Problems with inner tubes

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Problems with inner tubes
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tony Bowker on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 12:05 am:

On Saturday I had a flat AND my spare was flat. We used AAA to get a little air and got home. Then the fun started, I have used three brand new tubes and each has failed along a seam. On closer inspection the seam fails where it has been folded in the package. I am now an expert on removing the tire, indeed I can put it back on without tire levers...
Has anyone seen a similar problem?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sam Humphries on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 06:44 am:

Have not had that problem but found that the new tube I purchased had a stem to big (round) to fit in the hole in the rim.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 07:02 am:

Obviously the tubes spent too much time on the shelf, if not in your garage then maybe at the vendor's. Tubes can be very old and hold air if they're inflated and kept in a reasonable cool and dark place. Inside a tire is fine :-)
Send them back and demand a refund - buy new tubes from another vendor who sells more tubes per year.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 07:21 am:

Tony,

I'd agree with Roger. These new tubes want to dry rot quickly if stored folded. There is nothing like reaching for the shelf just because you have the time, decide maybe you are on borrowed time because what is on the car is still red rubber inner tubes that work fine but you wonder how long....and find that the replacement tubes you just bought last season are shot at the folds!

Since then, I take tubes out of the slipbag as soon as I get them, inflate them a bit, and store them in the corner, or inside an old casing. Seems to not cause them to fail if they sit for a bit.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Nebraska on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 07:53 am:

I've had four tubes blow out this spring/summer. They were all sitting on my shelf a few years (folded), and three blew out as I inflated the tire. One just blew out during the night two days ago. Needless to say I am becoming a "tire change expert" too.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 10:29 am:

The issue last week for me was the new tube just purchased. It's real lightweight, the label says "made in China". The rubber stem seal is light, and reads 'radial' on the stem.



On the scale this new tube is only 1 lb.


I ended up using an older tube that was marked 'made in India', that tube weighted 2 lbs! Was nice, even though old, not sure how many years, but used that one in my spare.

This other new spare tube in my cupboard isn't marked by country, don't remember when I got it, but has a real "Schrader" rubber stem, and the stem seam is rather nice too.



and it weighs more than 1 lbs so that is good.


Until a vendor can supply a quality stem rubber valve, in a heavyweight rubber tube, that weights over 1 1/2 lbs, I think we will see early tube failure, or as minimum, poor air holding making you add air much more often :-(


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Val Soupios on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 11:23 am:

I have been using old tubes with lots of patches in lieu of the new garbage they are selling and have no more problems. Not only are they so much lighter but the material itself seems to be porous so you loose air slowly but can't find a leak when you put the tube in water. I just wish I had more old tubes to work with!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erik Johnson on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 01:18 pm:

The first thing I would do with a brand new inner tube prior to putting it on the car is check it for leaks in a laundry tub or bucket of water.

There was problem in the past (and maybe there still is) with metal stem tubes leaking a the junction where the stem met the tube.

It's not fun putting a new tire and tube on a freshly restored wheel only to find out the tube has a slow leak.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 08:53 pm:

Yesterday I took 2 21 × 34.50 tires to the local service station along with one new tube.
A whitewall tread was separating from the casing but the black spare looked perfect. Not a crack in it...... :-)
I asked him to remove both tires and use the better rim along with the best liner (both rims are excellent).
He had them done this morning so this afternoon I did the switcheroo.
He inflated the good tire to 20 pounds and told me to finish if off after it was on the wheel......smart guy.
I put in on, inflated it to 35 pounds and drove back to the shop.......a distance of about 130 feet.
I had JUST stopped to get out of the car when I heard a sound like a shotgun.
I thought it was some kid with a big firecracker or something so thought nothing of it.
I walked out of the shop and this PERFECT tire was flat with a hole blown right through the tread!
Had the tire seemed dry rotted or weak in any way my guy would have told me.
So much for looks dang it....... :-(
So now I have no spare and after this episode I'm not going far without one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Deichmann, Blistrup, Denmark on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 01:30 am:

Since I got a stem torn out of a tube due to too low pressure in one wheel, I've bought 4 tubes with the same vendor (Denmark). He was present at the fair where this happened and I had no spare on hand.
All 4 failed after just a few miles. I have no slacks in my wheels and never needed it.
I went to another local vendor,where I bought the original 4 tubes I have in my wheels, including the one that failed in the first place. No problems after 100's of miles.
The 2 vendors buys their tubes at different US vendors. There where big difference in the weight and thickness of the rubberwalls in the two tubes.

So there are bad tubes out there.

Actually I do not know for sure where the tubes are made.

At some point I found tubes from one of the large US vendors where made in......Denmark! I found it funny that it had taken the tour across the pond twice and that we could not buy them here. I have never found out who made them.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 04:10 am:

OK Guys - as much as I don't want to start a finger pointing episode it is time to name names to protect the innocent.
What vendors are selling the cheep lightweight tubes and which ones have the better ones?

Sorry but I had to ask! :-(


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dean Dorholt - Mpls, MN on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 07:17 am:

Two years ago I got some tubes from one of the larger vendors of tires and they had problems coming apart where they were vuclinized at the inside seam. They new of the problem and it caused me a flat at rather high speed and ruined the tire. They did nothing to help me out and don't get a dime of my business anymore.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 07:27 am:

I just bought two from Langs, they weigh two and quarter pounds each. Havent tried useing them yet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike_black on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 07:33 am:

I don't like finger pointing, so, let's look for the positive! In the near future I'm going to need to buy some tubes to get my set of new 30x3 1/2 straight sided tires ready to use. Where would you recommend?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James A. Golden on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 07:39 am:

I just mentioned to a guy yesterday that most of my tube leaks appear to be with air slowly coming out the inflation stem.

He suggested that I make sure the valve stem is turned in all the way, as it has a slightly tapered seal on the outer edge.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R.V. Anderson on Wednesday, July 04, 2012 - 09:26 am:

I had a lot of tire trouble until 1988 when I came across a Goodyear tire vendor at a swap meet. He sold me 5 Goodyear 30 x 3-1/2 tubes. I have NOT HAD A FLAT with those tubes since I bought them. They drop to about 45 lbs. pressure over the winter but that's the extent of any "problems" I've had with them.

In replacing the tires and tubes on my dad's unrestored '23 Canadian coupe, I found that three of the four tires had these tubes. Guess which of the four went flat?

Here is a photo of what they look like. This is a metal stem tube. If you run across one of these at a swap meet, metal or rubber stems, get it. In my opinion even a (properly) patched one of these is likely better than a new one. Note the country of manufacture on this one.


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