NATO Wolf Tubed vs Tubeless

[craig]

Looking for thoughts/comparisons between:

NATO Wolf ANR5593 tubed rim/tube/BFG 235/85-16 tubeless tire
NATO Wolf ANR4583 tubeless rim w/ BFG 235/85=16 tubeless tire

Truck is used on and offroad.

I already have the tires. Have a chance to get the ANR5593s at a good price but am unsure about running tubed rims. I had a friend who ran tubed rims w/o the tubes and he wound up with 4 tires all rolled off the rims during a trail run. So, needless to say I'd be running the ANR5593s w/ a tube in them.

Thanks!
Craig

 

[gchinsr]

Hey Craig
The tubeless Wolf rims have an extra lip to hold the bead. Without the tube, at lower air pressure the wheel can not hold a bead. Running a tubed wheel has it's advantages for repairability, and lower air pressure when conditions warrant it. A lot of people also run tubes on a tubeless Wolf, for these same reasons. I hope this helps,
Cheers
Greg

 

[craig]

Thanks Greg, that's helpful. Appreciate the reply. Yeah, I believe I understand the physical differences between the two rims I'm just wondering about the practicality of using tubed rims on a daily basis.

Freeway mannerisms the same?

Using tire plugs on tubeless tires is easy. How hard is it to change a tube on the trail?

Are tubed tires harder to balance?

etc.

From your post, I'm gathering that a tubed tire can be aired down lower even w/o the lip to hold the tire bead in place and that it's easy to change a tube. I would suspect that a tubed tire would also continue to work if a rim was bent since it doesn't require a full seal between tire/rim.

 

[craig]

or put another way... is there any reason why I shouldn't go with tubed rims for a vehicle that is driven in town, on the highway, and on the trail?

 

[gchinsr]

Hi Craig
Most of our neighbors across the pond run tubes. There should be no difference on drivability's. The tire determiners the ease of balancing, not the tube, due to amount of rubber, and it's distribution around the tire. I run 235/85/16 KM2's on my Wolfs, and these would be a good workout to repair a tube, watching how they were seated when installed. I bought these thinking that they would be pretty hard to puncture, and chose tubeless. If I were to run in sand or rocks mostly, I think I would have tubed wheels, or bead locks.
Greg

 

[craig]

Those are the same tires I have now. I have a chance to get a set of new tubed NATOs pretty cheap. I'm trying to decide if they'll work well for me.

Sounds like they'll work fine as long as I don't have to change the tube.

 

[gchinsr]

Hey Craig
They should be fine. My physical limitations are the deciding factor. If you can acquire these cheap, I say go for it. You can have 1 complete spare tire, and a couple tubes if needed, instead of say 2 complete spares. These are not cheap, but the offset and strength are perfect for my needs. Really made a difference in the handling, and stability, without having to change anything to fit them.
Greg

 

[Antichrist]

I ran tubed tires from when I bought my first Land Rover in '74 until '91 when I bought my first coiler. That included 100% off-road in my '62 88, and a number of years in VT mud season when I had to drive several miles twice a day every day in mud above the hub. Never had any problems with tubed tires.
A good friend in VT switched to tubed from tubeless because he drove even further in mud during mud season and was always breaking a bead because the mud and gravel would work it's way between the bead and seat.

You can run tubes on a tubeless rim without problem.
Personally I wouldn't run tubeless on a tube type rim.

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

I've used a set of these tube-type wheels on my '94 Disco.

There's a reason that the alloys are back on it.

I've rolled a tire off the rim and torn a tube - yes, at reduced pressure - here in the Iowa mud.

I've had a stem torn and leak while off road around Leadville a few years ago.

I had a really unpleasant flat in the middle of Nebraska while traveling I-80 back from a Moab trip. Shredded the tube.

I'll use them as extra wheels for scooting around town in the 80".....off road / hiway travel at "hi-speed". Mmmmm, nope.

Say, would you like to buy them

 

[craig]

So, Monkey Boy's post seems to be at odds with the idea that you can run a lot lower air pressure if you are running tubes.

Hmmm....

 

[Antichrist]

The biggest issue running really low pressures with tubes, that's I've seen, is movement of the tube in relation to the wheel causing the valve stem to get cocked.

 

[p71]

I lived in asia and africa until I was 17. I did not know tubeless tires existed until my dad's imported JDM Nissan Sunny had a flat. They just threw a tube in it and we rolled...

 

[overlander]

Craig,
I have run tubeless BFG MT's on my original steel tubed rims for several years now. My 110 is my daily driver. I have never had issues. I mounted the tires myself as well.

I had to use oversized valve stems as the holes are bigger in the tubed rims, but I could always carry tubes if needed for long overland trips, and just pull the stem out if needed. Changing a tube is pretty easy. Once you break the bead (easier on tubed rims), it's all downhill.

 

[DividingCreek]

Land Rover sold the 130 (the only truck to come with either of these wheels from the factory) with the tubed wheel but installed tubless tires. Again this is how 130's left the factory. I have sets of both wheels. I have aired down and never lost a bead (on the tubed rims) but I usually don't air down below 12psi- I don't run tubes. Mud and dirt ground into a bead will make a radial leak no matter what wheel its on, the only way to fix it is to break the bead and clean the mating surfaces. Tubes negate the positive atributes of radials as far as highway use goes.

 

[craig]

I'm going to run tubes if I get them as I personally know someone who had horrible results running w/o them on these rims.

What I am curious about are the road/trail manners of these rims with tubes installed.

Craig