[TR] Wire Wheels

[John Macartney]

Hi, Bob

We have the same problem in the UK with tubes on wire wheels. It is actually now illegal in Europe to put a tube in a tubeless tyre. Tyre shops will no longer fit a tube and my younger son discovered this with his MG Midget. What we did at the tyre shop was to cover the spoke holes inside the rim with two or three circular wraps of rubber backed (not linen backed) duct tape! One year on and the tyre hasn't leaked any air. The alternative is to get the same sort of wheel sealant tape to cover the spoke holes from a motorcycle repair shop. A bit more costly perhaps than duct tape but should work as well. Good luck

Jonmac

-----Original Message-----
From: Triumphs [mailto:triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Rochlin Robert
Sent: 12 April 2017 22:03
To: Triumphs List <triumphs at autox.team.net>
Subject: [TR] Wire Wheels

	I’ve had wire wheels on my TR6 for about 14 years now.  I decided that since the tires were old and there was a slight vibration I’d replace the tires, get the wires tuned.  Fires lesson, Even though the wires required no tuning setting them up and checking specs was expensive.  If they had needed any adjustment it would have been more cost effective to just replace the wheels.
	I had a pronounced shake in the body when I got everything back together. This spring, by moving around the wheels I isolated the wheel that was causing the vibration, or at least most of it.  I went to a local well respected tire shop near my house to get the tire Road Force Balanced and was informed of  the following:
	-They don’t recommend tubes.
	-They can’t get tubes.
	-Their company policy is to not install tubes or deal with tube type tires.
	They did attempt to road force balance the tire the best they could moving the tire on the rim(but not touching the radioactive tube). They told me that the “Road Force” number was high, 23 lbs (Normal is between 0 and25) but they couldn’t tell me, so I understood it, what that number represented. They also told me that they thought the problem of the imbalance was caused by the tubes. (Of course the tubes were never problem in the past) They really did try to do a good job and the initial ride was better than before the balancing, but none of the technicians there had and experience with tube type tires. 
	I’ve seen the tubeless Dayton wire wheels and the way they seal the tubes is with a coating of silicone adhesive around the inside rim to seal the wire nipples. Has anyone on the list tried to do this with older tube type wheels? When I had my wires specd I saw a tech at the wheel repair shop doing it to an old set of Dayton wire wheels, but given the difficulty and hourly rate I estimate that the owner could have replaced the wheels and had money left over for new tires.  In fairness, most of the shops work was from museums and old classic owners who wanted to preserve historically significant irreplaceable wheels.
	The Road Force balancing was $20.00 per tire, which I though was really reasonable. 
	Take care.
	Bob Rochlin
	72 TR6

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