Installing a tube into a tubeless tire, can it be done?

**Anglin_Texas** · 10-26-2005, 02:11 PM

Can you put a tube in a tubeless 25x12-9 three wheeler tire? Mine arent holding air very well, I want to know if i could just intall a tube in the tires, switch out the vavle stems and that would fix my air problem?

**freewheel3** · 10-26-2005, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Anglin_Texas

Can you put a tube in a tubeless 25x12-9 three wheeler tire? Mine arent holding air very well, I want to know if i could just intall a tube in the tires, switch out the vavle stems and that would fix my air problem?

Sure can. Just make sure there are no rough spots on the rim or sharp objects inside the tire.
The only 2 problems that you might have is that sometimes the valve stem placement on the tube isn't lined up with where the hole in the rim is & you have to roll the tube a bit to make it work, this puts some stress on the valve stem.
Also, If you run too low of air pressure in the tube, the tire will rotate on the rim over time & rip the stem out of the tube. I've put tubes in leaky tires before & had them last for years though.

**bigredhead** · 10-26-2005, 02:59 PM

Not good on 250 R's .. but on just about any other trike.. not a problem in most cases.

Try to find tubes with metal valves if you can find them..

The high powered trikes will spin the beads in most cases and it slices the tubes right off.

Otherwise. good to go.

**cragster** · 10-26-2005, 04:56 PM

i would try slime first if i was you

**TeamGeek6** · 10-26-2005, 09:09 PM

Ive always run tubes in tubless, even on a 250R on good ITP rims, that plus green slime good combo for hare scrambles.

**twgranger** · 10-26-2005, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by cragster

i would try slime first if i was you

I would use that first too. I have spun the valve stems off tubes on a kawasaki 220 boyou before, and they have no power.

**trikes4life** · 10-27-2005, 10:41 AM

IS it a hole or is it a leaky rim. If it is the rim buy a can of hub and seal you tires. that **** is awsome.

**Unclediezel** · 10-27-2005, 10:53 AM

Tire slime works great and is alot cheaper than tubes -try it -the worst that will happen is wastin a few bucks- But Im sure you'll love it.

**Unclediezel** · 10-27-2005, 11:06 AM

Just a thought --Dont know if Slime will work inside tubes--But Keep any extra you have- And just for giggles pump it into your tubes- It never completely dries out -so youll be protected against punctures permanently.

**Solid Snake** · 10-27-2005, 11:11 AM

I have to say my experience with slime is that it doesn't work at all. It couldn't even seal up pinholes regardless of how long I let it sit to dry without riding it but still making sure slime was at that spot to seal the hole. The stuff says it can seal 1/8 inch holes with the regular type and 1/4 inch holes with the heavy duty type, well I used the heavy duty type and it couldn't seal 1/64 inch holes. When I first got the stuff I put it in all three of my new tires thinking it would be great and it didn't do a thing, just kept spewing out. Fix-a-flat is amazingly better then slime, keep a can of that stuff with you and your good to go.

**DeePa** · 10-27-2005, 11:26 AM

only thing about fix a flat is that it hardens...and if you have an unsuspended trike, hard tires mean severe back pain

**bigredhead** · 10-27-2005, 11:52 AM

Slime won't fix sidewall holes.. as it flings itself around the tire when it turns... what portion of the tire was the hole on ?

**threewheelin-feelin** · 10-27-2005, 12:11 PM

ive fix a bunch of 3wheeler tires as well as orther tires with fix a flat

**Rm250RF900R** · 10-27-2005, 12:56 PM

My experience with fix-a-flat is great. About 2 years ago I popped my front tire on my XR. I wanted to go riding that day so I bought a can. I put it in and waited a little while. Then I went riding. Now 2 years later. It is still holding like the same day it was 2 years ago. I can't say the same for truck tires. Probably just too big. So, I guess fix a flat works great for small tubed tires like dirtbike tires. I'm not sure how it would hold up with a bigger trike tire.

**Solid Snake** · 10-27-2005, 01:07 PM

The hole was not in the tire sidewall, I understand how it sits in the tire and that it doesn't even touch the sidewalls, but this hole was right in the center of a tread section, I could watch the slime flow out of it and just keep on leaking, it's really not good stuff. Fix-a-flat holds up great on trike tires and hardens like rubber, it won't make your tires stiffer at all in any way, it'll just make a rubber like membrane on the inside of the tire after a while that is very thin and you won't notice any difference in stiffness or tire mass/weight.

Thread: Installing a tube into a tubeless tire, can it be done?

Thread Tools

Installing a tube into a tubeless tire, can it be done?