Tubes or Tubeless?

Michael Pliska · 10-17-2008, 03:49 PM

I suppose this will be as much of a disagreement amongst people as the timers thread!

Back when I was running S/G and brackets almost nobody ran tubeless, but now it seems that a majority of people are tubeless. I saw on a different thread (in the stock/SS forum) that running tubes was seen as dangerous as they felt a blowout would be catastrophic with a tube but only a slow leak if tubeless. Am I missing something?

I crashed my car in the top end before (boomed a motor just before the traps), and one of the rear wheels was completely bent (where it landed on its side on the guardrail), but it was still holding air. It went up enough on the other side that the sidewall was all chafed, but it still did not loose any air. This was a tube chassis Vega with 16x32 Goodyears with natural rubber tubes and rim screws.

A year ago I watched a friend in Top Dragster (running 13" slicks tubeless with rim screws), and she got sideways due to a cross wind, and bounced side-to-side until one tire blew (it broke the rim screws), at which point she did a barrell roll.

What are the arguments pro and con? Obviously you remove rotating mass by eliminating tubes and screws, but I am more concerned with safety.

Regards,

10-17-2008, 03:49 PM	#1
Michael Pliska Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Happy Valley, OR Posts: 260 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Tubes or Tubeless? I suppose this will be as much of a disagreement amongst people as the timers thread! Back when I was running S/G and brackets almost nobody ran tubeless, but now it seems that a majority of people are tubeless. I saw on a different thread (in the stock/SS forum) that running tubes was seen as dangerous as they felt a blowout would be catastrophic with a tube but only a slow leak if tubeless. Am I missing something? I crashed my car in the top end before (boomed a motor just before the traps), and one of the rear wheels was completely bent (where it landed on its side on the guardrail), but it was still holding air. It went up enough on the other side that the sidewall was all chafed, but it still did not loose any air. This was a tube chassis Vega with 16x32 Goodyears with natural rubber tubes and rim screws. A year ago I watched a friend in Top Dragster (running 13" slicks tubeless with rim screws), and she got sideways due to a cross wind, and bounced side-to-side until one tire blew (it broke the rim screws), at which point she did a barrell roll. What are the arguments pro and con? Obviously you remove rotating mass by eliminating tubes and screws, but I am more concerned with safety. Regards, __________________ Michael Pliska 643 S/G