Quote:
Originally Posted by Prabal Nope I didn't, but some others have had 'em.
You've answered it - because the repair infrastructure didn't exist earlier also. Which is no big deal, because all that is required is the needle and the rest of the repair kit. However, one big problem, back in the day and even today with our regular tyre puncture repair wallahs, is the absence of the tyre removal/fitting machine (from the rim). Our guys use a heavy hammer liberally in mating tyre to rim. While you don't need to remove the tubelss tyre from the rim while fixing a leak (whether in the tyre or the nozzle) but while fitting it for the first time they'd go to town with the hammer! This caused two problems - one it bent the rim and secondly it damaged the casing of the tyre, especially the side wall. With a bent rim, the tubeless tyres would not hold air for long, and with a damaged casing there would be tyre failure. So tube-type tyres got to rule our roads.
Plus there was also a perception about their unsuitability. Which was correct to some extent. Most, if not all, tubeless came from foreign production. The rubber compound was not great for our weather or road conditions. A few brands also relied heavily on a wire meshing (although polyester/glass fibre and other stuff for the carcass were also used by some) and all it took was an intrusion or a hard knock to expose it and soon it would all unravel and be torn to shreds. Not a happy situation with an expensive foreign brand, yet new, for most Indians who preferred to save for a rainy day, even in the wettest present conditions!!
I'm not sure if there was a radial vs cross-ply angle too in the tubeless variety, since radials were really not in favour on Indian cars before the late 80s.
OT, but remember the skepticism towards cold patches that came to substitute the heat curing method?
Anybody who used tubelss tyres back then (whether OE or personally fitted), mostly always carried an emergency tube in case a tubeless repair was not possible somewhere. One had to just sacrifice the nozzle and get the tube put on duty! |
Today I had to get a tubless tyre fixed and went to a tyrewallah of old, they are more than 60 years in business. I asked him about this, he said that the idea failed because no one was interested, both car owners and the guys fixing them. There is a puncture repairing cost differential, tubeless on an average Rs 100/- conventional now maybe Rs 50/- or so. And the glues, epoxies etc. are more expensive AND have a shorter shelf life. He showed me half filled tubes of the stuff thrown because of expiry. And many a tyrewallah keeps on using expired material, and the repairs fail in due course.
He showed me a BMW rim with low profile tyres leaking air all along the rim damaged due to driving against the kerb. Rim had marks, can be reused by using sealants, but he commented that low profile tyres are really not suitable for Indian roads and our kerbs are also too high. On my street they have just redone the foothpath (3rd time in 5 years) where they have a ramp for wheelchairs!!
He also told me that you are supposed to warm up the tyres by driving slowly for a while. Quote:
Originally Posted by r_nairtvm Harit,
Mercedes - Benz always had TL tyres on the even for imports of latter years.
Ram |
I never said that Merc did not have tubeless tyres on their cars, many cars (also others than Mercedes) when imported were fitted with tubeless tyres, Godmen, Consulates, Embassies etc all got such cars. The point to note was that when Mercedes Benz India initially supplied their W124 series cars, they were fitted with "tubed" tubeless Continental tyres, for whatever reason best known to them.
Cheers harit
Last edited by harit : 23rd January 2010 at 18:28.
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