Inner Tubes and Wheels

[mark030358]

Hi all,
A quick question.

I put a set of mini lite wheels on my car many years ago. When I did I fitted XAS tyres with inner tubes. As the tyres are now at least 12 years old I’m going to replace them, but Inhave been asking myself… Do I need inner tubes?

My wheel is shown in the photo.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers
Mark

[h20hamelan]

I thought the reason for tubes was the early S1-2 wheel didn’t have the 2nd rand.
Also wire wheels.
What does the Michelin site say about the XAS

[trw99]

Ask Dougal Crawley at Longstone Tyres. He's on here.

I fitted Michelin XAS FF tyres all round to my Sprint two years ago (from Longstone) and their advice was to use inner tubes on the standard steel wheels, which I have done.

Tim

[512BB]

I do not have inner tubes fitted to any of my cars. At least, the ones I know about and had fitted myself. Non of them ever need topping up with air and all the wheels on all cars are original 50 year old wheels.

To my mind, if a tyre / wheel combo needs an inner tube to be safe, something is not right.

Leslie

[elans3]

If your wheels are alloy Minilites or similar, you don't need inner tubes, as the wheels should have no porosity in the aluminium. I've used Minilites on and off over the last 40 + years, and have never used inner tubes, with no issues whatsoever.

[ericbushby]

I have never used innertubes.
When I bought the car it had some ancient tyres on and after two years I fitted four cheapo Hancook tyres.
This was not a good idea but I had a lot more problems to work on without thinking about tyres.
About 8 years ago I fitted two of Sue Miller`s new wheels on the front which have the inner safety ridge. The rears still have the original Lotus steel wheels without the ridge.
I have just fitted four Pirelli Cinturato`s 145/13 from Longstone. They advise tubes but I have not followed that advice.
I do regular tyre pressure checks as usual and have never had any surprises.
In the earlier days I did have some, er, sideways impact incidents involving roadside kerbs and once actually slightly buckled a wheel. I never lost any air pressure. Of course I blame the old hard tyres for them. They didn`t even have dates on.!
So, that is 13 years, three sets of tyres but only about 16,000 miles.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[mark030358]

Hi chaps,
As always, many thanks for the replies.
Looks like I’ll be a NO inner tube man soon.

Thanks
Mark