Leaking new radials on original rims

[curtiswyant]

I got some tubeless radials put on my old bias-ply rims, and they're leaking pretty badly. I was, uh, hoping this wouldn't happen but ya know

They're losing about 5-10psi every 2-3 days or so. I haven't been able to find a tire shop locally that even knows what a "tubed radial" is!!! Any experiences or opinions?

[greg g]

Where are they leaking? Common areas are around teh rims where the bead seats. This can usually be dealt with by cleaning the area with a power wire bruch and using some brush on bead sealant. If they are leaking around the valve stem (this is fairly common) you can solve this problem by buying and installing the two piece mmetal screw on valve stems. Mix some dish detergent and water in a spray bottle and spray it on the areas mentioned. If you get bubbles that is where your leak is. Infrequently these will leak around the rivets that fasten the two wheel pieces together, but I would suspect the other areas first. Any place calling itself a tire store should be aware of tire tubes. And yes tubes are specific to the radial tire because of the sidewall design and flexability. If they can't find the info or the product, I would trade elsewhere.

by the way, the rims really have no idea what tires you have mounted on them. Many folks are running radials on their stock rims with and without tubes with no issues.

[Plymouthy Adams]

This is a common problem compunded by the tire shop who mounts your tires if you pay to have work done. Their interest is in the waiting customer and to get to them you must be moved out of the work area..fast mount balance and out the door you go...it is not that they do a bad job, they just don't do a through job. They have no idea that the moisture that invades a tube tire over the years really affects the sealing bead area of your rim. Nor do they have the time to treat your rim for this contion due to the WAITING CUSTOMER. To correct this will be to dismount the tire..wire brush and acid etc, prime and paint the area...sandblasting is better but not all have access to that. If you find a lot of small pits after prime and paint, you can wipe a very thin bead of RTV on the sealing lip just prior to inflation..this will smooth out the illregualrities. go easy on the sealant..just enough to fill the tiny voids and not run to the inside of the tire...

[curtiswyant]

I just did the "soapy water test" (should've done that to begin with) and they're definitely leaking from the valve stems. I guess I need brass/two-piece stems?

[Dennis_MN]

I just did the "soapy water test" (should've done that to begin with) and they're definitely leaking from the valve stems. I guess I need brass/two-piece stems?

The two piece metal valve stems do the trick. The original rims on my Pickup were oval shaped.

Dennis

[Plymouthy Adams]

I cannot find the link I thought I had for a retailer of these but suggest you look for these under vintage Chevy as the ovals were very prevelent on their rims...they sure worked the magic on a set of rims I was helping with.

[Tony_Urwin]

I found the oval ones at a tire dealer that serviced a lot of fleet trucks.

[curtiswyant]

I just ordered some oval valve stems from patchboy.com...they look like they should do the trick. The local tire dude just gave me a blank stare

[BobT-47P15]

I think your local tire guys don't know old tires and wheels.

A few summers ago, I had a flat on the '47 Plym with tubes in the tires.

Only one guy at the local Firestone store figured out how to patch the tube.

Sad but true. Those valve stems likely will do the trick. I have found them already installed on various old cars purchased over the years.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Here in middle Georgia...the blank stare is not at all uncommon...I even went to the local tire dealer that does the truck and farm implement tire service..AIN'T NEVER HERD' NUTTIN LIKE DAT...

[Normspeed]

I bought a set at a recent auto swap. They're for a round hole. Looking at my 53 rims they seem to have a round hole. Any idea what years the Mopars has oval holes in the rims?

[Plymouthy Adams]

The lady here in town with the 51 business coupe had wheels with the oval holes...between them and prepping the rims sealing bead..she is good to go..she is happy that she is not having to constantly twek the tire pressures...Brad sent me the link to the stems, she ordered them in..think they cost her almost 3 bucks a stem.

[Suddensix]

My 49 rims have round holes with standard rubber tubeless valves. No problems to this point after more than a year of running. I wonder if the oval holes are a U.S. thing as I don't remember seeing them in the Great White North.

[55 Fargo]

Curtis, Goodyear's KR 14-15 TR13 tire tubes, these are designed for radial tire use. In Canada, they are $13.95, probably less in the USA, find a smaller town Goodyear, because a lot of farm eqipment still uses tubes in there tires....................Fred

[Tony_Urwin]

My '52 DeSoto has the oval holes.

[1just4don]

If I get this right they stuck round stems in an oval hole???

Sounds as if they should stand the pop off the rim far enough to get the new stems in place,,,to me anyway!! You can furnish said stems, case closed!!

[kevinanderson]

my p15 has the oval holes. found the right valve stems at a truck and farm tire dealership.

[Young Ed]

I believe mine has oval holes too but I didn't pay too much attention. The tire shop apparently did it right as they don't leak.