Best brand and supplier for 19 " tubes

[SHEC]

I have 5 new Firestone 4.75 x 19 blackwall tires ready for install. Looking for input on the best supplier and brand for new tubes without metal stems.-

Be well -

Thanks

SHEC

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Brattons made tubes.

[modelAtony]

As Brent said, BRATTONS, BRATTONS AND DID I SAY BRATTONS. You will be ahead of the game with his tubes . They have been the best for about 4-5 years now. Have fun modelAtony tony white Lafayette, LA

[eagle]

I bought a set from Mac's 2 years ago and they have been just fine. A lot of people have had problems with tubes in the last few years but these have been fine. I should add, mine is a '29 so have the 21" tires.

[rscardina]

Brattons has theirs made here in the US. I have had no problems with mine. I had others that leaked and replaced them with Brattons tubes and they do not leak.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

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The Brattons and Berts appear to be the same. They have the rubber long stem.

[Russ/40]

Brattons tube are incredible. They just never lose any air.

[DougVieyra]

Russ/40: "They just never lose any air."
______________________

Much like a politician . . . .

[2935ford]

Did not know anyone was making tubes in the U.S.?

[Mitch//pa]

Brattons are the very best.. they are having them made overseas to their exact specs....
no body else is doing this

[katy]

If you have spare tubes to store, keep them partially inflated. Never store them flat or folded or they will develop cracks where they are folded.

[BlueSunoco]

Originally Posted by katy

If you have spare tubes to store, keep them partially inflated. Never store them flat or folded or they will develop cracks where they are folded.

Man I found that out the hard way!! Good advice. Had to toss a stack away they got bad stored all flat and folded------------

[Tom Wesenberg]

Even 30 years ago I took a bicycle tube out of the box and found it was cracked at all the folds, and I bought it 6 months earlier and stored it inside the house. I found the rear tire on my Model A flat yesterday, so I need to store the car on jack stands for our long winters.

[SHEC]

Thanks as usual for all the support and solid supplier advice. Nice to know that much has improved from the last time I bought new tires and tubes in the mid 1970's.

We didn't have much to chose from back then and now we have a line of qualified suppliers to pick from -

Time to spend some money!

Be well -

SHEC

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

... I found the rear tire on my Model A flat yesterday...

Same thing with me this weekend.

I had bought the tire/tube/wheel already mounted. Tire & tube were new. I had put about 1500 miles on it when I parked it in the garage.

Well, it wouldn't take air, so I took it off the PU, took the tube out and "low & behold" there was an 8" gash in the tube where one of the seems split. It wasn't where the tube had been folded, it was length ways along the mold line.

I have no idea where the tube came from. The tire it was in is a Firestone, still had the paper sticker on the tread when I bought the pair. Guess I better check out it's mate that is still on the vehicle before I venture too far from home.

[P.S.]

I got tubes at the local Les Schwab tire store, where I bought 5 new Firestone 19" tires for the 31 Tudor and had them mounted for free (did the balancing myself). The tubes say made in USA and never, EVER lose any air. It's been 2 years, still at exactly 35 PSI, right where the shop put them 2 years ago. Not sure where Les Schwab got them, but they say "Radial Tube" on the stems if you look really, really close with a magnifying glass.

BT

As for storing rubber.... For fun, I fly indoor duration model airplanes. Picture a rubber band powered model airplane, like from your childhood, except very light and flies for over 30 minutes on one wind. THAT kind of model airplanes.

Anyway, the rubber for flying these is really expensive, pure tan rubber and not available anymore (except for some cheap garbage being made overseas now that doesn't work worth beans). Everyone stores their good contest rubber in the refrigerator in a box that keep the light from reaching the rubber. I have contest rubber stored this way that is over 20 years old and still works perfectly. Even considering it is all folded upon itself.

[don3527]

I'd like to clear the air on inner tubes. To my knowledge, there are no U.S. made inner tubes being made. As far as I know, Robbins was the last of the U.S. tube manufacturers but they were bought up several years ago and the 19" and 21" tube molds seemed to have disappeared. Walt Bratton and myself (Don Snyder) went together on the inner tube project and had them made. They are a butyl tube, not a recycled blend like several of the other lesser expensive tubes made today. Thank You, Don Snyder

[zzlegend]

Originally Posted by don3527

I'd like to clear the air on inner tubes. To my knowledge, there are no U.S. made inner tubes being made. As far as I know, Robbins was the last of the U.S. tube manufacturers but they were bought up several years ago and the 19" and 21" tube molds seemed to have disappeared. Walt Bratton and myself (Don Snyder) went together on the inner tube project and had them made. They are a butyl tube, not a recycled blend like several of the other lesser expensive tubes made today. Thank You, Don Snyder

Excellent post. Thanks Don for doing this.

[Jwilli]

Bought my 19 inch Firestone tires and tubes (don't know what brand) from Coker's Tire two years ago. both still working great.

[modelAtony]

DON 3527, THANKS FOR SOUNDING OFF . I didn't know you were involved also on the tubes. Thanks for all you do for the MODEL A WORLD. Company's like yours are our life savers. I just wish when you great guy's put out something that YOU OR A PARTNER got together and spent the big bucks to make our cars better would STAND UP AND TAKE CREDIT FOR IT . ya'll all need to get a pat on the back for it. THANKS MR. DON. Have fun modelAtony tony white Lafayette, LA