Rim Flaps! Another $112 + bucks?? come on.

jim galli

jim galli

Senior Member
Are these really necessary for 30X3.5 clincher rims. Why are they so pricey. $28 bucks apiece for a piece of rubber?

Old timers, help me out here. Into tires and tubes $750 bucks, another $100 is killing me. I just can't see $112 worth of material there.

Talk me into them, or talk me out of them, but help me out either way.

I got the new tires and tubes last evening.
 
You will here both pros and cons about the importance of using flaps. I have driven my 1912 T about 70K miles without flaps and never had a tire problem due to not having flaps. I always wrap the rim with about two layers of good old duct tape which is just the perfect width for a clincher rim and in my opinion, this will give all the protection you need.
I will say that most tire problems are the result of the condition of the rim. If you have rims that are not sharp, are not pitted and have no rough spots on the inside, you will probably be ok without flaps (in my opinion). Under-inflation is another problem-since your tires and tubes are new, they should be kept to about 60 pounds.
 
I tend to agree that with new tires, tubes & clean, smooth rims you should be ok without flaps. The important factor is to keep the pressure up, 60 psi at least, 70 psi actually follows the old rule of 20 psi per inch of width.

I cannot remember taking a rotten old clincher tire off that was likely installed back when Ts were in real use, that had a flap in it.

An important step that is often missed is to inflate the new tires to hard then let ALL of the air out & re-inflate to the correct pressure. This allows any wrinkles in the tube to flatten out.
 
I was on a tour with a fellow last summer that after about 100 miles had a flat tire on a brand new tire and tube with rims that he claimed he'd cleaned up quite well before mounting them. The tire didn't just go flat it blew with enough force that people 4 cars ahead heard him and we were at a pretty good interval apart. Upon investigation we found he didn't put flaps in any of his brand new tires. The tube went down into the channel in the wheel and the tire rolled on it and it blew. Plain and simple, if you don't want to run flaps go ahead. But also be ready to suffer the consequences. The flaps change the profile of the inside of the tire/wheel combination. It helps form a channel for the tube to set in and protects it. I for one would never consider running without flaps. All tires with tubes have run flaps for a reason since they stopped running on solid rubber wheels. There's a reason for them. That inside profile is important. I say Pay the extra $ and protect yourself farther down the road. Blown out tires have killed people for years.
 
jim galli .........................
Rim Flaps are, probably, good, but $112.00 is not.
This sure sounds like a rip-off to me !
I've heard of using duct-tape before, like gz stated. Richard Wilson stated how to make your own. Sounds good to me.
MIKE :)
 
Jack makes another very good point. When I mount a clincher tire, I put the tube in the tire and mount the assembly as one unit. I then inflate to 20 pounds, bounce the wheel around or hit it with a rubber mallet and let the air out. I then inflate to 30 pounds and do the same, 40 pounds, etc etc until I'm at 60 psi. This gets all the wrinkles out and also eliminates the likely hood of the tube being caught in the clincher. Like Jack, I've taken tires off literally over 100 old Model T rims with era tires and rarely, if ever, have found a flap inside.

However, if you are mounting tires on one of the accessory wire wheels (Buffalo, new Mc Larens, Houk, etc) a flap might be in order as the separate laced spokes do tend to flex and can sometimes stick out too much on the tire side of the rim
 
Thanks for all of the great reply's, both pro and con. I probably sound like a cheapskate, and I don't mind paying the price for stuff, but I simply can't see $28 bucks for one of these. At first I thought, well, that must be for a set of 4. Nope. $11 would be believable.

OK, guess I am a tightwad. Just a guy making wages.
 
I just mounted a set of tires recenctly and had the rim flaps. I thought they were pricey also since I thought they just wrapped around the rim like they did on my A. I was wrong. I put the tube in the tire and then these flaps fit inside the tire and kind of wrapped around the inner diameter of the tube so it was completely protected while mounting the tires. They are very heavy so if you happen to have your tire iron slip the tube is protected. I thought they were great and will use them again. Just wish they did not cost so much.

Pete
 
Be VERY, VERY careful mounting your new tires and tubes using the tire irons - when you pinch your new tube with the iron you will be thinking that the price of the flaps might not have been too high if you consider what your time is worth to demount and patch the tube. Wife & I just drove through Tonopah a couple months ago for the first time - interesting part of the country.
 
30 inch tires in the old days came together in the center, that's why you had to cut a groove for the valve stem. The new tires leave a gap. The liner bridges the gap keeping the tube in the tire. Unless the liners get messed up they should last through several sets of tires.
 
Have always replaced that duct tape in rims, within a short time that tape disintegrates ( ever see any left outside for a while?) and chafes the tube.

Unless your rims are pristine, like new, flaps are the way to go for safe and trouble-free touring.

Flaps may add to the price of tires and tubes for antique cars with high pressure clincher rims of long ago: but that is the nature of the hobby.

Be sure the clincher edge of the rim is full and not rusted thin and sharp. The only way the clincher tire is held on is by that smooth rolled rim locked in the clincher rubber bead, and pressure of 65psi in the tube.

Today's heavy flaps protect tube on tire mounting, and protect the tube from the clincher tire opening as the beads are in the rim, exposing the sharp tire edges and rusted or sharp rim to the delicate rubber tube under high pressure.
 

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Great explanation tmodelman. A lot of people get it in their heads that duct tape is the answer to everything. They all remind me of Red Green. The difference between them and Red Green is, Red knows he's not serious. I know so many conscientious model t owners who purposely do things the right way. And I also know a lot of model t owners who think baling wire and duct tape are genuine Ford products. I'm trying right now to correct a couple cars owned by the latter and their fixes have done a lot of needless damage. And the corrections are becoming expensive.
 
Thanks to all. I'll probably settle down and just buy them in a month or 2 after the pain of tire and motor costs subsides a bit :D:D
 
just placed a order for tires tubes and flaps for the rear of the TT....flaps what the heck,I could spend that much on my lady friend on a saturday night,have you checked the price of condoms lately!!!
 
" And I also know a lot of model t owners who think baling wire and duct tape are genuine Ford products." GarrisonM89

That goes double for Model A guys. I have told others before that a man could make a fortune if he could make some Ford script duct tape and coat hangers (to cheap to buy bailing wire).
 
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