30x3 1/2 Wards Riverside

We believe these 30 X 3½ Wards Riverside tyres are the best Clincher 30 X 3½ tyres currently on the market.

Ford Model T on 30x3 1/2 Wards Riverside Tyres

30 X 3½ Clincher Tyres

The clincher tyres size 30 X 3½ will for ever be associated with the Ford Model T; or ‘Tin Lizzie’ as they were often called. A result of which is that there is an, impossible to substantiate, claim the this 30 X 3½ Wards Riverside clincher tyre was in 1928 the most common tyre in the world. This is because in the US Wards Riverside were the home brand tyres of the Montgomery Wards department stores which also ran the first mail order catalogue business supplying the whole of America. Meaning that if you lived in a town one of the most easily available sauces of tyres was the Montgomery Department store, and if you lived in a farm anywhere in the out back of 1920s America, by far the easiest sauce of 30 X 3½ clincher tyres was of course the Montgomery Wards catalogue, where you placed your order by post and some time later a set of fresh Wards Riverside 30 X 3½ tyres were delivered to your door.

Model T Ford Pickup on 30x3 1/2 Wards Riverside Tyres

Clincher Tyres

The American term ‘Clincher Tyres’ (or should we write ‘Tires’) is used for what in the UK we call ‘beaded edge tyres’ in France ‘pneus Tallon’ in Italian ‘pneumatici bordo a tallone’. These are early tyres for cars, predominantly up until the mid 1920s. Where a modern tyre has a wire in the bead, or internal circumference of the tyre, to keep the tyre on the rim, the clincher tyres have a large rib of rummer which locates in the clinch, or cavity in each side of the rim. The clincher tyre is then fitted with an innertube, which must be inflated to a minimum of 60psi, as it is this pressure that presses that bead into the clinch of the rim and only that that keeps the clincher tyre on the rim.

Model T Ford Pickup on 30x3 1/2 Wards Riverside Tyres

Clincher tyres are of course a flawed and obsolete technology. The reason they lost favour with cars particularly in the 1920s was the introduction of Tarmacadam, dramatically increased the grip that tyres were finding in comparison to the previous loose surface roads. This increased grip dramatically increased the side forces effectively pulling the tyres off the rim. This is why it is so important to be vigilant on your tyre pressures with a clincher tyre, more than any other.

You might find it useful to follow this link to our films on How to Fit Clincher Tyres.

30 X 3½ Clincher Tyre Inner Tubes

We have 2 excellent choices of innertube for 30 X 3½ Clincher tyres. Michelin make the Central Valve H/D Michelin Inner Tube 760X90 RET which has a thick brass period valve stem that looks right and can be fitted with some of the lovely valve caps of the period. More importantly with this reinforced Michelin clincher innertube, it is extremely strong rubber innertube of the highest quality. We also offer great value Long Central Valve Model T Inner Tube which are great value, and to be fair do work extremely well (or we wouldn’t be selling them).

Also available at a Special Offer Price when purchased as a 
Set of 4 off 30x3 1/2 with tubes or Set of 4 off 30x3 1/2

The overall diameter of the 30x3 1/2 Wards Riverside is 790 mm, and the width is 98 mm.

For more information on the 30x3 1/2 please see below or call +44 (0) 1302 711 123.

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