Wheelchair replacement parts – wheels / tires

Wheelchair tires or wheels come in two forms: pneumatic tires (with air) and puncture-proof tires (without air). Pneumatic tires are usually made of rubber and are filled with air. They are widely used in manual and power wheelchairs as they are more shock-absorbent in addition to providing greater traction. The down side to this is that these tires are also regarded as high maintenance tires as they can be punctured easily by sharp objects or get worn out after continuous usage. Replacements are required every 3 months for the inner tubes, and every 6 to 9 months for the outer tire. However, clear worn out surfaces or cracked spots indicate an earlier replacement required.  

Alternatively, puncture-proof tires rarely require any maintenance and can never go flat as they are made either of polyurethane (a kind of plastic) or rubber. Unlike pneumatic tires, the inner tubes of puncture-proof tires contain solid inserts that add to the weight of the tires, giving higher stability to wheelchairs. This is also why they do not require much maintenance or to be filled with air. The research for lighter puncture-proof tires is currently ongoing, with the purpose of producing a maintenance-free and lightweight tire of the future.

The standard size for rear wheelchair wheels are 24” by 1 ⅜” or 1 ¼”, whereas front tires (also known as casters) usually come in sizes of between 2 and 8 inches wide. Casters add to the maneuverability of the wheelchairs and are available in the form of pneumatic tires or solid tires. It is important for wheelchair users to maintain their wheelchair tires, keeping them at the right pressure requirements to prolong tire life and to reduce the need for replacements. For pneumatic tires, air must be pumped in with a normal hand pump and not with gas pumps located at gas stations as they can explode due to high pressure. Wheel locks also need to be regularly checked as a bad wheel lock can wear out tires faster.