Tubes for American Classic 19 inch radials

[1931 flamingo]

Radial tires flex more on the sidewall than a bias ply tire. Hence the difference.


Seal the wheels and go tubeless. JMO
Paul in CT

[The Master Cylinder]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

Radial tires flex more on the sidewall than a bias ply tire. Hence the difference.


Seal the wheels and go tubeless. JMO
Paul in CT

Are the tires that are available tubeless or does it make a difference?

[nkaminar]

The American Classic 19 inch radials on my car say "Tubetype Radials." Tubeless tires have a coating on the inside that keeps air from migrating through the tire and lips on the rims that seal the air against the wheel. Wheels for tubeless tires are smooth where the lip goes and have a little ridge there to help with the sealing. The tubeless tires seat into position which is how the sealing is done. That said, as I mentioned earlier, my friend has one out of four American Classic 19 inch radials that he is running tubeless. So it can be done. I don't know what the leak rate is. Most tires need to be topped up with air every so often.

[Ordsgt]

I put those tires on my car and after speaking with Universal tire in Pa about the inner tube confusion they stated they put in standard tubes. I put in the old tubes (which were in good shape) and 1000 miles later no problems

[nkaminar]

Update: I have a few hundred miles on my American Classic radials with the old innertubes and no problems so far. Now, to be fair, it may be that the tubes are for bias ply and radials because the spare tube that I carry says that it is for bias ply and radials.

[alexiskai]

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Mine seem to have a very very slow leak but they drive well.

[nkaminar]

Today I got a flat. It was a very small hole in the side of the tube and probably was because I pinched the tube putting it in. The tire must have acted like a tubeless tire with a slow leak at the valve stem. Eventually it went completely flat when the side wall came loose from the wheel. No damage to the tire, fortunately.

[denniskliesen]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Today I got a flat. It was a very small hole in the side of the tube and probably was because I pinched the tube putting it in. The tire must have acted like a tubeless tire with a slow leak at the valve stem. Eventually it went completely flat when the side wall came loose from the wheel. No damage to the tire, fortunately.

I had a similar problem with 2 of my 21”. At first I thought I might have pinched them, but after I got them off they appeared to have a blemish in the area where the holes are. I happened to ordered a couple more before I needed then. The only thing I could see different from my bias ply tubes were they didn’t have radial molded on the stem.

[Penguin]

In the for what it's worth department, I put American Classic Radials on our 1931 Tudor in October of 2020 using Bratton's metal stem tubes (19 inch). We've driven about 1,600 miles on them, with a couple of trips in the 150-mile range and have had no problems. Coker currently lists 475/550-19 center rubber stem tubes they say are compatible with bias and radial tires. I have not talked to them about the tubes so I do not know if they are currently in stock.

[nkaminar]

My update: I have a heavy 1930 4 door sedan. I have upped the pressure in the tires to 50 psi in the rear and 45 psi in the front. The tires run much cooler, warm to the touch rather than hot. My research says that the radial tires should run cooler than bias ply tires. I have not had any problems with the tubes. I figure the heat is the enemy. The tires still flex like radials should and bulge at the contact patch.

[updraught]

Keep in mind that running higher pressures usually means a smaller tyre patch on the road. The patch on the road is already small.

[denniskliesen]

Coker has or had 19” tubes recently for the American Classic tires. They delivered mine that had been on order since days after they ran out of tires and tubes last year 2021. The tubes they are shipping now are thicker and much better looking than the previous tubes that came with my 21” tires. The tubes delivered 21” had radial molded on the rubber stem but 2 of them failed where there were blemishes. The tubes I received with my 19” and the replacement tubes for the 21” DO NOT HAVE printed or molded radial or not for use with radial tires. I called Coker and asked about them and I was told they will work in either radial or bias ply. There is a brand name HARTFORD M-E printed on them. There is MADE IN CHINA and the tire size molded on the tube. The cap on the stem is molded to remove the valve core.