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Steve Hennessey
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Did R4's ever have inner tubes? Not that I can remember but please correct me if I'm wrong. If I am wrong and it is a tubed type tyre then no way must you fit a tubeless valve and use it as tubeless.
Hi Steve,
No, the tyres are tubeless type.
I seem to remember a thread about whether or not Tubes were fitted as standard, I doubt they were, but for some reason every R4 I've had was fitted with tubes. I can't see any reason why I can't just fit a valve and go.
Alan.
No, the tyres are tubeless type.
I seem to remember a thread about whether or not Tubes were fitted as standard, I doubt they were, but for some reason every R4 I've had was fitted with tubes. I can't see any reason why I can't just fit a valve and go.
Alan.
Geoff in the Gully
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The early wheels where the central part is riveted to the outer rim are prone to slow leakage around the rivets. Gets worse as they age. Tubes are a good idea for those wheels, especially if you don't use your car regularly - annoying to always have to pump all the tyres up before you go out!
orsome
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The later wheels like the 4 GTL has a safety bead,it is raised about 3mm a bit back from the outer rim edge to stop the tyre slipping off the rim when cornering our when bumpy,this is a tubules rim,
The old wheel has no safety bead so the tyre can slip off, this type of wheel
must have a tube fitted.
I have always been told that you can fit tubes in a tubules tyre but not when the tyre has a sidewall less than 75.
The old wheel has no safety bead so the tyre can slip off, this type of wheel
must have a tube fitted.
I have always been told that you can fit tubes in a tubules tyre but not when the tyre has a sidewall less than 75.
orsome
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23yrs old tyres
**and why not(which i am not going to do or complaininga anything), i've also heard that men go with 23yrs lasting marriages, too
**and why not(which i am not going to do or complaininga anything), i've also heard that men go with 23yrs lasting marriages, too
iMacThere4iAm
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The very good reason is that rubber perishes, becoming brittle even if the tyres are not worn. It causes sudden blowouts. Good practice is not to use tyres more than 6 years old.
pepper
Pepper The One and Only!
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**and why not(which i am not going to do or complaininga anything), i've also heard that men go with 23yrs lasting marriages, too
Would you trust a 23 year old condom that had been sat in the sunshine every day for most of its life?
Hi, picking up on this thread late after the last posting. I decided to fit new rubber to my '78 TL as the original tyres dated from the 1980's, although they were in excellent apparent condition, no cracks in the side walls and very good thread depth although the rubber was quite hard. The old tyres had been fitted with tubes but the tyre fitter initially fitted the new tyres without. Fortunately, the boss man came on the scene and queried whether the wheel rims were suitable for tubeless tyres, which they weren't as there was no safety bead on the rim which meant that the tyres rims could slip into the middle if the wheel rim, not something you'd want at any time. So the tyres came off again and the tubes refitted.
However, that has begat another problem, as the 'new' tubeless tyres have ribs moulded onto the inner surface, which means that there is a good chance that the inner tubes will rub on the ribs until they perforate, and inner tubes are now hard to find, the tyre man said.
What have others done in this situation?
There would appear to be two possible, or maybe three, solutions:
one is to buy a new set of wheel rims, if they could be found,
two would be to have the wheel rims fitted with safety rims, and
three would be to buy up the world market in inner tubes, just in case!
Has anyone done option two? And/Or
Where would one find three bolt fixing wheels to fit a '78 TL?
The new tyres are 145/80SR13's and fitted with 26psi front and 28psi in the rear by the way. Why, well 135R13's were hard to source in a hurry whereas 145's were available, and as for the the tyre pressures I seemed to have recalled others on this forum doing similar.
I would be grateful for whatever comment folks have on the queries above, as it's not something I have considered before.
Chris
However, that has begat another problem, as the 'new' tubeless tyres have ribs moulded onto the inner surface, which means that there is a good chance that the inner tubes will rub on the ribs until they perforate, and inner tubes are now hard to find, the tyre man said.
What have others done in this situation?
There would appear to be two possible, or maybe three, solutions:
one is to buy a new set of wheel rims, if they could be found,
two would be to have the wheel rims fitted with safety rims, and
three would be to buy up the world market in inner tubes, just in case!
Has anyone done option two? And/Or
Where would one find three bolt fixing wheels to fit a '78 TL?
The new tyres are 145/80SR13's and fitted with 26psi front and 28psi in the rear by the way. Why, well 135R13's were hard to source in a hurry whereas 145's were available, and as for the the tyre pressures I seemed to have recalled others on this forum doing similar.
I would be grateful for whatever comment folks have on the queries above, as it's not something I have considered before.
Chris
Cornish4
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Hello Chris, I can't really see a problem with fitting tubeless tyres on a 4. My 83 GTL has wheels fitted that came off a much earlier car, I'm guessing early 70s, as they have nice stainless hubcaps for a retro look, and I've never had a problem with tyres coming off the bead. I can't see how they can once they are inflated, especially to the pressures you quote which is what I pump mine up to. You are right about the ribs in the tyre chaffing the tube though, something the trials boys have a problem with I believe as they need tubes fitted for running at low pressure when mud-plugging. I would say no need for tubes, I might be wrong and probably am, but interesting to see what other folks say on the subject.
malcolm
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Your wheels are from the later Spanish cars Cornish. GTL wheels with hubcaps. It's a weird Spanish thing.
Personally I don't use tubes even on early wheels held together by rivets. But I have removed some. Problem is that all decent tyres available these days have ribs which do wear through the tubes, and when that causes the tyre to go flat suddenly it's not all that safe whether you have fancy beads or not. They don't make the tyres into run flats.
Tyre roll off only tends to be a problem when cornering hard on tyres that have only filled to half pressure. Bung 28 psi in radials, check pressure regularly and be done with it is my approach.
Disclaimer - see disclaimer on home page.
Personally I don't use tubes even on early wheels held together by rivets. But I have removed some. Problem is that all decent tyres available these days have ribs which do wear through the tubes, and when that causes the tyre to go flat suddenly it's not all that safe whether you have fancy beads or not. They don't make the tyres into run flats.
Tyre roll off only tends to be a problem when cornering hard on tyres that have only filled to half pressure. Bung 28 psi in radials, check pressure regularly and be done with it is my approach.
Disclaimer - see disclaimer on home page.
I think you may find it is illegal to fit tubes in tubeless tyres,precisely for the reason Malcolm has said.Can you not buy tube type tyres? As for inner tubes ,i have not heard of a shortage you can still buy Michelin Airstop in 13 inches . I think no 2 is a non starter!
Hi Jonigel, I am not sure you can get tube type tyres any more, if the guy in the tyre place was to be believed, as he said ALL the tyres come with the internal ribs these days.
I am also unsure of option 2, like how do you ensure no distortion if safety beads were welded in to old rims?
Sounds like there is only a problem if a) you corner like crazy and b) you have too low a tyre pressure - otherwise tubeless on old wheel rims are OK. Would others agree?
Chris
I am also unsure of option 2, like how do you ensure no distortion if safety beads were welded in to old rims?
Sounds like there is only a problem if a) you corner like crazy and b) you have too low a tyre pressure - otherwise tubeless on old wheel rims are OK. Would others agree?
Chris
Cornish4
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I would say the only tyres available these days that take tubes would be crossplys, and it's highly unlikely they are made in the size required for the 4L. Besides that, what an awful ride it would be after using radials. So just do as Malcolm suggests, pump em up well, oh and steady on the cornering.
Malcolm, I didn't realise my wheels were Spanish, thanks for that info.
Malcolm, I didn't realise my wheels were Spanish, thanks for that info.
mojobaby
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In the past year I've refitted 5 tyres.The 3 that had inner tubes had very bad rust damage inside. The valves don't seat too well in the rim hole and water can easily get in and cause rusting.
I cleaned up the corrosion on the lip of the rim and refitted tubeless tyres and haven't had a problem since.
It's the corrosion on the lip that causes slow leaks as the tyres can't seal correctly, and that's why tubes are fitted. It's the lazy way!
I cleaned up the corrosion on the lip of the rim and refitted tubeless tyres and haven't had a problem since.
It's the corrosion on the lip that causes slow leaks as the tyres can't seal correctly, and that's why tubes are fitted. It's the lazy way!
My wheel rims are like those in mojobaby's picture, only a bit less rusty.
Thinking about it further, I would agree with the view of Malcolm and Cornish4. With the tyres properly inflated air pressure will push the tyre beads against the outer rims and keep them very safe, so providing you keep a check on tyre pressures which you need to do anyway and desist from little boy racer cornering there should be no problems.
Perhaps I now have to go back to a tyre place and get them to take the inner tubes out again.......?
Chris
Thinking about it further, I would agree with the view of Malcolm and Cornish4. With the tyres properly inflated air pressure will push the tyre beads against the outer rims and keep them very safe, so providing you keep a check on tyre pressures which you need to do anyway and desist from little boy racer cornering there should be no problems.
Perhaps I now have to go back to a tyre place and get them to take the inner tubes out again.......?
Chris