Wide five wheels with radials

Pete Fl/Wi

Senior Member
I had my 16 inch wide five wheels widen to 5 inches and going to run 650R tires. Question is tubes or no tubes. I have seen both yes and no on some searches. Open to advice.
Thanks Pete
 
I'm running tubeless radials on the wide five's on my '39 p/u. The rears hold air with no issues but for some reason the fronts loose air. I check every couple of weeks, not that big of a problem. Maybe the fronts loose air due to the flexing of the tire during turns. Or it could be that both rims leak a bit around the rivets. I've never swapped the tires to see.
 
I'm running tubeless radials on the wide five's on my '39 p/u. The rears hold air with no issues but for some reason the fronts loose air. I check every couple of weeks, not that big of a problem. Maybe the fronts loose air due to the flexing of the tire during turns. Or it could be that both rims leak a bit around the rivets. I've never swapped the tires to see.


I've always coated the rivets with a sealer.....never a leakage problem! DD
 
If the rim will hold air, you can go tubeless. It helps if the rim sealing surface has the ridge around where the bead seating area making them safety type rims but it depends on whether a new style rim was used to widen them. Safety rims started to be used by Chrysler in the 50s. The later steelies had rivets and sometimes they leak but I don't know how your modified wide 5 types are put together.
 
Ways back guys would run duct tape around the rim to cushion tubes in rivets. Coker sells liners. Not a sealant.



Not a solution to your radial question.... but just an idea. Lots of different products available to get creative with.
 
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