Old Inner tubes Should I use them

Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson

Well-known member
Someone leaving the hobby gave me 7 unused 21" inner tubes. They look like they have never been installed in a tire. They were folded and put into plastic bags. None had valve caps. None of the tubes have any cracks or permanent creases. They smell like new tubes. Five of the tubes have markings "CCO Made in USA". The other three are much heavier and are marked "Made in EEC". I looked in the Ford Barn archives and found that the EEC tubes were made in Europe, possible Denmark and there were some EEC tubes that were defective. Does anyone have any information on how to tell which EEC tubes are bad. Other than installing the tubes is the a way to test them.


Bob
 
Long term 'folded' storage is usually the kiss of death.

That said, blow them up and watch..............
 
From everything I have heard, old tubes are much better than new ones. Longterm storage folded may be a problem, but worth a try.
 
Have a VERY good look at the very corners of the folds. Any signs of permanent stretching or cracking means they are likely to fail before you go very far. I store mine inflated to the point where they will "stand up". They then are kept in an old wardrobe out of the light.
 
I would hang on to those old tubes and carefully check them out. Several years ago I replaced all my tires and tubes, and every one of the tubes lost air consistently. So about 5 years ago, I once again ordered new tubes, from one of our major vendors….and guess what? They also leak…..not as much, but I have to air them up about every 3 weeks…..they lose about 2-3 lbs during that time. All the tubes are now foreign made.
 
My Montgomery-Wards tubes mounted in Riverside tires in 1982 still hold air and drive well, with about 10,000 miles on the assembly.
 
If they were stored well and the plastic bags were folded over well enough to limit atmospheric changes inside the package then they may be OK. The ozone in the air around us and sunlight are the most detrimental causes of rubber deterioration.

Old ones were made of better materials than a lot of the new stuff available. I'm used to breaking down tires & tubes so I wouldn't hesitate to put one in a leaky tire and run it for a while. If it craps out then the others likely will too.
 
The tubes in my car are over 45 years old. If yours were stored properly I would use them. Or you could send them to me.
 
ursus said:
My Montgomery-Wards tubes mounted in Riverside tires in 1982 still hold air and drive well, with about 10,000 miles on the assembly.
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41 year old tires and tubes are not holding air - they have become petrified. I hope you don't drive over 15-20 mph.


I also notice someone else running around with old tubes. One thing to remember is those were made before the ChiComs flooded the market with sub standard parts.


The problem with folded tubes is they tend to glue themselves together on the inside where they are folded. Take the valve stems out and very slowly inflate them. If you sense that any areas have stuck together just toss them in the trash.
 
I would inflate them and check for leaks or cracks. If they hold air, I would use them as they are undoubtedly better than the new tubes from overseas. The tubes in my '29 OCPU have been in use since 1970 and are still fine.
 
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My tires have been changes a couple of times since 1964, but the same tubes. Never have to add air from year to year. However, I'm beginning to have concern about the integrity of the rubber stems. When the time comes, perhaps I can go with the metal stems?
So, with the bad reports, what's a fellow to do if new tubes are needed?

Joe B
 
JoeCB said:
My tires have been changes a couple of times since 1964, but the same tubes. Never have to add air from year to year. However, I'm beginning to have concern about the integrity of the rubber stems. When the time comes, perhaps I can go with the metal stems?
So, with the bad reports, what's a fellow to do if new tubes are needed?

Joe B
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Metal stems are an option. I think Bratton's has good quality tubes, but you can't use them for radial tires, as I understand it.
 
JoeCB said:
My tires have been changes a couple of times since 1964, but the same tubes. Never have to add air from year to year. However, I'm beginning to have concern about the integrity of the rubber stems. When the time comes, perhaps I can go with the metal stems? Joe B
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You can buy new rubber stems that glue on like a patch.
 
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