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My 54 Packard Clipper Deluxe had a leak in the valve stem so I took the tire to the only place open tonight at 6:30 Firestone and asked for a valve stem they said - not a problem will only be a minute. A minute later they advised that I had a tube in my tire and that I would have to go to a specialty tire place. I pushed back a little and pointed to the words tubeless on the tire and so we took the tire off the rim (a little) and sure enough there was the tube. I said thanks to the guys - they were cool about this and we were all puzzled. So my question is "why put a tube in a tubeless tire? The tire is a "The untouchable by Cooper - tubeless 4 Ply Polyester L78-15 that is rated for 1970 lbs 32 PSI with a 120 treadware - traction 8 - and temp 0. Am I gonna have a hard time finding a tube? thanks all.

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I've put tubes in "tubeless" tires myself. There are a couple of reasons you might do so.

1. You have a sidewall cut or puncture that is not repairable. However, you can cement a patch over it and then put a tube in the tire. It will work fine and hold air without stressing the repaired area.

2. Your rims are in bad shape and won't hold a good seal. I've got one like this right now on my '49. Put a tube in that tire and your problem is solved.

Those are two scenarios, but there are probably more.

Jay

Thanks Jay - Makes sense. I found a place in Omaha that looks like it may have the tube I need. Lyles Tire and Wheels. The tire looks in great shape and the wheel look ok. There must have been a good reason in the past why this was done for this tire.

There is a third possibility. Some wheels from the early fifties had an odd shaped oval hole for the valve. These require using a special valve or a tube. I don't know if any Packards had this type of wheel but Chryslers do.

When I got my '54 it had 4 flat tires. I went to get some cheapo tires to make it a roller again, and I discovered that 3 of the old tires had tubes. I just replaced them with regular tubeless tires. 3 days later 2 of the tires were flat. The problem was that rust scale on the bead surface was keeping the tires from sealing. Long story short, I bead blasted the rims, and painted them inside and out, and now they have held air for over a year without a problem.

Moving this to the Post War forum.

Thanks - That's what they told me at the Tire & Wheel shop when I picked the tire up today (too rough for a good seal). Overall for $25 ($15 for the tube & $8 for labor) plus tax -I can't complain. I did learn that the jack that came with the car (bumper jack) doesn't work with alot of weight on it and that my jack from the Dodge Nitro does not provide enough height (without a block of concrete) under it. I would not use a bumper jack on a good shiny bumper (when I get a one). According to the owners manual that's how they jack these cars back up in the old days.

Bumper Jacks are dangerous and a sure way to dent a good bumper. That is why most bumpers of the era are bent up on the bottom edges. Find a jack from a modern truck or large american sedan. That should work just fine.

The complaint against the original equipment jacks is not new.

A Mechanix Illustrated reader in the 50s asked Tom McCahill why his $5000 car came with a $1 jack.

McCahill replied that the factory must have run out of 50 cent ones.

Even then they were considered inadequate and dangerous. The only excuse I can think of is that by the fifties tires were so reliable that they expected the car never to need the spare or jack. At least while the original purchaser owned it.

Wasn't Packard the first U.S. auto manufacturer to offer tubeless tires on its 1954 models? If so the wheels were designed for tubeless tires. The tubes were probably installed because of a bad seal around the bead area like Kevin experienced. I would recommend cleaning the bead area of the wheel in question and remounting the tire without a tube and see what happens. Radial tires require special tubes.