Rim Tapes, Flaps, Valve Collars and Caps
Rim Tapes for Classic Cars
- A rim tape should be fitted into the well of any wire wheel on a classic car or bike to protect the inner tube from the spoke heads. Insulating tape is not as good as a proper moulded rim tape.
- Do not be tempted to put insulating tape on the bead seat of vintage wire wheels.
Flaps for Vintage Car wheels
- Rim tapes or flaps are not recommended on vintage Beaded edge wheels.
- Straight sided wheels need a flap of the correct diameter fitting to protect the inner tube.
- The Flap is there to stop the tube getting trapped between the rim and tyre.
Rim Tape
When you are using a wire wheel you should always use an inner tube. In the majority of cases with a wire wheel, there will be spoke heads going into the well in the centre of the rim. These spokes have rough tops that will chaff the inner tube. The rim tape is there to protect your inner tube from these rough bits inside your wheel.
There are wire wheels available that are sold as tubeless wire wheels, however Longstone Tyres have repeatedly come across failures in these wheels leaking air as displayed in the film below, and we suggest that you should always use a tube in a wire wheel on a classic car.
When fitting the rim tape it must cover the spoke heads in the well in the centre of the vintage car wheel. However it is a common mistake to think that the spokes protruding through the bead seat of the wheel (on either side of the well) needs to be coved by tape. This is not the case as these spoke heads are covered by the bead of the tyre carcass. Also if these spoke heads on the bead seat are covered by tape they will often move, bunch up and create a sharp edge. That will simply lead to punctures. So just fit a rim tape in the well.
Rim Band 14" to 17"
This 14”-17” wire wheel rim band is suited to be fitted to 14”, 15”, 16” and 17” classic car wire wheels. This rim band is able to be fitted to this range of wheels because it is made from good quality rubber which will stretch to fit.
Rim Band 18" to 21"
This high quality rim band is developed to fit 18”, 19”, 20” and 21” wire wheels for vintage cars. On the majority of vintage car wheels that have thin wire spokes some of those spokes will be fitted to the centre of the wheel. In these cases the spoke head protrudes into the centre of the wheel rim and without a rim band these spokes would chafe and cause punctures in the inner tube.
Rim Tape FAQ
A: No only wire wheels were there are spoke heads exposed in the well of the wheel that would come in contact with the inner tube. So no need in alloy wheels, Model A Ford wheels where the spokes are welded on, or pressed steel wheels. And of course there is no need for a rim tape with tubeless wheels
A: the rim tape is simply there to protect the inner tube inside the tyres on your classic car, from coming into contact with any roughness such as spoke heads in the wheel rim.