The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline tubeless tires on original A.D. rims ???

I'm about ready for tires on my 53 half ton project. I have original stock wheels. I'm going with 215/85R-16 tires. Will my old rims be OK without tubes? I can see from some of my old rims here that they have been used with tubeless tires in the past. What do you guys recommend? tubes or tubeless??

I put tubes in my tires, which was likely a bad idea. I just had to air up all 4, some of which were pretty low. Of course I bought tubes from the cheapest source (likely offshore manufacture.) As long as your rims are in decent shape, I'd go tubeless. If I have issues with mine holding air, I'm planning on ripping the tubes out and going tubeless.

Thanks, I mainly just wanted to make sure that the old rims typically will hold air OK. I guess I'll give it a try then.

Be sure the bead seating area is free from rust pitting. Also check the stem hole for rust that would prevent the stem from sealing.

If you're worried about the bead sealing or its pitted or whatever, buy a can of this stuff. It's works great! (extra points if you can name the location of the can)

I have a total of 8 original rims with the very same tires you plan on going with on two trucks.
As Kevin mentioned, the bead seating area needs to be smooth and not pitted, and you need a sound valve stem hole. If you don't have a sound valve stem hole, you can drill a new one and weld up the old one.
Another problem area is were the 2 halves of the rim is riveted together.
I sand blasted all of mine and epoxy primed them, and I strongly recommend that. Once you they are primed, I used 2 part epoxy on the rivets on the inside of the rim for insurance. My tires have not needed air for many years.

GMC began offering tubeless in the mid 1950's. My father was selling tires at that time, and it was common for people to install a tube for "safety" reasons. Usually they had trouble with the tubes folding or being pinched which caused a flat. I have owned 18 wheelers for 60 years ago. The first thing I did when I bought a used truck in 1964 was switch to tubeless tires. Salvage yards were practically giving the wheels away because no one wanted them. I ran tubeless bias until tubeless radials came out. And I have never had the urge to use a tube unless I just couldn't get a one piece wheel. I even have tubeless tires on 50 and 60 year old farm tractors. If the wheel is pitted, it will rub a hole in the tube. Same goes for the hole for the stem. If your wheels are in good shape, I wouldn't even think about tubes. And I think they are all made in China now anyway.

I've been running tubeless tires on my truck for quite some time now. Never have had a leaky tire issue.

Otto, how about on top of driver's front fender?

Get the inner part of the wheel bead blasted down to bare metal and paint them with a thick coat of a 2-part epoxy type polyurethane paint like IMRON. Unless the rivets are loose, the paint should seal up any leaks there might be due to an imperfect fit of the rivets.
Jerry

Coker and Diamond Back require tubes on 16" and over

I have looked a bit and didn’t find that, is there a source doc for that for the Diamondbacks?

Interested as I have 16” diamondbacks….(with tubes as they had trouble airing them up tubeless)

Chuck

All Diamondback tires are modern radials. They DO NOT require tubes.

I have 16" Diamondback tires on my Packard and they have no tubes. Original 4" rims, too.

Call the company and ask them. Maybe if you have worn out rims that leak or won't allow the tire bead to seat properly then maybe a tube is required.

We have a winner!