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We're planning on putting radial tires on our 22nd series '48 Club Sedan. I've been told that you don't need to run tubes with them on the original wheels(all beadblasted and painted). Has anyone tried just installing tubeless stems and running without tubes? Should be interesting to try and find a tire shop that knows how to mount and balance tires with tubes. I've heard opinions on both ways. Anyone have experience with this?

I don't think there's any problem here. Either way.
I got a set of thrown out radials on the '49 to keep it mobile in the garage, and they hold just fine, been sitting peacefully for years now.
I think some riveted rims can present a leakage issue over time, due to crevice corrosion, etc.

Thanks for the input. I was musing about laying some brazing around the rivets to seal them up also.

Tubeless tires are rather routinely installed without tubes on Packard rims back into the late 1930s, problems are almost unheard of. I'd be quite reluctant to braze on the wheels, if you feel inclined to try something around the rivet heads, why not just a standard liquid tire sealant?

Good Morning...Miss Prudence has had radial tires for about five years now. They are mounted without tubes on the original Packard rims and they hold air just fine. The old girl seems to like them just fine. The rear tires do fit snugly in the wheel wells...Ernie in Arizona

Thanks for all your help! Brazing or silver soldering was what came to my mind after I beadblast the wheels. Braze and solder loves clean metal to flow on.
Think I'll just blast and paint them andgo sans tubes.

Our 23rd Series Deluxe Eight Sedan has a set of Diamondback radials. We put about 800 miles on them on the Henry Joy Tour in the fall of 2018. We had zero problems and the tires are still standing tall. The ride qualities and handling of the car were dramatically improved.

No problems for me either, and the roads here are like a minefield of potholes. It is tight getting them in the rear fenders as mentioned, but deflating and wrestling worked for me. I went with budget black wall tires (radial champiro or something) off Amazon and got a deal where a Pep boys installed them on the rims (brought to them off the car). Other than some questions about the tubes on the wheels, they had no issue getting the radials on and holding air and they haven't leaked. Been driving in all conditions for 7 months now.

You mentioned trouble getting your rear wheels/tires onto your car.

I have wire wheels on my 1956 Clipper with new (ish) tubed radial tires a bit oversize at 235x75x15. Had the exactly same problem as you getting them on until I discovered that jacking under the frame near the rear axle provides much better clearance and they slip right on fully inflated. If you have Torsion Level (presume not) need to remember to switch it off. Also, the rear wheel arch covers (if any) need to come off of course.

This could be very handy if you ever have to change a rear wheel out on the road.

I always carry a small trolley jack in a box in the trunk, along with the factory issue job (which strikes me as particularly unsafe, and is for show only).

Cheers

Brian