Our Tyres
VETERAN, VINTAGE, CLASSIC & HOT ROD
We Stock - Radials and Crossply Tyres
Radial versus Cross-Plys?
This is an interesting question and one we are asked about a lot particularly in relation to 1930-40 & 50’s vehicles. The first pneumatic tyres, going back to John Boyd Dunlop's invention in 1888 were cross-ply tyres. Michelin invented the radial ply tyre in the '40's, fitting their first steel belted tyres to Lancia and Citroen cars in 1949. They were an instant hit in Europe, but it took another 20 years to catch on in USA. We strongly recommend the use of radial ply tyres for all vehicles post 1950, especially for cars that are driven.
New High Pressure Tyres - in Australian Tread Patterns
In the 1980's and again in the 1990's the Australian moulds for high pressure tyres were purchase by both Stan Lucas (Lucas Classic Tyre) and Harold Coker (Coker Tires).
Since establishing Old World Tyres over 15 years ago, we have been working to have as many of the original tread patterns re-established and thankfully Lucas has been listening. Unfortunately the word Olympic is not available as this trade mark is still owned by Dunlop who purchased Olympic in the 1980, now owned by Goodyear.
However this has not stopped the use of the moulds and treads and today we are proud to have over 15 Australian treads in use, all stocked by us for supply to the Australian & New Zealand market.
We have a number of different widths and styles available in various tyres. Please email us with you requirements.
Brass Stem Tubes
We have always stocked a limited supply of brass stem tubes mainly in 28 x 3" and 30 x 3 1/2". With many requests recently and knowledge that no one else is really carrying this line we have extended our range to include:
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30 x3"
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710 x 90
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23"- 25" Small combo
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23" - 25" Large Combo
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880 x 120
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26" x 500/600
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Michelin extra heavy duty 810 x 105 - 880 x 135 combo
Brass Stem tubes are more expensive than rubber however these are better suited to the high pressure and Beaded Edge tyres.
Rustbands - Tube Protection From Your Wheel
Rustbands (or Flaps as they are known in the USA) are a rubber protective liner that sits between the tube and the rim to protect the rim pinching the tubes as it moves against the tyre in general road use.
I get asked a lot about fitting rustbands and my advice is simple “inflate the tube until it has shape but does not want to fight you squeezing it (approximately 3 psi) – inset the tube inside the tyre making sure the valve is in the correct position, be it in the centre or off set. Slide the rustband over the tube and guide it up the inside wall of the tyre creating U shape over the tube, note: make sure it is even on both sides. Once this has been completed, insert the valve in the valve opening in the rim and slowly lever the tyre into place or, in the case of split rims, expand the rim until it is seated in the correct position”.
Rustbands are used from very early veteran vehicles including those with Beaded Edge or Clincher rims right through to the late 30’s when welded rims were introduced to replace riveted rims by many manufacturers.
Rim strips are basically oversized rubber bands designed to cover the “nipples of spokes” on the inside of wire wheels, generally available in 17-18” and 19-21” (some other sizes can be obtained). As a general rule, rim strips do not give the protection that rustbands do as they only cover the nipples and do not prevent the potential of pinching between the rim and the tyre.
