General Polski 126p Wheels and Tires

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General Polski 126p Wheels and Tires

Caleb

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Hi all! I am new to the 126 scene and trying to learn what I can on the fly. My wife and I just bought a 1983 126p in the USA and its needs tires BAD! I have found an adequate replacement tire but have a question about the wheels. The tires currently running are using inner tubes. The replacements I have found are tubeless. Does anyone know if the wheels are designed to take tubeless tires? I am not sure when they switched from inner tubes to tubeless in Poland. Any one in the USA with a 126p running tubeless on the original rims?

Thanks!
 
Wheels need a "hump" on both sides for tubeless tires, see picture left. ( hump keeps tire on the wheel during ( hard) cornering...)
Right picture needs a tube..no humps..., so tube keeps the tire in place.

serveimage
 
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Fiat tended to use tubes into the eighties when everyone else had moved to tubeless. Their wheels were often fine for tubeless.
Downside, is that with a tube, you often get corrosion around the valve hole. A tubeless valve would then not seal, meaning either new wheels, or stay with tubes. This is the problem I had with my 1981 131 Mirafiori.

Tubeless tyres have ribbed inner walls, and these chafe the tubes. Cheap tubes may only last weeks before rubbing through. I used to have to insist on Michelin tubes, which would last about a year, just thicker rubber I think. Copious amounts of 'french chalk' inside the tyre also helps, if that stuff is available.

'Tube type' tyres will have smooth inner walls, but these are scarce, used on wheelbarrows and handcarts. If you find tube type tyres, make sure they are of a high enough spec to support the car.
 
Thank you all for the help and the info. I guess the only way to know for sure if the wheels I have will work for tubeless tires is to take a tire off and see the inside of the wheel.

The replacements tires I have found in the US are actually a 145/12. Can anyone tell me if they have used the 145/12 instead of the 135/12 (almost impossible to get in USA). The 135/12 already looks like a really close fit so I am not sure if the 145/12 will end up being too wide and rub in the inside of the wheel arches on sharp tuns.
 
I was able to get my local mechanic to break down the spare tire for me yesterday to check the rim and see if they are suited for tubeless tires. Unfortunately the wheels have no ridge or hump for the tubeless tires. So I will either be using the tubes in a tubeless tire or will need to get later production rims designed for tubeless tires..
 
Yeah I would also prefer to have the later wheels that can run tubeless tires. It would make things much easier to deal with. That may be something I do in the future. With a money constraint at the moment my only real option is to go with the tubes in a tubeless tire. I would like to keep the car as "original" as possible or at least the look so hopefully down the road I will be able to find a decent set of wheels for a good price.
 
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