I hadn't considered that the brand of the tubes might have been part of the problem. That may have been the issue but the fact is that the problem was there and now that the tubes aren't neither is the problem.

I don't even recall looking for a brand name on the tubes. Having accepted the diagnosis as reasonable I applied it as a general rule - perhaps without as much good reason as one should. It is now at least five years since the problem and I cannot even be confident about finding the old tubes even if I kept them - which is the sort of thing I would normally do.

Lawrie

To follow up on valve stem holes sizes in the rims of my '54 Clipper.

I retrieved the rims on Friday morning. I could not get back onto the internet for the rest of the day to order the bigger size stems from automotivehardware in US. They only mentioned the 7/16 and 5/8 inch sizes so it seems probable that there are as stated previously on this site, only two stem hole sizes for tubeless tyres. The hole for the stem on my '54 is 5/8 inch diameter. I actually used a metric tape and measured about 16 mm. It is much easier to measure from inside the rim once the tyre is off.

Eventually I tracked down a local tyre fitter who had both the 7/16 and 5/8 sizes in stock and was able to get the tyres fitted before the weekend. I have used 225/75R15 Bridgestones. These seem to be about 10mm smaller in rolling diameter than the 7.60/15 cross ply which was on the spare.

And Ozstatman thanks for your welcome. I hope to see Noel later to-day. Joining the Packard club seems to be an unavoidable pleasure yet to be experienced. My internet access problems seem to have been overcome for the present so I might be able to start on related activities before midnight in future.

Lawrie

Good morning. Nearly 3.00 am here. Drizzling rain outside, cold and well past my bedtime.

I was speaking with Packard Pete to-day about radials and tubes on my recently acquired 1954 Clipper. My past experience with tubes fitted to tubeless tyres was not good and may be relevant to this discussion.

I have a Bentley T Coupe which came fitted with Dayton knock-on wires. Because of the leakage through the spoke ends, the radial tyres had to be fitted with tubes. All went beautifully until after a few thousand Km I started getting pinhole punctures in the tubes. No holes in the tyres themselves. One chap down at Beechworth, who fixed one of the punctures for me pointed out that because tubeless tyres are not supposed to have tubes in them they are not necessary smooth inside. The ribs which are very visible on most tubeless and radial tyres eventually wear their way through a tube and especially so in the case of radials which are a lot more flexible in the walls.

After several more pinhole punctures I reluctantly removed the Daytons and went back to the original steel rims with the same tyres fitted minus the tubes. The punctures problem disappeared. And so I deny myself the glory of a Bentley with wires but I spare myself the regular punctures. I am sure the tyre repairer was correct.

When the Packard pulled up lame in the rear right tyre due to a 2 inch nail I noticed for the first time that the tyres, although radials had tubes fitted. I am sure this is a recipe for long term maintenance so I resolved to get rid of the troublesome tubes. My local fitter works on normal cars. When I went to pick up the wheels fitted with my new radials they weren't. The valve stem used on nearly everything on the Australian roads is less than 10mm diameter and the hole in the Packard rim is considerably larger. At his time of the day the workshop where the rims are waiting for new valve stems is locked up so I can't say what the actual diameter of the valve stem hole is in the Packard rim but my guess it could be 5/8 inch which seems to be an alternative which is commercially available.

I go for no tubes for tubeless tyres and especially for radials, and if you decide to do away with the tubes on your Packard make sure you have the correct size valve tubes in tubeless tyrese stems available for the new configuration.

I am both tyred and tired. Good night.

Lawrie