Replacing innertubes without replacing tires?

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:30:56 -0500, Ben Jackson wrote:

I picked up a set of airstop-style tubes in my last AC Spruce order. I
was reviewing tire maintenance procedures and saw a recommendation that
you not re-use innertubes because they set slightly stretched and there's
a risk of pinching or folding them when they are reinstalled.

So, considering these tubes are new and my tires are decidedly NOT, would
I be "wasting" the new tubes on the old tires, or would it be okay to
reuse them on a future new tire?

How "decidedly not" new are the existing tires? If they're going to be
replaced soon, you could store the tubes until you need them. Of
course you run the risk that you might sell the airplane before that.

A&Ps have replaced several tires on my Warrior without replacing the
tubes. They always told me that they don't replace tubes as long as
there's nothing wrong with them. One time I finally had them put new
tubes in my old tires. For all I could tell, those tubes may have been
on the airplane since it was new. The new tubes really cut down on air
loss from the tires.

RK Henry

On 2006-10-26, RK Henry wrote:
On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:30:56 -0500, Ben Jackson wrote:

How "decidedly not" new are the existing tires? If they're going to be
replaced soon, you could store the tubes until you need them. Of
course you run the risk that you might sell the airplane before that.

They're not new but they don't seem to be wearing out. So as you say,
they might have a long, happy life ahead of them, in which case I'd
like to get the new tubes in and quit inflating them all the time!

A&Ps have replaced several tires on my Warrior without replacing the
tubes. They always told me that they don't replace tubes as long as
there's nothing wrong with them.

Thanks to everyone for the responses.

--
Ben Jackson AD7GD

http://www.ben.com/

I never knew you were supposed to replace tubes. I went 30 years
on a set in my Bonanza.

Now that they are replaced, I can say the new ones leak about
as much as the 30 year old ones.

Bill Hale

Ben Jackson wrote:
On 2006-10-26, RK Henry wrote:
On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:30:56 -0500, Ben Jackson wrote:

How "decidedly not" new are the existing tires? If they're going to be
replaced soon, you could store the tubes until you need them. Of
course you run the risk that you might sell the airplane before that.

Ben Jackson AD7GD

http://www.ben.com/

On 2006-11-01, wrote:

Now that they are replaced, I can say the new ones leak about
as much as the 30 year old ones.

My new ones are butyl based (not "airstop", but another brand). They
should hold their air much longer.

--
Ben Jackson AD7GD

http://www.ben.com/

"Ben Jackson" wrote in message
...
On 2006-11-01, wrote:

Now that they are replaced, I can say the new ones leak about
as much as the 30 year old ones.

My new ones are butyl based (not "airstop", but another brand). They
should hold their air much longer.

--
Ben Jackson AD7GD

http://www.ben.com/

Fill them with Nitrogen they won't leak as much. Not that I've tried it.

On 2006-11-01, Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

Fill them with Nitrogen they won't leak as much. Not that I've tried it.

The way my A&P drives a nitrogen cylinder they wouldn't leak because
the wheel halves would be in different counties...

--
Ben Jackson AD7GD

http://www.ben.com/

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:



Fill them with Nitrogen they won't leak as much. Not that I've tried it.


How do you figure that? Air is already mostly nitrogen. Why would a
higher concentration of nitrogen leak any less than plain old air? The
difference in atom sizes between nitrogen and the other major
constituents of air is on the order of a few percent, so even the other
constituents aren't going to leak out leaving just nitrogen.

"Ray Andraka" wrote in message
...
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:



Fill them with Nitrogen they won't leak as much. Not that I've tried it.
How do you figure that? Air is already mostly nitrogen. Why would a
higher concentration of nitrogen leak any less than plain old air? The
difference in atom sizes between nitrogen and the other major constituents
of air is on the order of a few percent, so even the other constituents
aren't going to leak out leaving just nitrogen.

And, that few percent difference makes a small fraction of a percent
difference in how fast they leak. Not enough to notice, but enough that tire
stores around here (Detroit) make all kinds of wild claims about the
advantages of buying tires from them and having them filled with N2...

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

"Ray Andraka" wrote in message
...
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:



Fill them with Nitrogen they won't leak as much. Not that I've tried it.
How do you figure that? Air is already mostly nitrogen. Why would a
higher concentration of nitrogen leak any less than plain old air? The
difference in atom sizes between nitrogen and the other major constituents
of air is on the order of a few percent, so even the other constituents
aren't going to leak out leaving just nitrogen.

As I said I haven't tried it but there are 398,000 hits when you Google
Nitrogen filled tires. I saw and ad for it in one of the aircraft mags the
other day and hadn't really looked into it that much. But glancing at the
Google results the opinions are mixed between works well and snake oil.