Tubes for American Classic 19 inch radials

OL JENNY

OL JENNY

Senior Member
I have just purchased 5 of the American Classic radial tires. I can not find new 19 inch tubes that are radial compatible. I have checked with Snyder's, Coker, Bratton's, and Sacramento Ford. Snyder's and Coker that are compatible are back ordered indefinitely. Bratton's and Sacramento Ford just said no they did not have compatible tubes. Does anyone have any ideas of sources?

Snyder's said my current tubes that are 5+/- years old would work fine, but I would like to use new tubes if possible.

Thanks,
 
I just put 4 of the same radial tires on my car and just used the old tubes. I carry a spare tube in my trunk.
 
What makes radial ply tire tubes different than bias ply tire tubes???? Perhaps just a few extra helpings of corn starch or foot powder inside of the tire before you put the tube in would help.


Vic
 
In talking with Snyder's, apparently if a 400/500/550-19 tube in 100% Butyl rubber it will work fine. Now, it's just finding them.
 
Vic in E-TN said:
What makes radial ply tire tubes different than bias ply tire tubes???? Perhaps just a few extra helpings of corn starch or foot powder inside of the tire before you put the tube in would help.


Vic
Click to expand...

This is a longstanding question. It's made more complex by the fact that radial technology has been evolving (so sizes that formerly had no radial option now do), that standards for radial suitability vary from one vendor to the next, and that the manufacturing process for tubes now frequently involves third parties using some proportion of recycled rubber.

The only explanation I've ever heard about radial tubes is that they're thicker and stronger. But since bias tubes come in a range of qualities, there may well be bias tubes out there that are suitable for radials as well.
 
No, even though the 19 inch tube states that it is 100% new rubber, twice today I was told by Bratton's that it will absolutely not work in a radial. I do not know why, but the person I spoke with was very definite.
 
I think I am going to cross my fingers and hope that Coker Tire is correct when they said they should have 19 inch tubes that will work in their American Classic radial by the end of the year. Getting 5 on backorder and hope.
 
This is where you start to get into the problem of engineering vs marketing. A lot of these tubes have "not for radials" written right on the tube. When I bought tubes for my 21" radials from Coker, I was told by their sales rep to ignore that, that it was meant to warn people not to install them in tubeless radials. Who knows...
 
I’m having the same issue. I ordered some tubes from Mike’s and the bag was clearly marked “Not For Use With Radials”. Hoping for a December delivery from Coker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A little research came up with the following:

Bias ply tubes have different construction than radial tubes. Supposedly the difference causes the bias ply tubes to chaff in radial tires when the radial tires flex. The chaffing causes heat to build up. Talcum powder in the tire can reduce the chaffing and thus the heat.

There are accounts on the internet of people using bias ply tubes in radial tires for years, mostly on motorcycles. I have bias ply tubes in my radial tires. I am monitoring the tire sidewall temperature. So far the side walls are warm to the touch after driving the few miles into town. I will report what the temperature is after the first trip on the interstate.

I have a friend that has one American Classic radial tire out of 4 on his 1930 car that he is running tubeless. Wheels that were not built for tubeless tires can be sealed for use with tubeless tires. One idea is to try to see if the radial tire will seal on the rim without a tube. Tires that are designed to be used tubeless will have "tubeless" printed on the sidewall.
 
Last edited:
OL JENNY said:
No, even though the 19 inch tube states that it is 100% new rubber, twice today I was told by Bratton's that it will absolutely not work in a radial. I do not know why, but the person I spoke with was very definite.
Click to expand...

the tubes made by Bratton's are 100% new rubber, but we have had a couple of customers recently try them in a radial tire and they failed. So that is why you were told on the phone that they won't work.
 
jak said:
the tubes made by Bratton's are 100% new rubber, but we have had a couple of customers recently try them in a radial tire and they failed. So that is why you were told on the phone that they won't work.
Click to expand...

Did they tell you the nature of the failure?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top