silly metal ring insert.....joke) which is why Honda switched to a one piece rim not too long ago. 

Here's step-by-step instructions for replacing the tires. Toughest part about replacing the tires is breaking the bead on the old tires before splitting the rims. I typically use a piece of 2" x 10" wood plank about 6' long, place the edge of the plank on one side of the tire (not touching the rim), place the other end of the plank under the front tire of my SUV, and slowly drive up the plank till I "feel the bead pop". Spin the rim around 180 degrees and repeat the process and that should take care of breaking the bead on the front side of the tire. Just repeat the same process on the backside of the rim then go ahead and split the rim in two pieces, remove the old tire and remove the old inner tube. Then take one side of the new tire and "snap it" over the front side of the rim and work it tight all the way around. Take your new inner tube (I suggest getting one with a right angle valve), add about 1/2 pound of air (just enough to give it some shape), take the inner tube and work it into the empty tire cavity, then "snap" the other side of the rim onto the backside of the tire making sure you line-up the holes for both sides of the rim and paying careful attention not to pinch the both sides of the rim on the new inner tube. Insert the four bolts and tighten both sides of the rim together. Slowly add about 5lbs of air, and "flex" the tire by hand all the way around the rim, add another 10lbs of air (taking it up to 15PSI) and the tire bead should "seat" on both sides of the rim. After that, deflate the tire down to 10lbs which should be your operating tire pressure.


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

Thanks guys. Great info there. I'll let you know if I run into any problems.


----------



## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

As an FYI, I didn't use tubes and it's been about three years. The tires hold air fine. Try it without the tubes first. I used standard cheap tire valves, I think slime brand from Autozone.


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

Freezn said:


> Yes, the Carlisle X-Trac 15" x 5" x 6" is a great replacement tire for your HS55 rims. My only suggestion would be to avoid going tubeless and add 15" x 5" x 6" inner tubes with T87 (90 degree) valves. Honda's split rim design is not a good option for sealing the useless factory tubeless tire (with silly metal ring insert.....joke) which is why Honda switched to a one piece rim not too long ago.
> 
> Here's step-by-step instructions for replacing the tires. Toughest part about replacing the tires is breaking the bead on the old tires before splitting the rims. I typically use a piece of 2" x 10" wood plank about 6' long, place the edge of the plank on one side of the tire (not touching the rim), place the other end of the plank under the front tire of my SUV, and slowly drive up the plank till I "feel the bead pop". Spin the rim around 180 degrees and repeat the process and that should take care of breaking the bead on the front side of the tire. Just repeat the same process on the backside of the rim then go ahead and split the rim in two pieces, remove the old tire and remove the old inner tube. Then take one side of the new tire and "snap it" over the front side of the rim and work it tight all the way around. Take your new inner tube (I suggest getting one with a right angle valve), add about 1/2 pound of air (just enough to give it some shape), take the inner tube and work it into the empty tire cavity, then "snap" the other side of the rim onto the backside of the tire making sure you line-up the holes for both sides of the rim and paying careful attention not to pinch the both sides of the rim on the new inner tube. Insert the four bolts and tighten both sides of the rim together. Slowly add about 5lbs of air, and "flex" the tire by hand all the way around the rim, add another 10lbs of air (taking it up to 15PSI) and the tire bead should "seat" on both sides of the rim. After that, deflate the tire down to 10lbs which should be your operating tire pressure.


I just put the new tires onto the rims and am having one **** of a time getting the bead to seat. I tried the strap method and it helped but not enough. The tires came via UPS with the bead all pushed down on the one side. Worked as a car mechanic and sold tires for awhile and never saw car tires like that.


----------



## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Maybe they need to warm up so they got more flexible ? YouTube shows videos with people filling tires with ether, or something explosive, and then igniting the valve stem, but I value my life more than people that would do that !


----------



## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

sr73087 said:


> I just put the new tires onto the rims and am having one **** of a time getting the bead to seat. I tried the strap method and it helped but not enough. The tires came via UPS with the bead all pushed down on the one side. Worked as a car mechanic and sold tires for awhile and never saw car tires like that.


I’ve had a few issues like that with car tires, but mostly with trailer tires. The only answer was a ‘cheetah’ tire inflator. I’ve seen people do the starting fluid method with success but I won’t do it myself. Maybe take the tires to where you used to work and see if they have a ‘cheetah’. Something like that will usually get done free of charge at the shop that I work.


----------



## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

That's why God invented Inner Tubes; especially for SnowBlowers that don't have a Differential.

Regarding the Ether Method, I had a Mechanic who routinely used that on Truck Tires until the Blow-Up that shattered his wrists and Forearms and gave him a Brain Concussion.

Now he's out of business.


----------



## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Take the tires in the house and get them warm. Use the strap. Bounce them down hard and rotate as you go. Put some tire lube around the beads. Pull the valve stems and try blowing air in with the tip of a blowgun. They will eventually seat.


----------



## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

By the above suggestion, one more thing that could be done with the tire removed would be to put them in warm water for a while with some type of spreaders (maybe pieces of 2x4) to keep the beads separated then take them out let them cool down at room temperature, this may do the trick and keep the beads apart for easier installation.


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

I would have brought them to a few friends that have shops in the SE PA area where I am from, but moved to CT a few years ago. My connections are limited here unfortunately. 

I have used the cheetah before on stubborn truck tires. I was thinking about that yesterday, looks like they have them for like $60 on amazon for different brands. I'm a tool junkie, I like to have everything just in case. 

I brought them inside last night, they are sitting by the baseboard as we speak. I think buy some tire lube and give it another shot this week. Looks like I won't need the blower within the next week around here.


----------



## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Where in CT are you? I'm by the shoreline.
PM me if you can't get it to work.


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

YSHSfan said:


> Where in CT are you? I'm by the shoreline.
> PM me if you can't get it to work.


I am in Trumbull, so snooty Fairfield County.


----------



## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

sr73087 said:


> I am in Trumbull, so snooty Fairfield County.


Spent many a night in the bar along the Merritt not far from GE's "old" HQ, but forgot the name of it. Help me out ! It was West of HQ, I believe. What ever happened to GE's HQ ? A morgue for old CEOs ?

Was it the Hi-Ho ? Or the High Hoe ?


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

RIT333 said:


> Spent many a night in the bar along the Merritt not far from GE's "old" HQ, but forgot the name of it. Help me out ! It was West of HQ, I believe. What ever happened to GE's HQ ? A morgue for old CEOs ?
> 
> Was it the Hi-Ho ? Or the High Hoe ?


Hi-Ho is still over there, there is a restaurant in there now as well. 

The GE building was bought quickly by Sacred Heart University. So Fairfield must have lost quite a bit on that one.


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

What type of air pump are you using to inflate the tires? Need a high capacity air compressor to maintain volume using the ratchet strap method. Little 12v air pump or 2.5 gallon compressor won't generate enough air "blast" volume to seat the bead. Try using a 20-30 gallon air compressor set at 110lbs in addition to the ratchet straps. That should do the trick.

Since you stayed with the tubeless configuration, did you check / replace the thin gasket between the split rims?


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

Freezn said:


> What type of air pump are you using to inflate the tires? Need a high capacity air compressor to maintain volume using the ratchet strap method. Little 12v air pump or 2.5 gallon compressor won't generate enough air "blast" volume to seat the bead. Try using a 20-30 gallon air compressor set at 110lbs in addition to the ratchet straps. That should do the trick.
> 
> Since you stayed with the tubeless configuration, did you check / replace the thin gasket between the split rims?


I was using my little porter cable 6 gallon. I have a 50 gallon but the little one was just closer at the time. 

The gaskets looked good, no tears, still pliable. The other tire that didn't tear was actually tubeless and was holding air. I figured I am going to try without tubes, if it doesn't hold I have the tube on hand and the option to install them. 

I got the bead lube and have them sitting on the rims inside right now. I think I should get it, if not I have an excuse to buy the cheetah inflater.


----------



## sr73087 (Feb 9, 2017)

With the tires warmed up, bead lubed and the strap I was able to get this no problem the other night. I think warming the tires is likely what did it. Thanks for all the help.


----------



## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

I'll go out on a limb and predict that you'll wish you had put that Inner Tube back in.

When you keep the air pressure as low as 10 to 12 PSI for improved traction, the bead is stressed when you're making turns without a differential, and it will leak sooner or later, especially if the rim has become pitted due to age.

The best place to store a tube while waiting for that time . . . . is inside the tire, out of the elements and well protected from Ozone and UV light.


----------



## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Original Oahu's were tubeless - no tubes needed. The Sno Hogs have fantastic traction and the recommended 15 pounds (ish) is perfectly fine.

Best place to store a tube is in the box it came from.


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Vermont007 said:


> I'll go out on a limb and predict that you'll wish you had put that Inner Tube back in.
> 
> When you keep the air pressure as low as 10 to 12 PSI for improved traction, the bead is stressed when you're making turns without a differential, and it will leak sooner or later, especially if the rim has become pitted due to age..


Done it both ways. Tubes and Tubeless. Done it with Factory Oahu's and Duro tires and aftermarket tires (Snow Hog and X-trac's). Plain and simple...Honda Split Rims leak with tubeless tires. The split rim gasket WILL eventually fail (even when using a thin bead of Permatex gasket sealer) leading to flat tire(s) during the off-season which will compromise the tire bead. +1 for running inner tubes even with tubeless tires.


----------

