The 'E' Type Forum

A naive question perhaps, but can I take my punctured wire wheel tyre to any regular tyre place to have it fixed? I just wondered if there was any fancy procedure or tools needed that your run-of-the-mill tyre place might not possess.

The big thing appears to be that most modern fitters don't have the correct balancing equipment for wire wheels. The advice is to get one of these: http://www.smoothridecones.co.uk/ which allows a wire wheel to be properly balanced.
Maybe someone local can advise of a place geared up to do wire wheels?

If you're in 'the wilds of Kent' you can't be far from E-type UK in Tonbridge: http://etypeuk.com/uk-car-sales/about-e-type-uk/

Either they ought to be able to do it or they must themselves use someone locally who they could recommend. Maybe give them a call?

The cones are also available from Fosseway performance.

Gravygraham wrote:A naive question perhaps, but can I take my punctured wire wheel tyre to any regular tyre place to have it fixed? I just wondered if there was any fancy procedure or tools needed that your run-of-the-mill tyre place might not possess.

A very valid question i think , but more important than balancing is whether the regular tyre fitter knows how to fit inner tubes correctly without straining the valve neck or nipping it between the bead and the rim , add caution ! .

Am I right in thinking that replacement wire wheels can be either tubed or tubeless?
I saw some here:
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... yKhrXwpjZg

The Dayton wheels do state they are tubeless. However when I discussed options with Dougal at Longstone Tyres he advised to still fit tubes. It might be worth giving him a call.

Although Longstone Tyres have a specially modified balancing machine for wire wheel, Dougal refuses to use it. Something to do with the way wires are constructed which throws the balancing machine into a hissy-fit. They use a bubble balance and afterwards, even at three figure speeds, there is no wobble in the steering. Personal experience having bought all my tyres from Longstone over the last 15 years.

chrisvine wrote:The Dayton wheels do state they are tubeless. However when I discussed options with Dougal at Longstone Tyres he advised to still fit tubes.

The only logic I can see for that view is in case the Daytons have a slow leak, in which case exchange the faulty one at your retailer. This is not some home-made dab of silicone on the spoke head. If the tyre fitters use normal care there is no more likelihood of a leak than with a tube IMO - probably less.

If the wheels are damaged or spokes adjusted significantly then there's a chance of a leak but that's very rare. When's the last time you heard of wheels being rebuilt for any reason other than uber-originality? One of the Pepperpot alloys on my XJ12 had a slow leak, as does the front forged alloy wheel on my Triumph Sprint. Would Dougal suggest I run tubes in those?

Tubes are added unsprung mass and riskier than tubeless, which usually deflate very slowly. AFAIK it's not even proper to run tubes inside a cover not designed for them, due to fretting.

Hi ALL....Been running on MWS tubeless wires for approx 4 years...with no tubes fitted....I opted for tubeless as the area i drive in is countryside with lots of hawthorn hedges, with thorns in the cutting season and as Peter said a puncture on a tubed wheel goes flat very quick....Dont understand why Dougal suggests using tubes on all wires....Pointless....Steve

This is a tubeless wire wheel that came to us yesterday. This is not the first time we have had problems with these wheels, the other common fault has been air coming out of the wheel round the spokes.

http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/page/cl ... nner-tubes

Ooops here is the film

If it is a tubed tyre I doubt that the regular tyre fitters will keep tubes on their stock list. I recently had a puncture in a tubed tyre whilst up near Teeside and it was a bit of a hunt to find a new tube. A v.g. mobile tyre fitters replaced the tube for ?15, but they didn't try to rebalance the wheel. Provided the tyre position is marked in relation to the valve hole so that it is refitted in the same position with the new tube, the balance shouldn't be markedly affected.

Nick

I always carry a spare tube just in case.

Heuer wrote:I always carry a spare tube just in case.

I always carry a spare wheel, just in case....