Bit of a timeline for reference:
Late 2012: Stock 850 wheels, two good front Falkens, two bad rear tyres
Jan 2013: Stock 850 wheels, two good Falkens moved to the back and two new ones on the front at tyre shop #1
23 Aug 2013: Got all four tyres swapped to the repainted set of 4.5" wheels at tyre shop #1. They said they would not fit them without inner tubes (and wouldn't put them back on the old wheels), but I needed them mounted for the weekend. Only two tyres had tubes in them. I went to tyre shop #2 to buy the tubes (as they had them in stock) and got them fitted at shop #1 as they still had the wheels. (The strange thing is that the pair I bought earlier at tyre shop #1 only had one tube fitted)
24+25 Aug 2013: Drive to Parramatta from Wollongong for All British Day and back
30 Aug 2013: Flat tyre on front left. Take it back to shop #1 and they said there is a scrape on the sidewall of the tube, so I bought another from shop #2 and fitted at #1.
8 Dec 2013: Pumped up front tyres as they looked a bit low and drove for approx 2 hours
11 Dec 2013: BOTH front ones are flat (Could have been flat for a few days though)
Thanks to everyone for the comments. I've answered a few below
boomini wrote:
Depending on what tyre you are using decides wether you need tubes or not.
Most radials dont need tubes but cross plys do.
If the rim is a one piece design not split rim and your using radials you shouldnt need tubes.
Rodney
They are the Falken 145/80 tyres which are labelled as "Tubeless"
grouch wrote:
One flat tyre would suggest a nail or something in the tyre. Two flats suggests installation issues. Now, I'll admit I'm thinking from the mindset of a cyclist here, not a motorist, but the cyclist in me wonders if the tubes were fitted incorrectly and that maybe there is sideways pressure on the valve, hence tearing the valve free from the tube.
On the other hand, they're steel wheels, why are you using tubes? Wouldn't tubeless tyres be sufficient? (this is what is commonly known as a display of ignorance, please educate me)
The treads were free of punctures so it must have been the inner tubes?
Morris 1100 wrote:
Our Minis were built to be tubeless.
Just because they don't have the humped locking bead on the wheel does not mean they have to have tubes.
I think that's what made them apprehensive... that there was no locking bead?
BBY755 wrote:
Noticed that the repro Cooper S steel wheels sold recommend tubes fitted. Why? NFI - beyond my realm of knowledge or experience.
Beyond mine too!
1071 S wrote:
I've been to places that refuse to fit tyres to Mini rims that don't have the little internal humps unless you use tubes. Something about the possibility of rolling an underinflated (but not flat) tyre off the rim.
The easiest thing is to go somewhere else...
Wrt your problem, i've also been told that you shouldn't use tubes with radial tyres... Apparently the tube can chafe on the tyre and develop holes ... Maybe remove the tube and check it out??
I'd just fit the tyres without the tubes and see how you go..
Cheers, Ian
Still, the speed that the inner tubes go down, they aren't going to make much difference in stopping the tyre coming off the rims..
mitchell evans wrote:
I work at Ian Diffen
Many things can cause a tube to pop tyres normally have little tiny stickers on the inside people that dont really know what they are doing will leave them in.A small thing like that can cause a hole by rubbing or pinching the tube when fitting
We will only put tubes in if the customer really wants them they are far better off without them
Unless where the bead seats in quite rusted or pitted
Tubes perfect for rusted 10" boat trailer wheels
I'd run them tubeless I have S wheels on mine no problems
drmini in aust wrote:
Many 10" tyres eg A008s have rib lines inside, they will chafe a tube up quickly and make it leak, unless you sprinkle talc or similar in there.
I've never managed to roll a 10" tyre off an S wheel or a Contessa, even on the track. Wasn't for the lack of trying...
The other downside to tubes is that moisture gets in past the tube stem and rusts the wheels.
zetland wrote:
I had a similar problem with 'S' standard rims fitted with new tubes & new Yokohama tyres. When I asked another tyre shop to see why, it turned out the guy who fitted them originally did not remove a label on the inside & it damaged the tube so I had to replace the tube again! No problems since then needless to say I did not give the original tyre shop any more business..
talfox wrote:
I have had the same problem with a set of widened cooper S rims running on SP7 dunlops.
They were fitted with tubes but the inside of the tyres has fins which was rubbing under load.
Fingers it hasn't happened again. If it does I was planning on shaving the fins down although I am not sure if this is good for the structral integrity of the tyre.
I'm guessing that's what happened to flats I've had, the first one had a leak around the tyre sidewall, I'm guessing the inside of the tyre was rubbing against the tube. The wheels are in good condition and not rusty
goodie wrote:
Seems strange that all of a sudden you have two flat tyres , someone playing games with you ?
Have you pumped them up since , if so , are they still holding air ?
I don't think anyone was in the garage playing tricks...
So this morning I pumped up the tyres enough to get the jack in and I could hear the front left audibly leaking at the valve, and the sound changed as I moved it around.
I took it to tyre shop #2 as they are an independent shop and not a big chain store. They pulled out the first inner tube and it had a leak on the sidewall identical to the first flat I had. They didn't check the other one but I assume a similar thing happened. They removed the tubes and installed valves and balanced them and so far so good. I'll put them back on the car tonight after work and hopefully they'll be fine. If they work out I'll get the back tyres swapped over too.
The wheels also balanced this time with only one weight per wheel, not three big weights per wheel like before...
