The other point to be aware of is that unless the tyres have been specifically manufactured to be fitted with inner tubes, the inner carcass of the tyre can be very rough and abrade the inner tube as the tyre flexes.
Certainly using 8 year-old tubes is a bad idea, and when replacing them try to find heavy-duty tubes, which can withstand the abrasion of the carcass. This can be easier said than done, I would call Paul Harris at Sutton Coldfield (0121 311 1969) for help
Finding Tubeless tyres is pretty much a non-starter I would think unless you went to a specialist like Longstone or Blockley - and I suspect they would only be available in vintage sizes.
The best solution in my view is to convert to tubeless fittings. The easy (but pricey) way to do this is to simply buy new wheels from MWS. This is what I did on my 1986 4/4 a couple of years ago.
The cheaper but more complex solution is to seal the inner rims yourself with a heavy-duty silicone sealant like Sikaflex. This is what MWS do to seal the rims and enable tubeless tyres to be fitted, but getting the inner rim properly degreased, and laying a nice smooth layer of sealant all the way round the wheel so that it doesn't leak is not something I fancied trying.
Last edited by Hamwich; 10/07/15 07:57 AM.
