Got my First Flat Tire Today - Thank Goodness for Demountable Rims!

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Got my First Flat Tire Today - Thank Goodness for Demountable Rims!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - 11:51 am:

I took my 1924 touring / pickup conversion out for a routine drive this morning, on the way home I stopped at a local gas station and pumped in 2 gallons. The other patrons looked at me like I was from the moon when I pulled out the seat and stuck the gas hose inside the passenger compartment to fill the tank. :-)

A couple of miles down the road later, my right rear tire went flat, thank goodness for demountable rims! I had the spare on and was back on the road in just a few minutes. The OEM Ford jack and wrench worked great.

Looking at the tire (a Universal T Driver) when I got home, there was a hole and the impression of the head of a nail in one spot, but no sign of the nail. Feeling around inside the tire did not reveal any grit or other sharp objects. The edges of the rim are smooth and have plenty of meat (no sharp edges).

The tube had never been patched before, so I'm patching it today and plan to re-install the tube, flap, and tire on the rim and carry it as my spare.

Never a dull moment with the T! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - 12:08 pm:

Mark - I have never encountered a flat tire but was told that if I did all I needed to do was jack the car up and rotate the flat area to the top because it will only be flat on the bottom. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - 01:20 pm:

I would have tried that, Fred, but in the short distance I drove from the first indication of a flat to the side of the road, the tire beads had nearly dismounted themselves from the rim. Luckily, there was always some part of the tire between the rim and the road, so the rim didn't get chewed up. :-)

Unfortunately, patching the tube turned out to be pointless, because in addition to the one main hole, the tube had a bunch of little holes and cuts from flopping around as I was pulling over. The flap seemed OK, though. I ended up installing a new tube and the old flap into the old tire, it seems to be holding air, but I'll keep checking it occasionally.

Since the old tube had a metal stem, I guess I should cut the stem out of the tube and save it for future use, right?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - 02:14 pm:

Been there, done that. Sallisaw Tour, 2007.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Poane on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 07:30 am:

Last time this happened to me it was a rim cut. I stopped the car after it shook violently and a moment later the right rear tire rolled our in front of me. My wife had to get our to get it before it caused an accident because the 14 had a dummy door making it difficult to get out quickly.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Cascisa - Poulsbo, Washington on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 02:40 pm:

Dick,

Where do you get one of those "Not Me" tire changers? :-)

Be_Zero_Be


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dick Lodge - St Louis MO on Thursday, May 22, 2014 - 04:45 pm:

Bob, this flat happened on a short bridge. By the time I got to where I could pull over, the tire and tube had come off the rim toward the axle and the tube was completely twisted around the wheel and axle. As you can see, the vulture wagon had pulled off ahead of us, but Anja and I basically solved the problem ourselves. (Of course, she kept working while I recorded the moment for posterity. Have to set priorities..... :-) )


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Friday, May 23, 2014 - 07:13 pm:

Well, the obsolescence timer must have expired on my tubes, I found another flat today, this time with the car just sitting in the garage! I guess I should count myself lucky for not having it happen on the road.

This time it was the right front, and when I dismounted the tire and pulled the tube out, I found that the rubber area where the tube was vulcanized to the metal stem had a small tear in it. I was able to pull the metal stem out the rest of the way with only slight pressure.

These tires and tubes were installed by the previous owner in 2008. I have put a little over 1000 miles on the car since I bought it in June of 2013, and I'm pretty sure that the previous owner hardly ever drove the car while he had it.

Both of these wheels had flaps, but no bridge washer and retaining nut. I suspect that may have been a factor contributing to the metal stem tearout on the second flat. I am re-installing the flaps and installing a bridge washer and nut on each of the new tubes that I install.

I have three new metal stem tubes on the way from Lang's, along with bridge washers and nuts, I hope they're enough! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Allan Richard Bennett on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 10:01 am:

Can anyone tell me what the purpose of the bridge washer is on the brass stem tubes used back in the old days? They have a ridge on them to help pinch the tube when they are done up, but the wings on the washer are not needed for that.

Henry never used flaps. What complications might there be using bridge washers and a thick flap?

I have replaced a couple of leaking rubber stemmed valves with the old style brass stems and bridge washers and nuts. The new tubes have no reinforcing fabric around the valve hole like the old tubes had, so I could not use too much force doing up the nut.

Just curious.

Allan from down under.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Horlick in Penn Valley, CA on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 12:11 pm:

On my first tour I had no flats. On the second tour, a few weeks later I had 6!

They were all around the stem on new rubber stem tubes. Langs apparently got a batch of defective tubes. I switched to metal stem tubes and have had no problems.

Non-demountables are a bit harder to change than demountables, but not really that bad. The major difference is that you have to put all that air back into the tube. I find an electric pump is a slick trick!



This photo was taken about 10 minutes after I joined the tour! 3 days, 2 nights, 6 flats... priceless!

TH


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 12:28 pm:

Bad batch , and my earlier post they day I was full of crap. On the tires and tubes. I hope all read this


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Carter - South Jersey on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 01:00 pm:

Mark - I wouldn't save the vulcanized stems. The ones to save and reuse are clamped to the tube with a nut.
stems


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Saturday, May 24, 2014 - 01:35 pm:

John, here's what the vulcanized stems look like when the rubber is taken off with a wire wheel.

I won't start a collection, but I'll save these two for conversation pieces if nothing else. :-)

stems


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