Tubes and tyres

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AndrewT
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Tubes and tyres

Post by AndrewT »

Recently found a set of wheels for my series2 ones with the hole for brake adjustment being tube wheels has anyone ever ran the rim with a tubeless tyre instead?
If not where can I obtain tubes and tyres to suit tubes and I gather tubeless tyres with tubes rub and can pop
RobThomas
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by RobThomas »

Thorny subject. Originals used tubes with 15mm valves. These valves are hard to find so adapters needed. Tube quality not what it used to be. Tubes in tubeless tyres can rub, in theory, on the ribs formed into the inside surface of the tyres. Out of 10 tubes I bought new, 2 burst before the wheels were even fitted (I fit my own tyres so have a fair idea about them). Tubeless tyres on Minor rims could peel right off the rims if the tyre deflated (No safety bead formed into the wheel rim) and, if the pressure dropped during driving, they could also suddenly lose the seal and rapidly deflate whilst cornering.

In summary, you do what you feel is best. There is no PERFECT solution. 145 or 155 tyres, tubes or tubeless, 15mm valves or adapters, Radials or crossplies.

Such a difficult subject so you have to do your own research and not 100% trust any of us to give the right answer.
Cardiff, UK
ManyMinors
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by ManyMinors »

Whilst I agree with Rob says, I can only tell what I do with my own car(s). I have not used tubes on my Morris Minors for more than 30years and although I have been told the story MANY times about how the Minor wheels are not designed to run without tubes and that the tyres can come off etc etc. I have driven many many thousands of miles all over the UK and abroad in all conditions, occasionally covering over 1000 miles in a week. I would consider myself to be an enthusiastic driver and I drive my cars fairly hard and corner at higher speeds than many will want to. My Minors run with tubeless radial ply tyres and I regularly check that the pressures are correct. I have never experienced a tyre coming off a rim and do not know of any other who has either. The choice is yours of course but personally, I would not fit tubes to standard Minor wheels when using modern tubeless tyres.
RobThomas
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by RobThomas »

I'm a fan of tubeless, too. Looking at modern wheel rims you can see the advantage of a safety bead, but then again, I've never had one pop off either. I did have a rip into the treads of a Nankang which had such a flexible sidewall that it looked like it had come off whereas Crossplies seem to stay standing erect even when deflated.
Cardiff, UK
philthehill
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by philthehill »

See also the BMC Minor workshop manual as there is a section on using tubeless tyres on Minor steel wheels originally fitted with inner tubes.

jaekl
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by jaekl »

Tubless tyres are older than the safety bead.
kevin s
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by kevin s »

I had a rapid deflation and tyre coming of the rim followed by substantial oversteer with a tube in tubeless tyre on my elan, my conclusion now being the risk is much the same when using tube rims.
King Kenny
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Re: Tubes and tyres

Post by King Kenny »

I used tubes only once in the 40 years of driving my Traveller but put tubeless on once they needed replacing. Did not notice a difference except to my wallet.
1969 Traveller in Almond green. Owned since 1979.
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