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I’m in the process of replacing the tires on my 30 Mod B 18″ wood spoke wheels. Looking at the old tires with the tube and flap still in them, the valve stem looks centered between the beads, so I ordered tubes with centered valve stems (made sense to me)well in trying to mount the tires no matter which way the tire/tube/flap assembly was mounted the valve stem angles to the rear of the wheel making it hard to access.
So the question is does the Pierce require offset valve stems? Asking before I talk to Coker. They also insisted that the correct tube is the 650/700-19/20. When I asked 3 times how that could be for a 18″ tire they asked some old timer there and he confirmed it. No explanation just that’s what I need. Thanks Jim
Jim, its common to have to use a different size tube today. There is no problem doing so. Try and buy good tubes that are American made if possible. There are lots of problems with Chinese junk. I couldn’t get a decent tube for my tractor this summer, and had three defective right out of the box. Two good ones failed on the seam in three days. I bought new rims and tires to solve the problem. On my 32 that uses 18 inch rims I was able to get a correct size off set tube two years ago. 700-18. I think I got them from universal. Call around, you should be able to find an 18 also. If not you can run the biger tube.
Also look into truck tire tubes
It used to be standard procedure that when you replaced the tires you replaced the tubes as well, just to always have new rubber. I don’t do that anymore because as Edgar said, the new tubes are mostly from China and are just plain crap.
I’ve got 30 year old tubes on a 1914 Franklin and they don’t lose a pound of air all season. I’ve got new tubes on another car, and they require filling every week.
Save your old American-made tubes. And if you want to get rid of them, advertise them here or on the HCCA or AACA website. There is a market for good quality American products that unfortunately we can’t seem to make anymore.
These tubes I got from Coker are American made, but I still need to know if the tube is supposed to have the valve stem offset?
You need an off set stem if the hole in your rim is off set. From 1932 on Pierce used drop center rims. Before 32 there were several diffrent wheels offered each year, and I am not sure what they used. Post a photo of your rim, I am sure you will get an answer quickly.
Hi Jim, if the stem on the tube is at least 3″ long, they often have a piece of metal inside, and can be gently bent to aim the stem out towards the hubcap side of the wheel.
If the hole in the rim is not in the center between the two beads on the rim, then the stem on the tube should match the of center location of the hole.
I’ve found that the offset stem tubes have too much offset at times. Only trying one of the offset stemmed tubes will tell if they will work.
Good luck, and some photos would definitely help us to help you.
Greg Long
I had the problem of 18″tubes supposedly fitting 7:00 17 a few years ago. The tube was too large and ended up with some folds that resulted in two simultaneous flats on two brand new tires. Did lots of searching and found a 16.5 radial tube and they have worked fine for several years. I had an original 1935 Goodyear tube still on my Pierce, didn’t hold air anymore but had been a vastly better tube. It had a run flat safety double tube-in-a-tube and was very heavily reinforced where it contacted the wheel. Probably never see those made again. Jim
Jim
Greg,
I was wondering if the stem could be massaged so it leaned to the outside.
This is a picture of the rim, tire side.
Rim, wheel side.
Style of wooden spoke wheel 18″.
On the old tire/tube/flap assemblies when dismounted the valve stem is in the middle of the 2 beads of the tire, not off to 1 side. All 7 of the tires are that way, not saying all 7 couldn’t be wrong because the car has sat for 60 years and with the make it work that was done during the war they all could be wrong. And nothing is as permanent as a temporary repair that works.
Hi Jim, you can try to rotate the tube slightly inside the tire before fully inflating the tube. If I was trying to do this, I’d find a tube or small pipe that fits closely over the valve stem, to giv you some better purchase or leverage when trying to push the valve stem sideways once it is in the hole in the rim.
You might be able to assess if there is any chance of success with rotating the tube enough. I’d put the tube in the tire, well powdered with talc so it will have little friction between the tube and tire. Add the flap. Then partially inflate the tube, so that all it’s wrinkles straighten out.
Then deflate the tube untill it is not pushing against the inside of the tire. Using the flap and the stem, see if you can move the tube and stem sideways enough that the stem would protrude from the rim perpendicular.
If you think it will work, you can help put a ‘memory’ into the inner tube by using a piece of 2×4 or 2×6 as a fixture to hold the perpendicular to the tire beads, while using clamps or weights applied to the 2×4 to push the stem and tube off center between the beads.
I will say, that it looks like the amount of offset might be too much for a tube to allow just by the rubber stretching in the right spots.
Have you sent the photo of your offset stem hole to the various tire retailers and see if they have a tube with a slight offset? The last time I was shopping for tubes, the choices were limited to centered or at the corner, where the sidewall/bead contacted the rim of the wheel, like on the later drop center wheels.
Hope something I offered will help, Have you checked the valve stems to see if they have a metal tube inside that is bendable ??
Greg Long
Greg,
If I try rotating the tube, I will have to slot the hole in the flap wont I? Will the air pressure after installed push the flat base of the flap back against the rim requiring a slot?
I’ll be talking To Coker tomorrow and see if they want a picture.
If my memory serves me that style rim used a metal 90 degree steel stem. I am not a fan of the glued in stems but that is what a lot of people are running today. This is a tube where the plastic stem is cut out and patched and then a steel valve is glued in where it needs to be. Can another member post a photo of a recent retire for their 30 Pierce?
Jim, if the flap is really stiff, yes, maybe a slot is needed, but it looks like the amount that the hole is offset from center, the flap and tube might, maybe move sideways enough to work.
Yes, usually the inflation pressure will flatten the flap firmly against the rim. If the flap is wide enough, it will still be resting against the inside of the bead. If it is too narrow to still be on the bead on both sides, then it would need to have the hole slotted. If the hole in the flap is not thick and reinforced, you might consider making a new hole ofset the right amount, and put a patch over the old centered hole. The offset hole in a very stiff flap might do the job of keeping the stem offset and when inflated, perpendicular as needed.
Greg Long.
I had ‘wires’ on my 19″ model 30 C sedan. I bought tubes that had a 45 degree angle stems so that it was easy to fill or check the tires. Stems were metal, covered in rubber. Used ‘boots’ to protect the ends of the spokes. Some members recommended that I order ‘truck’ tubes as they would last longer. Lucas and Coker were my suppliers.
Thanks everybody, I’ll see what happens.
I used Lucas Tire in Long Beach, CA when I put on new tires, tubes and rim strips on back in 2006.
I have not had a single issue with any of the tires.
They may be a good resource for some info.
Hi Jim, in your post with the photo of the full wood spoke wheel, you wrote that all the original valve stems were centered between the old tire beads. That doesn’t seem possible with the hole in the rim about 1/4″ offset towards the rear bead.
Do the original tubes have small diameter valve stems, or metal stems? This would allow the stem to fit better in the larger diameter hole in the wheel rim.
Have you just gone ahead and installed a tube/flap/tire, and held the valve stem perpendicular to the rim while you inflated the tire? sometimes just a nudge sideways will move the tube and flap enough that once it’s inflated, it stays in place.
Greg Long
Greg,
The original stems were 5/8″ Coker sent 1/2″. I only have assembled 1 tire/tube/flap combo, when I saw it wasn’t working, and decided to get some input here and see what Coker had to say. They are still working on it and say tomorrow they will know(?).
I gave thought to the twisting of the tube and inflating but wondered if while driving the tube would want to creep back into it’s own position. If twisting is the answer then I do think the flap hole will need to be slotted a little and the 1/2″ stems might be best. I just don’t know.
I don’t have the lock rings back from the plater yet so I can’t inflate too much and I want to know things line up before I put the rings on, I don’t want to take the rings off along with the paint.
Coker said that the offset valve stems were about 5 deg offset but he wasn’t sure. He did confirm Ed’s comment that metal stems don’t seem to hold up as well as the rubber and he didn’t think the metal tube in the rubber stems went to the bottom, just far enough for the threads and seat.
The good thing is I’m retired and have time to deal with this, the bad thing is I’m retired and don’t have the resources to deal with this. Jim