Help please on Wheels, Tubes and Tyres

I wonder if you can help me on this. this is one of my wheels, and the second photo shows what size it is (I think). 1988 Defender 90 turbo diesel. (the one before the 200tdi engine)




I'm getting new front tyres put on this weekend, more Grabbers 235/85/R16 to replace what's there and match whats on the back wheels. They do the job which is general road stuff and towing a couple of horses around in a trailer perfectly adequately. When I mentioned that the ones I have on now have inner tubes as well, the guy at the tyre place was a bit confused and said that normally they are tubeless tyres. The tube they would fit would not be quite the right size and that might be why I keep on getting punctures. Is he right? In some ways it would make sense, I've never had a car with inner tubes before, and I've never before suffered so many punctures. Should I have tubes or not, are the tyres it currently has too big for the wheel rims? At some stage the 90 has undergone a makeover/tidy up, it's not been modified as such. The local LR nuts round here are always quite impressed at how clean it is (not the paintwork) and can't quite believe its genuinely all more or less the original, which it does seem to be. I do think the wheels are not the original ones...

Is there anyone out there who understands these things and can put me right?

This is not a numpty garage by the way, it's micheldever tyres if anyone has heard of them, they are the main suppliers of most of the local tyre places to me, keep everything in stock and are unbeatable on price which is why I'm travelling an hour plus to go there. They're charging £93/tyre fitted incl tube and the other stuff, so a good price I thought, seeing as how I'm used to paying £15/tube fitted every time I have to replace one. They're doing BFG's for £114/tyre fitted.

So should I have tubes or not, should I be having a different tyre size put on. I hope someone can help.

Tubeless all the way if possible. the rims are 6-1/2" wide which are quite narrow but 235's should be fine on them.

Check the RIMS are tubeless - its more important than if the tyres are tubeless.

Tubed tyres shouldn't get more punctures, i think yours aren't fitted right.

How do I check the rims are tubeless?

I understand what you say about the tyres may be not fitted right, I did the same routes in a volvo estate, proper little mini and toyota yaris and never had a single puncture between them, whereas this thing... Maybe it's not punctures but the valves packing up, but whatever it is, its not acceptable and very inconvenient blah blah. Thing is though, they've all been off at least once (I've definitely put at least one new tube in every single wheel in the 2 years I've had it).

Are the tyres too wide for the rims do you think?

Hmm not really. You have to ask a tyre shop if the rims are tubeless, i dnt know enough to tell you how to know.

Ive had a couple of punctures in mine, one was cos the tyre chafed the tube, another i never did work out what from. Shouldn't have loads though.

The tyres may be a smidge too wide, but not by much. You should be able to get correct tubes for them too.

Thanks boydy. I'm coming to the conclusion that I may need to rethink things once I get there. See what other tyre options there are for those wheels I have. They ought to be able to tell me. Perhaps I'll give them a call tomorrow.

would be a good plan i think!

I wouldnt put tubes on new tyres. If your gonna get a flat, your gonna get a flat right???? why spend 10, 15 quid extra

cos some rims (older ones) need them or all the air comes out - they dnt seal on their own.

Just to share with you all I had my first puncture on one of the new tyres Wednesday night. So 10 days and pop she goes


Land Rovers who'd have em?...

have you sorted the old ones yet?

ere penny if you ever want to sell those rims let me know please

Howdoyou mean? It was one of the new tyres that went pop on me. The old ones on the back wheels have been beaten into submission (for now)

but their tubeless tire with tubes right?

Yes they are, but the rims are the 6/12 wolf ones that need tubes (i think)

PennyJ said:

Yes they are, but the rims are the 6/12 wolf ones that need tubes (i think)

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Find out for sure if the rims are tubeless or not Ive been through this problem too. When I bought my landy it was on avon rangemaster tubed tyres I replaced them with kumo tubeless ones but was advised to keep the tubes because ( they said ) my rims were not tubeless then I had at least one punture per week so I replaced the tubes with new ones but that still didnt work . I was parked in town about 2 months into all this when I came back I had my normal flat tyre there was a small tyre repair shop just beside me so when I told him my story he said just try this one without a tube. Ive now got three of them tubeless dont know why the last one never puntured its been almost a year and a half now since I last had a punture

ive got tubeless tyres on my tube rims with tubes in them, had 1 puncture caused by this and had to pop a new (2nd hand) tyre onto it, otherwise no problems.

boydy1989 said:

ive got tubeless tyres on my tube rims with tubes in them, had 1 puncture caused by this and had to pop a new (2nd hand) tyre onto it, otherwise no problems.

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Are you lucky or am I jinxed:scratching_chin:

tubes rubbing on the inside of the tyre. tube tyres are smooth inside- tubeless have lots of ribs which wear holes in the tubes.your rims arent originai landy so every chanch theyre tubeless your tyre fitter should know. but i think even landy would nave been on tubeless by1988

HOOK said:

tubes rubbing on the inside of the tyre. tube tyres are smooth inside- tubeless have lots of ribs which wear holes in the tubes.your rims arent originai landy so every chanch theyre tubeless your tyre fitter should know. but i think even landy would nave been on tubeless by1988

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oh yes they are, they are standard HD rims