10-20-2004, 12:17 PM
[cool][blue][size 2]Hey Biggie, welcome to our playroom. Sorry about the impending loss of your air chamber. That does happen over time, and it is better to replace it before a disaster than after one. It sucks when you gotta walk back in after being out in the middle of a lake and your tube suddenly deflates.
I have a couple of the black butyl rubber tire tubes out in my garage that I no longer have a need for. Let me dig them out and see what size they are. Let me know whether your tube is standard (20" tube) or extra large (22" tube).
If you have a standard size tube, you can replace the old rubber tube with lighter vinyl air chambers. The main consideration will be the location of the air valve. Truck tubes have the valve in the center, on the inside. Most of the vinyl air chambers have them on the top, and they are usually custom made to fit the specific brand they are made for. If you get one of those, you will have to create an opening somewhere on the top surface of your tube cover for the valve to stick out, and then make sure it is stitched and reinforced so that it does not rip out under pressure.
If you need to buy a replacement tube (new is recommended for peace of mind) you will quickly find that not every corner tire store has truck inner tubes. Most truck tires on the road these days are tubeless, so not many places stock tubes. You need to go to the yellow pages and look for tire store ads that advertise that they handle truck tires. Or you can just call and ask. Then you ask if they carry 20 tubes (or 22")
Once you get your truck tube, you have to modify the valve stem if you do not want it poking straight out and getting personal with your anatomy. There is a method to doing that which will get the job done, without kinking the long valve stem. Try to do it with a pair of channel locks and/or vice grips and it will just kink up every time. The trick is to use two large crescent wrenches...with the holes on the back end. You put both of them over the valve stem (with the valve cap on, to keep from messing up the threads) and then slowly lever the end over, using the wrenches as moving levers and fulcrums.
Let me first see if I still have a tube, in good condition. If you have to buy one, I will be happy to get together with you and get the valve stem bent just right. I've done a bazillion of them over the years. Here's a few pics of some of the many craft I have paddled around in.
Shoot me a PM and we can get you put back together.
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[signature]
I have a couple of the black butyl rubber tire tubes out in my garage that I no longer have a need for. Let me dig them out and see what size they are. Let me know whether your tube is standard (20" tube) or extra large (22" tube).
If you have a standard size tube, you can replace the old rubber tube with lighter vinyl air chambers. The main consideration will be the location of the air valve. Truck tubes have the valve in the center, on the inside. Most of the vinyl air chambers have them on the top, and they are usually custom made to fit the specific brand they are made for. If you get one of those, you will have to create an opening somewhere on the top surface of your tube cover for the valve to stick out, and then make sure it is stitched and reinforced so that it does not rip out under pressure.
If you need to buy a replacement tube (new is recommended for peace of mind) you will quickly find that not every corner tire store has truck inner tubes. Most truck tires on the road these days are tubeless, so not many places stock tubes. You need to go to the yellow pages and look for tire store ads that advertise that they handle truck tires. Or you can just call and ask. Then you ask if they carry 20 tubes (or 22")
Once you get your truck tube, you have to modify the valve stem if you do not want it poking straight out and getting personal with your anatomy. There is a method to doing that which will get the job done, without kinking the long valve stem. Try to do it with a pair of channel locks and/or vice grips and it will just kink up every time. The trick is to use two large crescent wrenches...with the holes on the back end. You put both of them over the valve stem (with the valve cap on, to keep from messing up the threads) and then slowly lever the end over, using the wrenches as moving levers and fulcrums.
Let me first see if I still have a tube, in good condition. If you have to buy one, I will be happy to get together with you and get the valve stem bent just right. I've done a bazillion of them over the years. Here's a few pics of some of the many craft I have paddled around in.
Shoot me a PM and we can get you put back together.
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[signature]