Centerline Wheels

[hemifalcon]

I've got the cool 3.5" Centerline "bubble-offset" front wheels on my '62 Sedan. I have also got a great set of basically NOS Michelin ZX tires on the front rather than those crappy new 135/15 tires that are available. These are the 135SR15's that are really only available in Europe for a pretty penny. The problem is that the front tires don't hold air for $hit. I had another set before that were older that had tubes in the tires. What I need to know is if this is necessary for these tires to hold air with these wheels? The wheels are brand new, real Centerlines with the silicone bead in the center, and the beads on the tires are great. Anyone with any advice, I'd appreciate it. If I need tubes, please just tell me so!
thanks and Merry Christmas!

[Behemoth]

Can you see where they are leaking at the bead? I have the same wheels, but much much older, and I had trouble with the stems. If all elase fails run the tubes, it's no biggie.
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[volkswagenut]

My crappy new 135s dont leak. guess you will have to run tubes in those good tires.

Note: a good tire holds air and rolls.
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[66 Käfer]

the problem with the Centerlines is the fact that they use silicone to seal the rim halves. I don't know if they still do it but it could be that even if you have a new set, they have been new for a while and they are from the time when they were still using silicone. Silicone is really corrosive on aluminum because it contains this acid that is also present on vinager, can't remember what it's called, anyway ever noticed the strong odor that silicone emits, that is what causes the corrosion. Once you have the corrosion starting under the bead of silicone, aluminum oxide forms, which shows-up as a white powdery substance on aluminum and that breaks the seal and air escapes. This is a problem on aviation and there is specific sealants for that reason.This is a big problem in aviation and they have special sealants for that reason.
I have Centerlines from the 80's and they have the clear silicone and they leak. I plan on removing the silicone and the corrosion and using some kind of urethane caulking or a non-corrosive silicone to seal them up.

[hemifalcon]

Yeah, maybe those tires I have are the problem, but I doubt it, there is no dry rot, and the nipples are still on the edges of the tires all the way around. My wheels are new, and they do have the clear silicone on them. I am guessing it can only be the falve or the seal is poor on the halves of the rim. I think I'll just go with trying to put tubes in them, and hopefully they aren't too much of a pain to balance out after that. Yeah, mine are realy centerlines, bought them from the Centerline warehouse near LA in 2006.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/hemifalcon/Bug%20resto/100_1391.jpg[/IMG]

[66 Käfer]

More then likely it is the sealant on the rim halves, mine looked fine but they were leaking also. It's like I said before, you may have just gotten the wheels but you don't know how long they sat in the warehouse. Mine started leaking a couple of years after I got them.