Clincher tire help

[dl456]

Hello,

Putting this in General discussion hoping to get more comments.

I am working on a 12 Hudson with Continental Gilbert two piece clincher rims 34x4 .

I have never seen rims like this before. They are split on the circumference and key together 

by twisting. I have seen other split clincher rims that were split transversely, but this a new one

for me. 

Research has uncovered an article in a 1910 Motor World that said the Continental Gilbert rim was

used by twenty manufacturers as standard equipment and optional equipment on many more .

My Dykes (1916) doesn't even list Continental in the rim section.

I have several questions.

Anybody have any experience with these rims?

I don't see any  34x4 clincher tires available from the usual sources. I did find 35 x 4-1/2''  available for

a 26'' rim but it is listed as 8 ply. A bit overkill.

If I could find a 26" split rim for straight side tires , what other obstacles might I encounter?

What is the best  course of action ?

Thanks,

Dennis

[15sd]

Later straight side rims are often designed with a different locking mechanism which can interfere with the fit on the wheel. On my original clinchers the drive plate was also part of the locking mechanism so other rims with a  large plate as part of the lock made a poor fit on my wheel. The rim would not centre well and was too tight a fit making removal difficult. I went back to using the original clincher rims  with straight side 33 x 4 tires (clinchers are not available) and inserted 12 volt rubber coated battery cable in the clincher slot to keep the metal edge from wearing into the tire sidewall. I used the old style black cable because it seems harder than the new gray stuff. It was time consuming and will be a pain if I get a flat but I've put a few hundred miles on them this way and so far so good.  

[dl456]

Thanks 15 sd,

I assume from your name you are a fellow Studebaker owner. I have a 20 EH.

What brand of rims are on your car?

I would like to avoid the filler in the clincher groove if possible but I may have to do that.

I understand that a rim change can be a new set of challenges.

I was hoping someone had been there, done that.

Dennis

[15sd]

My 15 SD came with Kelsey rims. Finding straight side 25 inch rims was a bit of a challenge and with enough welding and metal work I suppose any brand or design could be altered to work like your originals. Perhaps someone out there had more success at that than I did.

[1912Staver]

I have seen those rims on a Brass era car but only the one car.  I have a feeling that they were a clever but problematic design, and have heard that the interlocking tabs were prone to damage preventing the halves being locked/unlocked. They seem to be one of those solutions that despite merit and the marketing power of a major manufacturer just didn't catch  on.  Due to their complexity I would imagine they were also quite expensive. They don't appear to have been on the market for very long.

 if your rims are in good condition then the non-availability of appropriate clincher tires is a real roadblock. Really the only choices are to follow 15sd's suggestion and use a bead filler in order to fit straight side tires.  or fit a substitute rim that is made for ss tires.  The bead filler method actually works quite well and goes back to when these cars were only a few years old and larger clincher tires were already becoming obsolete.

 

Greg

 

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[dl456]

Hello Greg,

Thanks for the response.

I have to agree  with your assessment that the Continental Gilbert rims may have never gained popularity

for the reasons you mention. They must have been incredibly expensive to produce.

I must admit to being impressed with the quality and accuracy of the product. After over 100 years,

the keys, springs and locks on these still function as new.

I am anxious to hear more experiences with the bead filler and straight side tires. Do they really hold  

as well? Are there any problems getting the tires seated correctly?  ( round)

Thanks,

Dennis

[15sd]

A filler strip was actually available shortly after the clincher tire had become obsolete. I have an ad from the day in my old literature for this product, I'll see if I can find it just for fun.

In my case, the straight side tires fit very snugly on the clincher rims (almost too tight) but it meant there was no chance of it being out of round.

[dl456]

Thanks 15sd,

I am going to go the filler route with straight side tires.

If you find that ad, please post it. Would be interesting to see.

Dennis

[oldford]

My EMF has 33 x 4 tires with the type of ring that can be reversed to use either clinchers or straight side tires. The straight side tires are on the rims with the clincher side of the ring facing the tire bead and a hemp filler is in the grove that would engage the clincher bead. It looks like it has always been there and I've never had a problem, either with the old tires or with the new tires I put on two years ago....

 

Frank

[dl456]

Ok,

Mounted some straight side rollers on these rims. For anyone interested, here are some detailed directions.

1) remove old tire pieces that obviously have dinosaur dung in what's left of the tread.

2) Fight with straight side tire for a while.

3) Drink a beer

4) fight some more

5) drink another beer

6) fight some more and head to the fridge. ( this is why it's important to have a refrigerator in your garage)

7) go to work and let your younger brother finish.

I'm not saying this will always work. Just what worked for me.

Dennis