-----Original Message-----
From: Clayton Kirkwood <kirkwood@garlic.com>
>Have a 62 A II with wire wheels. Don't know lots about wire wheels. I
>presume that they require tubes but not sure.
>1. What are a good set of tires (not into the track thing :>)
Any radial that fits a mid-60's Volkswagon Beetle.
>2. Do I need tubes?
Qualified yes. You need new tubes. Don't reuse the old one. False Economy.
>3. Will tubes work correctly with tubeless tires or do I need to go with
>tube tires?
Yes. The tires run a little hotter with tubes and you may wish to run a
little more pressure to compensate.
The important thing to remember is that the inside of the new tire must be
compeletly smooth. Often there will be stickers or raised letters inside the
tire. This will definately cause a flat down the road somewhere.
>4. Are radials better in this day and age/can I even find non-radials (and
>would I even want them?
Radials. If you want to use old bias-ply tire, price them suckers from some
place like Coker Tire (http://www.coker.com/). Just keep in mind that
radials can provide more side traction then the original wires were deigned
to handle. Keep that in mind when driving hard.
>5. If I understand the tire world (????) tubeless vs tubed tires seat
>differently on the rims. If this is true, am I stuck?
No, they seat, essentially, the same. (Isn't that the 'J' stamped on wheels?
The rim type?) However, the correct procedure with tubes is to inflate the
tire then pull the valve core and completely deflate the tire. Repeat a
couple of times. This allows the tube to conform to the inside of the tire
without folding or pinching.
>6. Can the spoke ends in the rim be properly sealed to be air tight and
then
>run tubeless?
With new wire wheels, some folks have had success smearing silicon caulk
around the wheel covering the spoke holes. The rim has to be scrupulously
clean to make sure the caulk adheres well and you should use some sort of
inner wheel band (large rubber band) to keep the caulk in place. Makes me a
little nervous as centrifiugal force is going to try to pry off the caulk.
>7. I've read/heard that the rim can be easily damaged by the typical "tire
>store experts". If so, what do I look for in a place or do I have to go to
>the english tire specialist?
Other posts have good news on that. Another point, some of the more, ah,
distressed urban areas have lots of cars running wide wires. On the high
end, a set of these wires are worth more than your car. It shoudn't be too
hard to find a dealer that is experienced with these types of wheels.
>8 Is that enough questions?
Yes.
--
Bob Allen, Kansas City
"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." --
James Thurber
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