TyrFil (R) Flatproof Polyurethane Tire Fill:
Reviews from Professional Truck Drivers

Imagine if your truck's tires never got flat. They can't if they're filled with TyrFil (R), a "flatproof" polyurethane tire fill, instead of air.

There are seven different products on the market depending on the firmness of the ride desired and whether or not your desire is to be "green" (or eco-friendly).

Disclaimer: We have no connection with this product line, but will relate on this page what it is all about. We're asking for reviews from professional truck drivers who have used any of the products that go by the name TyrFil (R).

What is Tire Fill?

According to their website,

Our tire fill product replaces all of the air in any pneumatic tire with a highly engineered polyurethane resin blend. In as little as 24 hours the mixture cures to a soft resilient polyurethane elastomer. Instead of riding on air, you ride on a soft cushion of polyurethane tire fill.

TyrFil is formulated to duplicate the riding characteristics of air. It is tough enough to be used in the tires of the heaviest industrial equipment and in the harshest environments.

Used in the Trucking Industry?

On their list of flatproofing by industry, trucking is not specifically listed. But, again, according to the website, the product

• has been in use "almost 40 years";
• has been sold worldwide in a quantity of "more than one billion pounds";
• has been used in "thousands of applications"; and
• "allows equipment to operate over broken glass, nails, sharp metal, and rock."

Speaking of using polyurethane tire fill in harsh environments, one of the images they use on their website is very impressive.

Can it be Used in Truck Tires?

Until Mike was at the location where he got a pneumatic tire replaced on the truck that he drives in his local truck driving job, he had never heard of this concept before. He picked up a couple of flyers relating to tire fill polymers. One of them indicates that the product eliminates the need for tire pressure checks.

Vicki attempted to find information about using such products on the FMCSA's website. Using the search term "polyurethane", she found the following:

... 

Question 4: May tires be filled with materials other than air (e.g., silicone, polyurethane)?

Guidance: §393.75 does not prohibit the use of tires filled with material other than air. However, §393.3 may prohibit the use of such tires under certain circumstances. Some substances used in place of air in tires may not maintain a constant physical state at different temperatures. While these substances are solid at lower temperatures, the increase in temperature from highway use may result in the substance changing from a solid to a liquid. The use of a substance which could undergo such a change in its physical characteristics is not safe, and is not in compliance with §393.3.

Given this, Vicki looked for the melting point of the product on the product's website but did not find any results. There is a list of melting points for "chain extenders and cross linkers" used in some polyurethane products, but not for polyurethanes themselves.

How are the Tires Filled?

Virgin tire fill is introduced to tires by means of a pumping system. Recycling and reusing tire fill is made possible by the AutoFil(TM) Recycler System.

If you are a professional truck driver and you have used TyrFil (R) Tire Fill in your truck's tires within the last 6 months, we invite you to review it on this page through the form below, answering questions such as these:

• Which tires on your truck did you have filled with the product?
• What was your experience in using polyurethane-filled tires versus pneumatic (air-filled) tires?
• How would you rate the quality of the product?
• Was the product worth the price you paid for it?
• How did the product save you time or money or both?
• Would you buy the product again and why?

Review This Product

Lots of products are marketed to and sold to truckers, like the one shown on this page. If you are a professional truck driver and you use this product, we invite you to review it.

We prefer the kind of detail in a product review that we have listed in these suggestions.

Thanks for sharing.

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...