TheSamba.com :: View topic - How is everyone securing white wall inserts to their tires??

Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:59 pm

Well I've seen the hammer method to push the inserts into the the tire bead etc which seems to work on video. But in real life Mine still are bulgy on the sidewalls. Granted I got the 3" inserts (returning for 2"). Hopefully the 2" sit on the sidewall better? I've seen some guys using an adhesive to mount the sidewall, but I've also read thats not ideal for sidewalls...

Any suggestions?

Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:06 pm

Here's a video if you really insist on installing them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpwUPnzd3jQ

Based on my own experience, I'd say stay away from them if you're using radial tires
They're really meant for bias ply tires. Radials have too much sidewall flex. That flex, in about a year's time, will make the edges of the whitewalls wear thinner and thinner until they break away in chunks and look ragged. Also, brown staining will bleed thru from your tires and permanently stain them.
Took mine off after about a year & bought real whitewalls from Coker. Don't waste your time and money... JMO...

Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:14 pm

Here is a similar video (Chris Vallone): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGCJDT2WUzg

Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:32 am

I have not had good luck and even though I hate spending the ridiculous money that they want for real whitewalls, I bite the bullet and do it. Only thing I use a portawall on is a spare. And a 3" is really pushing it anyway.

That being said, there was a recent post and Chris, from Classic VWs that did the you tube video, has said that he has had great luck with them.

Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:40 am

I think he's had good luck with them since he flips his cars once they're restored. They look great when they're first installed. If he drove one with Port O Walls for about a year, I think he'd change his mind.
The only way possibly I can see these things work on radials is if someone wanted to take a chance and try gluing them to the blackwall, that may prevent the edges from chafing until they're paper-thin. I'd hate to chance a set of tires that way (unless they're old anyway). I'd still be worried about the chemicals from the tire leaching thru the port o walls and staining them unless the glue acted like a barrier...

Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:27 pm

The portawalls do discolor and I did my best to keep them cleaned up when I had a set on for about a year.

Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:45 pm

ive been wanting to see how they look on mine but i have no idea where i would get them but id rather them than actual white wall tires only cause of the cost but once i redo my paint and powder coat my rims i want to put those on mine, any idea of what site would be the best to order from if i do end up getting them? also let me know how they work out id love to see pics

Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:10 pm

X2 what everybody has said about them on here. They turn brown and can't be cleaned. Look like crap then. The edges fray as well. If you just want a trailer queen or a car you seldom drive, they might work for you. Otherwise a bad investment. A $200 lesson for me.

Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:52 pm

gotcha, i might have to just bite the bullet like everyone else and go with real white walls lol

Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:10 am

Moon and most VW suppliers sell them. You can also check with Universal Tire. Atlas are supposed to be good, but I still had probs with them. I was seriously considering trying them again on the current project, but till you get done painting or powder coating the wheels, there are almost always some chips when tires get put on, I dont want to deal with that - so just going to get a set of whitewalls.

The one thing that you also have to remember too, is that most tire sidewalls are pretty busy and technically you should grind off the raised stuff so they sit better (at least thats what I have read and done). That is one hell of a messy job.

Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:06 am

andk5591 wrote: The portawalls do discolor and I did my best to keep them cleaned up when I had a set on for about a year.

here us a trick to clean your white walls:
use a fine drywall foam sanding block.

Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:16 am

Well I've been running the ATLAS portawall inserts for 2 months now: Loving them! One did come 1/2 way out of my rim so I limped it home and fixed it by deflating the tire and simply pushing it back into the bead.

Also: Paying discount tire to do the inserts was a $20 mistake. They could care less what the final result of their work is lol. I picked up my tires with the whitewalls sticking out from the tire 0.5".

What I had great results with:
Deflate the tires, and slowly push the insert into the bead with your body weight. Work your way around the circumference. Then fill the tire up. One of my tires brought the insert up when I filled it with air, so I repeated the process again and it stayed.

The rubber mallet trick is questionable from my experience. It makes the insert VERY dirty/ hard to clean even with whitewall cleaner. Also, the whitewalls reform their shape after a day or two...

Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:42 am

your glueing idea is not a bad idea - I have never heard any info on trying that task.
Probably will work with the correct glue

Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:18 am

Use spray paint on your current tires.

Fri Mar 29, 2013 11:05 am

Hah... reminds me of the time I tried them. The installer used soap to lubricate the wheels while installing them. Looked good. Got about one block from the shop and 3 of the 4 flew right off the tires. I must have looked like a clown running around the street picking up the whitewalls. LOL. Have to follow the installation instructions to the letter.
Jerry has a good idea: gluing the damn things to the tires to begin with. If anyone held a gun to my head and forced me to install another set of Port-O-Walls on my car, I'd try gluing them with a compatible contact adhesive to prevent the edges from fraying. The other thing I would do is paint the back of them with a good rubber-compatible primer to attempt to prevent the chemicals in the black tire from migrating to the whitewalls & permanantly staining them.
Let us know in about a year how they're looking. :roll:

Tue Apr 09, 2013 4:55 am

Here's my project... with Inserts to get me by. Cokers will run just shy of a grand for all 4, but when the project is done thats a must.

5 Months later in Florida they have bled through and stained:

Expect them to go this route within a year or so. Possibly less time like mine did on new tires. The fronts are just now starting to show faint spots on the edges as well.

Cheers

Tue Apr 09, 2013 6:27 am

Yep... I don't know why they can't coat the backside with a barrier to the chemicals from the tire. Probably worse with new tires. In about a year, you'll see thinness and fraying at the edges (if you're running radials); then it's time to throw them away. :x

Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:29 am

Damn! That's not looking very appealing! Guess we'll see how it goes... May take them off and paint the inside with some type of liner...

Mon Dec 28, 2015 4:41 pm

guys all you need to do if they get brown is use vinyl white spray paint it sticks like bugger to them.