• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Tires

Share this page

OK, this is good, thank you.

My father and I are pretty sure they're 5 or 5.5. I doubt they're 4.5 as original.

I'll have to see what kind of wire wheels they are because I can't tell from the outside. Is there any outright way to tell if there's a tube, aside from pulling the tire off the rim?
 
rlich8 said:
I'll have to see what kind of wire wheels they are because I can't tell from the outside. Is there any outright way to tell if there's a tube, aside from pulling the tire off the rim?
Click to expand...

You can probably tell from the valve stem. Is it seated in the hole, or coming through from the tube inside?
 
Darrell_Walker said:
rlich8 said:
I'll have to see what kind of wire wheels they are because I can't tell from the outside. Is there any outright way to tell if there's a tube, aside from pulling the tire off the rim?
Click to expand...

You can probably tell from the valve stem. Is it seated in the hole, or coming through from the tube inside?
Click to expand...

AHH good point. Most tubes have curved valve stems, right?

Reminds me from when I was a kid. We always used inner tubes in the lake. Always had to remind myself to point the curved valve stem in the water as opposed to upwards. Otherwise it catches your swim shorts and gives you a nice lil' wedgie.

Anyways, if all tubes have curved valve stems, then yes, it's a tube!
 
rlich8 said:
Darrell_Walker said:
rlich8 said:
I'll have to see what kind of wire wheels they are because I can't tell from the outside. Is there any outright way to tell if there's a tube, aside from pulling the tire off the rim?
Click to expand...

You can probably tell from the valve stem. Is it seated in the hole, or coming through from the tube inside?
Click to expand...

AHH good point. Most tubes have curved valve stems, right?

Reminds me from when I was a kid. We always used inner tubes in the lake. Always had to remind myself to point the curved valve stem in the water as opposed to upwards. Otherwise it catches your swim shorts and gives you a nice lil' wedgie.

Anyways, if all tubes have curved valve stems, then yes, it's a tube!
Click to expand...

No, the stem is straight. I think you are thinking about big truck tubes, that have a long, metal stem.

But if the stem seems to go over the wheel, that would be a stem installed in the wheel (tubeless). If you can see a bit of the inside of the hole the stem is sticking through, then it is a tube. Also, a tubeless stem will flare out where it contacts the wheel, a tube stem doesn't.
 
Vredesteins are by far the best choice. Michelins are either worthless (x,zx,xzx ...) or great but totally overpriced (XAs).

Murieta, first jar head ever ...
 
I have 165/SR15 tubeless tires on wire wheels on my TR4A. The car came from the previous owner with them. Cooper Sportmaster GLT (metric) on the rear and Michelin XZX on the front. The Haynes manual shows something like 23 PSI in the front and 27 PSI at the rear (I think, but I don't have the book handy right now) whereas on the tires the max pressure is much higher (39 PSI).

Can anyone advise the correct pressures?
 
djwoody said:
I have 165/SR15 tubeless tires on wire wheels on my TR4A. The car came from the previous owner with them. Cooper Sportmaster GLT (metric) on the rear and Michelin XZX on the front. The Haynes manual shows something like 23 PSI in the front and 27 PSI at the rear (I think, but I don't have the book handy right now) whereas on the tires the max pressure is much higher (39 PSI).

Can anyone advise the correct pressures?
Click to expand...

Might be best to start a new thread on this topic.

But IMO the answer is "no", because there is no "correct" pressure. The pressures given in the book were chosen by the factory as the best compromise between conflicting factors, for the tires available then. If you are willing to say, give up some ride comfort for better (crisper) handling, then try bumping them up by a few psi and evaluate the result for yourself.
 
OK, pretty sure there are inner tubes on my car, don't think these are Dayton's. (Which I don't believe you have to use an inner tube with?) As mentioned, the stem just goes right through the wheel.

I have no problem using an inner tube, really. I probably will not ever take the car over 60 miles an hour, if that even.

So it sounds like the Vredesteins are the ones to go with. Cool. I will probably order tomorrow.

And I've found a shop locally that will install them and balance my wire wheels! :smile:
 
Sounds like your set. I drive the tubed tires at speed (80+), I think that is safe -- as safe as anything one does in these cars.

As I understand it, having a tube in there lowers the tires' speed rating by one letter -- but the tires being discussed have a pretty high speed rating to begin with.
 
Great!

It sounds like I am well within the threshold. You figure, these are rated at 130, the actual blowout level is probably 145 or 150. I am doing 60 mph max, maybe 70 if I really push it. So yeah, I'm good. Better than original, probably!
 
Back
Top