Tire question.

Old car, 6.50-16 six ply Allstate Guardsman (haven't been made since early 1990s).  It has tubes.

Were tubes required because air would leak by the bead, the wheel or just migrate out through the tire body?

Buying new radials of the same size, do I really need tubes?

Thanx, Dan

Do the wheels have safety beads or are they smooth inside?

Wheels intended for tubes have Very Large diameter valve stem holes, and they usually do not have safety beads, to make it easier to dismount the tire to patch a tube.  One can get tubeless valve stems for these wheels but if there are no safety beads, I'd continue to use tubes.

Alternatively, the rims may leak enough due to rust/manufacturing indifference that tubes are desirable.  The RX-3 that I bought that had been sitting in a barn since 1978 had tubes in half of the tires.  This made it interesting to try to dismount the tires as I was not expecting tubes   I'd break the bead, and it would pop right back on.  Fortunately, B78-13 bias plies from the Ford administration cut extremely easily with a utility knife, so I just cut the tires around the sidewalls to get the tubes out.

Refresh my memory.  This is a Cadillac right?  What year?  Based on what I think I remember about the car I'd guess that the wheels aren't designed for tubeless tires but knowing the actual application might make it easier to give a more difinitive answer.

Back in the day Michelin sold the 185HR15 XVS asymmetrical tire in both a tube type and tubeless.

In reply to APEowner :

My guess is this is about the 1940 LaSalle.

1940 La Salle Series 52.

In reply to 914Driver :

I keep forgetting how pretty that car is

My brother had a Jaguar XK150 back in the early 70s with 16" wire wheels. The only tires he could find back then where Firestone farm implement tires. (Think manure spreader.) I still got it to go 120 mph.

VolvoHeretic said:

My brother had a Jaguar XK150 back in the early 70s with 16" wire wheels. The only tires he could find back then where Firestone farm implement tires. (Think manure spreader.) I still got it to go 120 mph.

You are lucky those farm tires didn't do a Firestone 500 and explode at that speed. (If you remember your tire lore)

In reply to jharry3 :

I do. I also didn't know what exactly he bought for tires. If I remember correctly, the Ford Exploder fiasco was caused by Fords recommendation that the rear tire pressure be lowered to 28 psi to improve ride quality.