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Air Leaking Through The Spokes

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SHG

SHG

Jedi Warrior
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When I went out to play with my BJ8 yesterday, I found the front left tire completely flat. I looked for something obvious, but couldn't find anything. So, I brought the tire to the garage and they sprays it up good. It seems that the air leak was coming from about 20 nuts on the spokes of my 60 spoke rims. I have Michelin tubeless tires on. My garage guy told me not to touch the spokes, but to put a tube inside the tire. Is this normal, and what's the best thing to do to stop this?

Scott
 
[ QUOTE ]
When I went out to play with my BJ8 yesterday, I found the front left tire completely flat. I looked for something obvious, but couldn't find anything. So, I brought the tire to the garage and they sprays it up good. It seems that the air leak was coming from about 20 nuts on the spokes of my 60 spoke rims. I have Michelin tubeless tires on. My garage guy told me not to touch the spokes, but to put a tube inside the tire. Is this normal, and what's the best thing to do to stop this?

Scott

[/ QUOTE ]

Scott,

I may have got it completely wrong, but I always understood you should have spoke tape over the spoke nipples protecting an inner tube, and that this was the way they were originally put together. Certainly all five of my wheels are this way.

Checking the original BMC parts list (AKD3523) it doesn't show tape or inner tubes - but then it doesn't show tyres either /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Andrew,
You may be absolutely correct. I know nothing about what goes on inside the rim, and it makes perfect sense that there would be something there. I was thinking it ought to have a bladder of some sort around the interior of the rim, so spoke tape makes perfect sense.

Scott
 
Scott, all my wire wheels have what looks like a large rubber band around the inside of the rim to cover the spoke nipples. Thay all have tubes in them, as well. If you are running radial tires, be aware that radials take different tubes than bias ply tires.
I just looked, and Victoria British sells the wire wheel rubbers, $46.00 for a set of 5. P/N 9-085 for 15" wheels.
Jeff
 
Scott,

Unless you have aftermarket chrome wire wheels that are designed to run without tubes, the wire wheels on our Healeys require a tube to keep the air from leaking around the spoke ends. There should also be a rubber rim liner which covers the ends of the spokes. This isn't designed to keep air in the tire, it's just meant to prevent the ends of the spokes from rubbing against the tube and wearing a hole in it. The tube should be dusted with talc before installation and all stickers should be taken off the tube and the inner portions of the tire. If you're running all four tires without tubes, you should put tubes in the others, too, as they will be leaking also.

Happy Healeying,
Rick
 
Thanks so much for the fast help. I really appreciate having this forum as a resource, since I really don't have the know-how to do this on my onw. Truly, Thank you.

Scott
 
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since I really don't have the know-how to do this on my own.

[/ QUOTE ]
Scott, if you have the car long enough, you will <u>get</u> the know how, whether you want it or not! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Jeff
 
[ QUOTE ]
My garage guy told me not to touch the spokes, but to put a tube inside the tire. Is this normal, and what's the best thing to do to stop this?
Scott

[/ QUOTE ]
The "garage guy" gives good advice. The spoked wheels that are commonly available are not designed to run tubeless. Some wheel suppliers claim that the inner spoke ends are sealed with silicone caulk & can be run without tubes. I have never known of this sealing lasting very long. Sooner or later, one of the many sealed spoke junctions will leak & let you down.

Also, the rim edge contour is designed differently on wheels designed for tubeless tires. A tube type rim which is run tubeless is more likely to have the tire completely leave the rim if the tire goes flat.

The only sure way to solve the problem is to install tubes in the tires.
D
 
Alan Hendrix of Hendrix Wire Wheels strongly recommends using tubes, as any seal will be destroyed should a nipple have to be tightened, etc.
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif

SHG, Moss Motors sells the Rim Bands and one of the best heavy duty tubes I have ever used. The Tubes are in the $20.00 or better price range and are worth every penny. Install them all around and have the wheels reballanced.-FWIW---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif----OH , If the valve stem holes in the wheels are oversized there are Plastic grommets that you will need to install with the tubes. Failure to do this can cause the wheel to cut the valve stem off!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
running tubes is better anyway. For one simple reason if you ever have a flat out of town and you have to have a hibdons or some chain patch it for you they have to patch because you can't plug a tube.
 
In a pinch, a couple of wraps of electrical tape can sustitute for the protective rubber band covering the inside of the spokes.

For the record- Tubes in mine, and silicone on the inside of the hub end to keep grease from running down the spokes.
 
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