Rim Flaps for Model A?

Atlantic28

Atlantic28

Junior Member
Dry rot forces me to buy new tires for my 29 CCPU. One tire has been removed from the rim and have found pitted rims but no rim liner or rim flap. The inside of the rim has been coated with some material that has made the pitted area very smooth. Looks like either a glossy undercoating material or the spray-in truck bed liner material. No spoke ends are showing through.


If I make sure there are no rough areas to chafe the new tubes, do I really need to spend over $100 for rim flaps or should I just bite the bullet. With $700 going into the purchase of the tires and tubes, are the flaps necessary?
Doug
 
You say that you're replacing the tires due to age deterioration. Were the tubes still holding air? Were there any rub/thin spots on the tubes from the rims? If not, then the material on the rims protected the tubes long enough for the tires to rot. I would be inclined think you'ld be OK without rim liners or flaps. If you noticed rub/thin areas, then use the liners and flaps.
 
If your old tube were holding air I would reuse them as I have heard
nothing but problems with the new tubes.

Bob
 
I think of liners as the thin rubber band that fits only over the spoke area, and flaps as the thick wide rubber that truck wheels use. Be sure to just buy the thin rubber bands for your Model A wheels.
 
I checked the tube that was removed from the flat tire. The only abrasion area was right around the rubber valve stem. The tube was stamped "Made in the USA", and looked in good shape other than the chafed valve stem.

When replacing the other tires, I plan on reusing the tubes if they don't look like they have much wear.

Would inserting silicone between the rim and the valve stem reduce the abrasion in that area, or is that a bad idea? Sure don't want to become to familiar with removing and replacing tubes!

Thanks for all the info,
Doug
 
Rim Flap Tip: Go to the big box hardware store that sells Gorilla Glue Brand, In the tape section they should sell wide Gorilla Brand Tape, it comes in a roll similar to Duct (for some of you, Duck)Tape. Wrap that in your rim where there are bad spots, better than rim flaps and can cover more of the rim if need be!
 
I would not recommend rim flaps. They are hard to install and even harder to remove. Use the rim liners or even duct tape and go.
 
Atlantic28 said:
, do I really need to spend over $100 for rim flaps or should I just bite the bullet. Doug
Click to expand...

Snyders Rim liner is 1" wide are 2.50 each
Brattons Rim Liner is 1 1/2" wide are also 2.50 each.

Tube flaps are much wider aand are used for split rims like the Model T.
 
Flaps are not meant to be used on the A rims.Flaps are thick,and the sides go up along the inside of the tire about 1-1/2 inches on each side.Then,when you inflate the tube the flap tries to squeeze down to conform to the rim,and when it does it wrinkles badly where it goes up into the tire.I know flaps were specially made for the A rim at one time,but I thought they were no longer available.If you look at an A flap it is molded in the shape of an A rim.It looks just like an a rim without spokes.Are you looking at a flap specific to the A rim,or just a 19 inch flap?Flaps are for a straight side rim,not a drop center like the A.A flap not specially made for the A rim WILL give you problems.I went the duct tape route a few years ago on a couple of cars,one was my own.I came to regret that,and the day will come when I have to deal with the customers car I did it to.The glue on the back of the tape migrated out from under the tape and welded the tubes to the tires.Those tubes had to be taken out in pieces.Then I spent hours cleaning the rims and tires off.I didn't think that was going to happen.All because I was too lazy to drive 2 miles to the tire store and pick up some $1.rim liners.
 
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