Newer Spoke Wire Rims Not holding air with new tires

[Guest]

Had new tires out on the tbird today. The car has some spoke rims on it, date stamped from 1989. When they took off the old tires there were inner tubes in it. I was surprised to see that knowing that the tires were modern tires and before they were off today I new the wire spoke rims were from 1989.
Well I have one just 3 hours later is half flat, others the tire pressure is down from the amount I put in myself after the intall (seemed low).
Do I need to put the inner tubes back in the tires? When the tires were off the rims there was an opoxy on the inside of rims near the bead place the tire would need to seal. All 4 were that way as if they were safeguard from the spokes????? I thought a 1989 make spoke rim would not be an issue
The shop cleaned up the tire to rim seal point, they were not bad when taken apart.
Do I have a rim issue or a shop did not do a good job issue?

[Joe Johnston]

You need tubes. Like a motorcycle or bicycle rim you have real wire wheels that can be "trued" in the same manner. Tubes are needed because air leaks out around the rim and the adjusting
nipple of the spoke.

[stubbie]

Even with tubes you can have problems. Wire wheels tend to become loose and move around. When this happens they can pinch the tube and guess what happens then. Make sure you have the rubber spacer between tube and rim and make sure spokes are tight.

[Guest]

rubber spacer? Don't recall seeing anything like that???? I watched them get taken off rims, is it that rubber that goes around the inside of the rim, sorta like you see on bicycles?
I am going to assume the epoxy I saw on the inside of rim where it appears the spokes got installed/fastened is there to hold them in place to avoid a possible inner tube POP.
The tubes were fine, the old tires they were in held air fine. I guess I can reuse them? Can new ones be purchased?

[Guest]

where can I get everything I need to make this car hold air.
Tubes, the seal, looks like special valve set also. Has to be someone that sells all this.

[simplyconnected]

...Tubes, the seal, looks like special valve set also....

Special valve set? Your tubes already have valves.

Somehow, you and your tire store are not familiar with spoked wheels. Visit your local motorcycle store and speak with the mechanics that lace and true spoked wheels. They can answer all your questions.

Before 1957, all tires used tubes. - Dave

[Joe Johnston]

The rubber that goes around the inside of the rim is called a liner. Unfortunately they are not readily available, many using wire wheels resort to epoxy, or silicone as a way to try to seal the nipples. Eventually most resort to using tubes as well. As mentioned you need to ask around to find an installer who may be familiar with wire wheels.

They are also supposed to be stud-centric balanced. The wheel is held onto the balancing machine by an adapter with wheel studs holding the wheel instead of using the center hole. This locates the wheel on the machine the same way it is located on your car.

Often heard these wheels are the most beautiful wire wheels ever made, and also the most troublesome too.

[YellowRose]

Newer Spoke Wire Rims Not holding air with new tires

A suggestion.... IF you can still find them, there are full wheel covers that look just like the Kelsey-Hayes wire wheel spoked rims. One of our old members used to have them on his Squarebird many years ago. When they needed cleaned, he popped them off the tires, put them in the dishwasher and popped them back in place when done... Sure beat the problems of cleaning those rims, and the problems so many have had with them over the decades... That Squarebird now lives in Australia and probably still has the KH rims on it! Here is an interesting overview of why the Sports Roadster with its wire wheels received such a negative reception by the public not long after it came out. Part of it was what happened to Elvis Presley's Sports Roadster Bulletbird shortly after he bought it... Many of you know he was a Caddy Man, but had decided to go with the Sports Roadster Bulletbird. It did not turn out that well.

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird...rspecific.html

[Guest]

I don't know if I want all this mess. Wondering when the next turn one goes down. ha ha ha
What is the rim size on these cars? Just put them on and put on a nice looking wire hub cap.

[DKheld]

In dealing with the MGA factory wire wheels that are not sealed the motorcycle shops should be able to get you what you need as far as the band or liner but they usually can't mount or balance car tires. Once you get the bands/liners on and tubes in you really shouldn't have a problem.

Installed liners and tubes in this car - although the MG's only weigh about 1/4 of the Tbirds - so far so good. I will admit though it's a real pain to find good shop that still knows how to insert tubes and then put the tire on without pinching it (and even harder to find one that if they do pinch it will admit it and buy you a new one).



I run 215 - 75 - 14 tires on my Squarebird with 1970's LTD wheels- think the '62 Tbird's also have 14 inch wheels? - probably won't be able to find any LTD wheels these days though. One of the more knowledgeable folks will have to give you the wheel width, bolt pattern and offset.

Ray - if you can find the manufacutre on those hubcaps I'd love to know - never heard of them but if found I'd like to see if they are reasonably priced. I'm guessing they will be as much as the new wire wheels that look like the Kelsey Hayes.

I found a GM hubcap that to me seems to resemble wire wheels. They were an option on an 80's Monte Carlo I believe - I added the "Thunderbird" spinners to mine but it wasn't easy. Required cutting down the GM caps and drilling holes in them to make the Tbird center caps fit. The GM hub caps fit the Ford wheels (14 inch) but I still don't trust 100% that they will stay on - been lucky so far. Looking for wire hubcap locks that fit on the wheel studs and have a bolt through the center of the hubcap but will have to do more mods to make it all work.





Good luck...

Eric

[YellowRose]

Newer Spoke Wire Rims Not holding air with new tires

Here is a link to any number of different style 14" Ford Thunderbird full sized wheel covers. (with some rims mixed in also) You can find them in 15" also.

https://www.google.com/search?ei=_j_....0.skeqHMzvvCE

Here is a picture of what Bart Como's '60 430MEL looked like with full sized 14" wheel covers..

[Guest]

I have 15 inch rims. Heck I don't see any steel rims for the car, old ones on Ebay.
Anyway, I have a shop that worked on my Jags that work on old cars, MG's and the like with wire wheels. I need stop in and talk to them see if they can help me with my rims or suggest anyone that can help.

[jopizz]

Your car originally came with 14" rims. If those wire wheels are 15" then they are not original to the car. You can use most any late model Ford rim 14" or 15" that has a 5 X 4.5 bolt pattern.

John

[Guest]

The rims are 15 inch. That is the tire that was on it and the tire I bought. I am leaning on going with "normal" rims and tires. I don't think I want to deal with these wire wheels.

[Guest]

what late model ford model cars would you be speaking of?