MTFCA Forum

I ordered two 23 x 4.5 inch flaps from Universal /Coker recently for my 30 x 3.5 inch tires and was told that they would not be available for probably six months or more. Does anyone know of someone who has flaps available or expects to get them sooner?

Tim,

Have you tried Lucas tires? I got flaps from them in the past:

https://lucasclassictires.com/

Neal,
That was a good suggestion. They have them in stock so I went ahead and ordered them. Thanks!

Are your rims in poor condition that you need them?

Just yesterday I picked up three used 13" inner tubes at my local tyre shop. Three re-usable snap fit rim liners for FREE!
No fitting hassles
No bulk weight added
No chance of them moving .
No beautiful tariff to be paid. Allan from down under.

Steve is correct. If your rims are good enough, flaps are a waste of money. They will not compensate for a rim which is not good enough. Sharp, thin edges will cut the bead, regardless of a flap being installed. They may protect the tube when fitting tyres for those whose technique is wanting.

Allan from down under.

Allan wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 04, 2025 12:50 am

Steve is correct. If your rims are good enough, flaps are a waste of money. They will not compensate for a rim which is not good enough. Sharp, thin edges will cut the bead, regardless of a flap being installed. They may protect the tube when fitting tyres for those whose technique is wanting.

Allan from down under.

I'll chime in the argument of no flaps. Never used em, never a problem. We'll count this in the battle category of M.M. oil, water pumps, electronic timers, etc. Otherwise fellas, have a great 4th of July, and just remember those who helped us get to where we are! God Bless America.

Cheap insurance for those of us who can't mount both sides of the clincher at the same time !

Lang's lists them.

I like flaps... my current rims are a little rough on the inside which seems pretty normal. I ordered the latest flaps for a pair of brand-new rims along with new T-Drivers, Blockley tubes and balance beads......The new rims, tubes, flaps and tires will replace a set whose tires still have some tread (@12000 miles) which I will keep as spares.

I recently replaced my rear tires after 11000 miles, 8-9000 of those miles on Blockley tubes. After inspection the tubes were in near-perfect condition so I felt confident re-using them. My take on flaps is not only do they protect the tubes in general, but they keep them from bulging down between the bead edges of the tires. Running at 60-65 psi, I would think the tube would otherwise try to push in between the beads (see illustration) which it would have to do in order to contact the rim. Tubes rubbing against the bead edge is probably not a good idea either. I also prefer to use a bridge washer, thinking it cheap insurance. I may be all wet in my assessment but like many hypotheses put forward on this forum my conclusion is not backed by rigid research, only my suspicion of how things would work. FWIW - in 12000 miles the only flat I've had was from a roofing nail.

Every flap or tube only tire I have removed had that flap or tube down between the bead gap onto the rim. A flap wont bridge between the beads when aired up as your illustration shows.

Here is my two cents to the discussion.

Generally flaps ate used to prevent chaping of the intertube against the spokes in the rim.
There was a discussion in 2016.
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/4 ... 1415586174

George - you seem to be confusing rim strips & flaps - rim strips protect the tube from contacting the spoke nipple base - flap protect the tube from tools.

Generally flaps ate used to prevent chaping of the intertube against the spokes in the rim.

Ford used rims with spokes sticking through them?

The illustration from drobnock shows what I believe is a rim liner, which is much thinner material and fitted tightly against the rim. The flaps I've used are pretty thick and don't extend much into the gap between the beads. Regardless, the tubes show no wear marks after thousands of miles. Hey, to each his own

Tim's illustration is just that, an illustration. If you believe that the bead on the tyre is not driven hard into the bead on the rim under 60 psi pressure, I have a bridge I can sell you. If you believe a a rubber flap is not driven hard down onto the rim under that same pressure, I can supply an aircraft carrier to sail under the bridge. I have no idea if either the bridge or aircraft carrier would attract a beautiful tariff.

"Flaps are cheap insurance for those who can't mount both sides of the clincher at the same time" I can believe, but I query "cheap."

Allan from down under.

Allan wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 04, 2025 9:18 pm

Tim's illustration is just that, an illustration. If you believe that the bead on the tyre is not driven hard into the bead on the rim under 60 psi pressure, I have a bridge I can sell you. If you believe a a rubber flap is not driven hard down onto the rim under that same pressure, I can supply an aircraft carrier to sail under the bridge. I have no idea if either the bridge or aircraft carrier would attract a beautiful tariff.

"Flaps are cheap insurance for those who can't mount both sides of the clincher at the same time" I can believe, but I query "cheap."

Allan from down under.

Thats what I was saying. However not so eloquently.
Last week I changed a tube with a flap & saw just that. Again. Both, the tube & flap contoured down between the beads.
I dont fault you for using a flap. What ever YOU are most comfortable with.

Mounting a new Riverside. No flap. I've had plenty of flats, and I can't think of any that I can say was due to the lack of a flap. When this 1915 was new, did it come with flaps?
Is there any T-era reference that deals with tires in detail? There's plenty on wheels.
How about tires?

Gee! When I posted my question I didn't think I'd create such a "Flap"

The great flap debate is in the Mystery Oil category. I use them on my wooden-wheel '27, and I'm not put out in the least if you don't believe in them.

Flap debating is an American Joy

The old time flaps for clincher rims were either very thin more like liners, or more robust ones and thicker.


What is today a clincher flap is rather more thick, stiffer, and bit wider. IMO they are ok to use, only time had a struggle was with a 30x3 size, the 24" flap and tube fit, little more tire tool work though.. (BTW, a flap was std. Ford issue for 21" split rims, as the split and lock fitting rivets have to be covered with a flap to protect the tube.)

John, your 27 should have 21" split rims. These do have a flap, to protect the tube at the join in the split rim. NOT using a flap in those could cause failure at that point. Using a rim liner on a split rim would make for problems when fitting the tyre.

Allan from down under.

The tubes I have run into are smaller in diameter then they should be so I will continue to use flaps on the clinchers. They help keep the tube in the tire when mounting.

Allan wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 05, 2025 9:30 pm

John, your 27 should have 21" split rims. These do have a flap, to protect the tube at the join in the split rim. NOT using a flap in those could cause failure at that point. Using a rim liner on a split rim would make for problems when fitting the tyre.

Allan from down under.

It does and I do. The car came with a set of brand-new real Firestones. When I installed the tires a previous owner had used duct tape as a flap. In several areas at every rim the duct tape had worn through at the spokes, and a couple of the wood-spoked wheels had also had the tape worn through at the split. I never considered mounting the tires without flaps.

Dan's photo of the old time flap is revealing. Even this tough old fibre reinforced flap and the tube, have clearly been driven down to the rim base. It also shows that it is unnecessary to notch the bead to fit the valve stem.

Allan from down under.