MTFCA Forum

Anyone except me having difficulty fitting 30 x 3 1/2 tubes and flaps into 30 x 3 tires?

Richard

IMO, don't think that can work to stuff a 23" dia flap and tube in the 30x3 tire casing that is made to fit 24" clincher rim.

Just rec'd these from Coker, right size 30x3 brass stem tube, and proper 24" flap to go into the 30x3 tire on this all metal felloe clincher 24" front wheel.

That bridge washer doesn't look correct. The repros I've seen look like that one. The originals were designed the way they were, because that is the way they are supposed to be! A lot of reproductions are made incorrectly, and I believe that one is.

The bridge washer looks like it would work very well because when inflated, it would push against the rim and put pressure against the tube to seal from leaking.
Norm

Yes, the reproduction bridge washers are different, they are flat base against the rubber vulcanized pad for the brass stem. The hole in that repro bridge washer is also larger, so that it fits the larger modern brass stem. But that is the way of new parts today, use it or make your own.

The original bridge washers are 'ribbed' underside to squish the area around the stem, that is better, but some are small dia, if you find the original other dia. that is bigger, it will fit over the new brass stems. Lots of old used parts and pieces of diff mfg stems and lock nuts, like Dill or others are out there to piece together what you want.

For me, you can find the original larger type lock nuts, they have a thinner hex, the repro hex of the new washers is too big, and these thinner are the larger type so original dust covers ( the ones in this photo are original larger size covers that I re-nickeled with Caswell kit, to bring back the shine) or the repro new dust covers can fit these original lock nuts. That way no one will suspect your have 'wrong' fat brass stems! They hide under the covers.

I suppose the modern bridge washer is adequate on a new metal stem tube with the stem vulcanized into the rubber. But if you're installing your own stems you want the original style washer.

I changed some repro bridge washers into "original-style" washers but did not see how to make it pay...and the dearth of folks who actually want or need originals is, I believe, far too small to support production in any numbers. If you are dealing with a modern metal stemmed tube with a vulcanized stem, then in fact, you do NOT want original style bridge washers

the volume involved in making any kind of $$ was beyond what I find interesting, and projected sales don't appear to support getting that many sold anyway.

RE: flat vs embossed bridge washers

Read what I posted in this thread:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/33 ... 1377072854

Save yourself some grief and dollars. Fit the tyres to rim that have a rubber rim liner rather than a flap. They can be cut from the inner diameter of a 13" car tyre or from a 20" bicycle tube.

Allan from down under.

I'm in the old school camp, making sure the clincher rims are in good condition and use no flaps or liners as Henry did.

That'll work Frank. Because the liners cost me nothing, I use them anyway. Never have had a problem with them.

Allan from down under.

I still have a couple of old Firestone tubes from the sixties. They are twice as heavy as anything made today.