HELP! Alloy wheels needing tubed tyres?

[lorax]

Hi all
Arthur's running great and was to be looking even greater with some R5 Gordini alloys but when I went to the local tyrearama, they informed me that the wheels were for tubed tyres only and they reckon they're unobtainable......course, they reckoned without the R4 forum. Anyone got these wheels fitted and if so, what tyres/tubes do you run and where d'ya get 'em? Failing that, anyone want to buy 4 R5 Gordini alloys??
Thanks

 

[Steve Hennessey]

Put tubeless 155/70 x 13 on them with tubes. No problem - you can put a tube in a tubeless tyre.

Steve

 

[malcolm]

I'm not a fan of tubes in tubeless tyres. Problem is the tubless tyres have little ribs on the inside which wear little holes in the tubes after 20,000 miles or so. You can fit them, just be sure to carry a spare wheel.

Why do these wheels need tubes? It seems odd that 1970s wheels would have beed designed only with tubed tyres in mind. Is there corrosion in the inside of the rim that would stop the tyre from sealing? If so, and if it's not too bad some tyre places will grind that away for you.

 

[lorax]

Ah, well the guy at the tyre place I went to said they wouldn't go with either option there - reckonned they'd have to mark my receipt 'for off road use only' if they fitted either tubes to tubeless tyres or tubeless tyres to my rims without tubes - the rims are in good nick and I'd have thought the seal would be fine but I really don't want to do anything that could be dangerous (bit embarassing for a fireman to end up getting cut out of his own car 'cos he fitted ddgy tyres.......)
Going to try a few vintage tyre specialists to see if they can come up with anything. Thnsk for the help, sorry for the spelling, been up half the night stopping the hot orange wobbly monster eating Bognor's Tesco

 

[Chris H]

its illegal to put an inner tube into a road car these days unless they left the factory with them which the 4/5 never did!

They will just take plain 13 inch tyres. kwik fit etc will even do it.

 

[La Poste]

Have you tried Vintage Tyre Supplies at Beaulieu in Hampshire? They are very good for 'unavailable' stuff and will send tyres by post if you're not in that area. Can't remember the phone number off the top of my head, but a Google search will find them. If you ask to speak to Jean-Pierre he might give you a bit of a discount if you say Malcolm in Normandy gave you his name.