Tires, tires, tires

Austin,

There is no technical book that will say any different, 235 section tyres are recomended to be fitted to 6-8J wheel rims, yes i know there are lots of vehicles using 235/85x16 tyres on 5.5J wheel rims but almost certain they will be tube type rims and as yet I have not come across any tube type

235/85x16 tyres, so you will be or SHOULD be using tubes which are not ideal as the inside of the tyre is not designed to take a tube.

We see from time to time tubeless tyres fitted to the standard 5.5J tube type wheel rim WITHOUT A TUBE, which is not safe as there is no safety ridge to help hold the tyre on, the risk of "de-beading" (instant deflation) is great, the latest standard 5.5J wheel rim supplied by L/Rover are now TUBELESS but the largest tyres fitted are 750R16.

I am not trying to sell loads of wheel rims, just trying to point out the facts.

If you had an accident and a nosy insurance accesor found the wrong width tyre fitted to the standard rim and the accident was caused by a tyre deflation who knows what might happen with the claim.

I am very happy to help with tyre problems, it's my business.

Please excuse my spelling, can't get spell check to work.

My understanding (after some years in a similar business to yours) is that the stories about not running a tube in a tyre marked as tubeless are just that - stories. I have never seen a tyre company recommendation about not doing so, and have on occasion seen advice to use a tube after any sort of puncture repair.

Same of the legal system in general.

In message , Oily writes

Only if you repair your own tyres otherwise the second change is done by friendly Kwik Fit Fitter.

In message , Andy Sargeant writes

Wasn't it when Michelin took over BFG?

Hugh,

Along those lines, it's such a shame but Michelin have pegged back BFG on some other points as well, they don't have foresight in my opinion.

Yes I agree, the main problem is chaffing of the tube on the ribbing or on those blasted build tags which Trac Edge were famous for.

You must also accept the problem with heat build up when fitting tubes in most tubeless tyres.

I am sure that over the years you like I have seen some most spectacular tyre and wheel combo's

It wasn't just the Trac Edge that had the metallised labels - didn't all BFG's tubeless tyres have them

How fast do you have to go for this to be an issue? I don't hang arouind and have been using tubes in tubeless for years without even the slightest hint of a problem. I do run the pressures on the high side though which probably helps.

That's even worse than the worst that I had imagined! Can anything beat that?

I had tubes in tubeless tyres and had 5 tyre deflations in the first month, so I kept my speed down to a max of 60MPH and pumped them up harder and it was fine after that. One day I did an extended motorway drive, much of which was at 70MPH+ and one of the tyres blew out. In all the cases, the tyres didn't seem to have any marks or knicks on the inside, but apparently despite lots of chalk being applied, it can get hot and the tyre sticks to the tube. Then, once the car is parked and the tyres cool down, the tube gets torn. All my tyre deflations happened after a journey of half an hour or so, I'd park up and it'd be fine, but when I'd come back, I'd have a flat tyre. The blow-out was odd, first the truck started bumping up and down like mad then the tyre popped, I think the tube started bulging out through the tyre on that one, neither survived so I couldn't really check them.

That sounds like the tube deflated and broke up inside the tyre which retained pressure for a while, hence huge vibration until the tyre finally failed.

Mazda MX5 - no jack or spare wheel whatsoever, they just provide an aerosol of goop to supposedly seal the hole and a compressor to reinflate the tyre.

Mine's (2007) got a jack and a brace to get the wheel off, plus the "repair kit" & compressor.

On or around Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:16:08 +1300, EMB enlightened us thusly:

I've also seen tyres marked "Tubeless" and "on tube type rim, use inner tube".

I think the problems come really from cheap crappy inner tubes, more than the tyres themselves.

I grant you that you shouldn't fit tubeless on LR rims, but then I'd never consider doing so, in any case. But the size, per se, is another matter, and as I also said, 205R16 on 7" rims looks undersized, to me. There's also the point that 205R16 have been recommended on (IIRC) 5" rims (standard SWB) in the past, and if 235 is a problem on 5.5" then 205 is equally bad on 5".

On or around Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:11:50 +0000, Marc Draper enlightened us thusly:

that's not entirely fair, and in any case, who can blame him? I don't see his prices as any worse than others. He does also have quite a lot of experience and knowledge on tyres.

A 235 is nominally 30mm wider than a 205 so should really go on a rim at least an inch wider, but as I said my 235's are happy on 110 rims.

In message , Austin Shackles writes

Perhaps I am in the wrong then Austin.

But I too am a BFG agent of some 10 years standing, an independent Landrover specialist for the past 15 years. I have shelves full of new and used parts. Racks full of tyres. And a field full of sales vehicles ranging from the scrap to very almost new. But on this forum I will hardly ever mention it as it is not set up with the idea of commercial gain.

Honda Civic, you only get a can of goo that is supposed to inflate and patch your puncture. The spare wheel well in the boot (under a flap) is carpeted so they can claim the boot is bigger then the Focus.

A triumph of marketing over intelligence.

Typical Honda