Fitting Inner Tubes in Tubeless Tyres
Can you fit innertubes in tubeless tyres?
This is something we are asked about quite often, so we put it to Pirelli, one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers.
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The following precautions must be taken when fitting an inner tube in tyres branded tubeless.
Using an inner tube in a tubeless tyre is possible on certain types of vehicle when the wheel is designed for mounting with an inner tube such as:
- Non-safety wheels (without safety hump) or multi-piece wheels.
- Wire spoked wheels where air could otherwise escape through the spoke holes in the wheel (so not completely air tight).
- Only in tubeless tyres with a series or aspect ratio equal or higher than 70, i.e. 185/70 x 14 would be ok, 185/65x14 would not.
- Only in tubeless tyres with a speed symbol equal or lower than V (max speed 149mph).
- Not for motorsport application.
- If an inner tube is to be fitted with a tubeless tyre it is imperative to carefully examine and ensure there is no feature inside the tubeless tyre or on the inside of the wheel rim which could cause premature tube failure, e.g. any paper or plastic identification stickers, these must be completely removed.
- Always ensure that the inner tube is suitable for the specific tyre size.
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-Pirelli Tyres S.p.A
8/12/2020
