A couple of decades ago, tube tires ruled the roost and were on almost every car. However, since the 2000s, tubeless tires began to confidently conquer the market, and today passenger car almost never found on tube tires. What is the main difference between tube and tubeless tires? Why is one better than the other and what are the disadvantages of both? We understand.

As is obvious from the name of the tires, their main difference lies in the design itself. The tube tire consists of a tire and a special chamber with a valve, which is inflated with compressed air. The tire is the upper (outer) part of the tire, it comes into contact with the road while driving, has a tread and all the characteristics we are used to. And the chamber is a sealed internal circuit, which is a rubber tube closed by a ring, pumped up with compressed air. The camera is inserted into the tire, and the whole structure, in turn, is put on the disk. Due to this structure, the tire of a tube tire does not fit very tightly to the disk, and the main burden of maintaining pressure in the tire falls on the tube. In turn, the camera does not have great mechanical strength, and therefore needs protection from external influences, punctures and impacts, which is what the tire provides. Such is the symbiosis.

A tubeless tire is both a tire and a tube in itself. The device of a tubeless tire is such that it does not have a separate chamber, its role is played by an internal sealing layer a couple of millimeters thick, which is “welded” to the tire from the inside even at the vulcanization stage. Made from a mixture of synthetic and natural rubbers, this elastic layer holds the compressed air and at the same time fits snugly to the disc - that is why no additional internal contours the device does not require a tubeless tire, it is put on immediately on the disk. The inner sealing layer also helps with punctures: if a small sharp object (a piece of wire, a nail, etc.) is stuck in the tire, it will get stuck in the inner layer and will not fall out, preventing air from leaking through the puncture.

The tubeless tire device, by the way, requires a more complex disk. In particular, such a disk has special humps - annular protrusions on the landing shelves of the rim, with the help of which tubeless tires are securely fixed. The sides of tubeless tires are sealed with an additional rubber layer, due to which tightness is ensured at the point of landing of the tire on the rim.

Tubeless tires have taken over everything these days. cars and many trucks, however, there is still room for tube tires. Tires with a tube are installed on motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, scooters and bicycles - on the so-called spoked wheels, which, as a rule, do not hold a tubeless tire with the required tightness. In addition, tube tires are still used on trucks and light trucks - tubeless tires are just beginning to gain popularity here. Tube tires are also used by some "Old Believers", who consider the main advantage the ability to replace a punctured tube without changing the tire, as well as the ease of repairing the tube with their own hands.

Tube tires are more affordable than tubeless ones;

In case of lateral damage, it is enough to replace only the punctured tube, and not the entire tire;

Tube tires do not require special rims and can fit on any.

A tube tire is much heavier than a tubeless one;

A punctured tube tire will go down almost instantly and will need to be replaced right on the road; it will not work to get to a service station;

There is a high probability of an internal puncture of the chamber by broken or worn cords;

Repairing even small punctures requires disassembling the wheel.

Slow depressurization and the ability to keep normal pressure for a long time after a puncture, which increases traffic safety and allows you to drive on a punctured tire to the place of repair;

A tubeless tire is much lighter than a tubed one, which reduces the load on the car's suspension;

Tubeless tires are more durable because they are less prone to overheating, have a stable internal pressure, and also do not suffer from friction of the tube against the tire;

Driving comfort on a tubeless tire is much better because the sidewall is softer.

Installation and overhaul tubeless tires require complex manipulations that will be performed only by a specialist using the necessary equipment; self repair and tire mounting is not possible;

Damage or deformation of the rim at the point of connection with the tire bead will lead to depressurization and deflation of the wheel;

Riding on a flat tubeless tire is fraught with the destruction of both the sealing layer and the tire as a whole.

1. In a tube tire, the size of the tube must necessarily match the size of the tire. Trying to fit a larger tube into a smaller tire will cause wrinkling as the tube fills with air, and any wrinkle is a potential weak spot.

2. A tube is not installed in a tubeless tire. At all. Even if it's damaged. It would seem that this should increase the strength of the damaged tubeless, but in reality it is simply dangerous. Between the chamber and the sealing layer in a tubeless tire, an air cushion is formed, which can lead to tire damage, especially with a sharp increase in the load on the wheel when cornering and when braking.

3. Of course, tires of the same construction must be installed on all four wheels. But that doesn't even need further mention.

This question often arises among buyers of used cars that are already equipped with tires. How to determine if you got tube or tubeless tires? Doubts may also arise when contacting an unreliable tire fitting: did you install the right rubber? Outwardly, chambered and tubeless tires already placed on disks do not differ from each other - all the difference is hidden inside, but we do not see the insides. Most

The obvious and indisputable way, of course, is to strip the tires: this way you will be able to visually assess the inside of the tire.

If this option is not suitable, we turn to the markings on the sidewall:

TT - marking tube tires, short for Tube Type - "tube type"

TL or single T - tubeless tire marking, from Tubeless - "without a tube"

The marking option may be doubtful if all the inscriptions on the tires have been erased during use and no longer help to determine whether the tire is tube or tubeless. On very old tires, the Tube Type or TT inscription may be completely absent, since at that time there were no options, all tires were chambered and did not need marking. But do you need such old tires?

The last option on how to distinguish a tubed tire from a tubeless one is to carefully examine the nipple. On a tube tire, it is longer and smoother, on a tubeless tire it is short, with a small bead. If you lower the wheel and try to press in the nipple, then the tubeless tire will not allow it to sink, since the nipple is firmly attached to the surface. But on a tube tire, the nipple can fall almost to its entire height.

For some motorists, the question of how to distinguish a tubeless tire from a tube one is still relevant. Let's say right away that the owners of older cars, or those who started driving 20-30 years ago, are mostly interested. The first camera system is interesting, because it makes little sense to put something especially advanced on a well-used “classic”.

The latter simply do not trust the new slopes, believing that the former chamber ones were more reliable and easier to repair. Among the curious are new owners of newly purchased used cars. The car must be shod in the same tires, this becomes known to everyone even at the stage of obtaining rights.

Changing all the wheels at once may not be in the plans; Having gone bankrupt to buy a car, many people are putting off investing in new tires for the distant future. So we urgently need to find out what is put on the discs?

How to distinguish a tubeless tire from a tube one, there are certain ways. However, first you need to be aware of them. fundamental differences, because at first glance they are almost identical, but the price is noticeably different.

A bit of theory

The main difference between a camera and a tubeless camera is in the structure. The first type of tires consists of 2 parts: a tire and a chamber embedded in it, which is a rubber tube closed in a continuous ring. The tubeless slope is a monolith. The outer circumference along the sides is sealed with a layer of seal, the inner one is sealed with a spray that is not permeable to air. The tubeless fit on the rims is more than tight, which is ensured by a special configuration, bead shape and a smaller diameter compared to the same rim parameter.

Such design features provide many benefits in use.

• In tubeless stingrays, the pressure inside is much more stable in comparison with the chamber predecessors. This is reflected in the form of better stability, and in the form of a rather high obedience to the steering wheel;
• The main advantage of tubeless tires is their security. Having run into a nail with a wheel, you, of course, get a hole in the ramp, but it does not burst and begins to poison the air a little. The driver even at high speed has enough time to react and slow down - the car continues to maintain controllability;

• Minor damage in the absence of a spare wheel can be moved to the nearest tire service. Yes, you will have to pump up the wheel every 5-10 km, but you will be able to reach help;
• Minor integrity violations can be eliminated on the spot by carrying a tube of special sealant in the trunk.
• The durability of tubeless tires exceeds the service life of chambered counterparts by about 20%;
• The seeming disadvantage of tubeless cameras - in some cases, the impossibility of self-restoration - is not an argument.

Tire shops in our time are scattered along the roads almost every kilometer, and vulcanization is not so expensive that a person who managed to buy (and maintain!) A car could not pay for a one-time elimination of the consequences of a collision with a sharp object.

The combination of these benefits led to the fact that tubeless skates strongly pressed the archaic variety on all fronts. Now, in order to find a camera, you will have to make some efforts and spend time, they turned out to be so little in demand.

(banner_content) It is doubtful to assume that when buying tires, a tire seller slipped a tubeless ramp instead of a tubeless one, unless at the personal request of the client. However, if you need to determine what the purchased iron horse is shod in, it is worth remembering certain signs.

The easiest and most accurate way to figure out which rubber is in front of you is to look for markings on the side of the slope. The inscription "tubeless" indicates that the tire in front of you is tubeless, "tube type" warns that there is a tube inside the tire. There may be options for abbreviations only by the first letters: T or TT.

The situation is somewhat worse if the marking is erased beyond recognition. Or you have come across old wheels on which there are no markings. The presence of the letters TT accurately indicates the chamberedness of the slope, but the complete absence of signs does not say anything: during the existence of only chamber tires, the marking was unnecessary (however, if such old slopes were caught, it is better to throw them away immediately).

In these cases, you will have to look at the nipple. The nipple, which has a small height, sits tightly and is equipped with a low side at the base - belongs to a tubeless tire. On the chamber, it is longer, smooth and freely walks on the seat.

If you are not sure that you have correctly identified appearance nipples, you will have to resort to a dirtier and more laborious, but 100% way, how to distinguish a tubeless tire from a tube one.

When replacing skates, any motorist is faced with the problem of choice - either to install tubeless tires, or to assemble wheels with cameras. Asking for help and advice from friends and fellow car owners, as a rule, does not give an unambiguous answer, and even real professionals cannot agree unambiguously.

So the driver has to choose the type of wheel assembly at random. And to make it easier to make a choice, it is worth considering the positive and negative sides of tubeless and chamber wheel assembly.

Tubeless tires

At their core, tubeless and tube tires are no different today, or rather, all tires are produced based on a tubeless installation. And the very concept of a tubeless wheel means the absence of a chamber inside, while the air in the wheel is retained only due to the hermetic fit of the tire on the rim and a special nipple with a spool (air valve) installed in the rim.

What are the advantages that they are so highly praised:

• The absence of a chamber lightens the wheel, which has a positive effect on its balance and reduces the load on the suspension during high-speed driving.
• A tire without a tube can withstand less load, which means it behaves softer on uneven sections of the road, i.e. vibration and noise are reduced.
• Tubeless tires are easier to cool, which does not lead to overheating at high speeds during long trips.
• The tire is able to hold working pressure with several nails or self-tapping screws, provided they are securely fixed in the tread. And such punctures can be completely sealed on the way without even removing the wheel.

At first glance, the positive features of tubeless tires are quite enough to “fall in love” with them. But it is worth considering negative side, which adds a big fly in the ointment.

• A tubeless tire successfully holds air only if it is tightly connected to the disc, so even with the slightest depressurization, you will have to send the wheel to the service station. A violation of the fit of the tire on the disk can be caused by a banal blow when it hits a hole or when crossing difficult areas: mud, sand, snow.
• or breakdowns in large quantities (from 5 pieces) are not allowed, because do not make it possible to securely seal the tire. At the same time, only new slopes with high tread really sealed.
• The depressurization of a tubeless wheel in most cases occurs with a sharp loss of pressure in the form of cotton, which leads to a quick descent of the wheel and the problem of keeping the car on the road (you may not be able to control it), especially at high speeds.
• Self-overboarding of a tubeless wheel is practically impossible due to the use of specialized materials and equipment. In addition, the quality seat disk must meet the requirements, which means that not every disk can be installed on a tubeless wheel.

chamber wheels

If tubeless tires are so good, then why are tube wheels still used so often. The best aspects of chamber assembly:

• Assembling the wheels on the chambers allows you to slightly relieve the tire from effort, which means that the wheel is not developed so intensively and is able to withstand a large load.
• The tightness of the connection between the tire and the disk does not matter, therefore even slight movement of the tire relative to the disk is allowed. At the same time, the number of previous punctures does not matter at all, and small side cuts are completely repairable.
• The tube tire can withstand large radial loads and is able to work in any difficult terrain, and storage of such tires is not as critical as for tubeless ones.
• Repairing chamber slopes on the road is quite an acceptable business, you can either glue the camera or simply replace it. And with a puncture, a sharp release of pressure is a rarity, basically the loss of pressure in the wheel occurs more smoothly, which makes it possible to notice a breakdown and stop in time.

Why do fans of tubeless wheels dislike tube tires so much:

• When a wheel breaks, it is necessary to bead it, which is burdensome, not so fast and requires special skills and tools.
• The chamber adds weight to the wheel, which is more problematic when balancing it, and there are additional loads on the suspension at speeds of more than 140 km / h.
• The chamber wheel is more rigid in operation, which, with its low load or high load, leads to the appearance of excess vibration.

So the car owner has to choose between soft tubeless, sharply descending, and hard cameras, easily repaired. As a result, it turns out that tubeless tires are very practical, but they do not withstand great “tortures”, and besides, it is not without reason that professional highway drivers mount wheels on cameras.

Let's think about which tires are better for a car, chambered or tubeless? Even 10 years ago, tires with cameras were installed on cars in 90% of cases, but now it is exactly the opposite, that is, almost 90% - without a camera. So why did this happen? Why tubeless options are exciting automotive market? Let's figure it out...

Tube tires

It was the chamber versions that first appeared, it was quite a long time ago, already in 1887 (it was invented by a veterinarian - John Dunlop, and even then he put them on a bicycle) and those chamber types are not like today. They were widely used until the 90s - 2000s, then they were replaced by tubeless ones.

Structure

It consists of a top / outer part, often it is the tire itself, which does not fit so tightly to the metal disk, can deflate, so it needs a lower sealed circuit to hold pressure. It is this circuit that is the wheel chamber, which is inserted inside the tire. It is clear that this whole structure is put on a metal disk.

Advantages and disadvantages

It has a number of pluses, as well as a number of minuses, compared to the tubeless type. The advantages include - low price, and not susceptibility to deformation rim. But, unfortunately, the positives end there. But there are a lot of minuses - they wear out much faster, heat up more, and, accordingly, the car's handling is worse, and when a wheel is punctured, it loses air very quickly.

Tubeless tires

Next in question is a more advanced version that does not have a camera in the building. They appeared relatively recently, about 10 - 30 years ago. However, only 10-15 years are used in wide application and they capture the market very quickly.

Structure

It consists of the upper / outer part, the tire, which is also the inner layer of the wheel, that is, there is no usual chamber in such rubber. The inner layer consists of a special sealing rubber that holds pressure very well inside (that is, two in one), fits snugly against the disc, and therefore no additional contours are needed inside. In case of a puncture, it envelops a foreign body. Puts on immediately on a metal wheel.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many pluses, this is both a long service life, far superior to chamber options, and low heating due to the lack of air cushion between the tire and the chamber (respectively, better handling), it will also hold air longer during a puncture (than your opponent), which will allow you to drive at least to a car service, and at most you can drive for weeks, pumping up the wheel, the main thing is not to remove a foreign object. But it also has disadvantages - the price is much higher than the chamber version. It is also susceptible to disk deformation, if you bend the disk, flying into a large hole, then you need to go to the tire shop and straighten the disk, otherwise the tubeless wheel will flatten.

That's all in our article, I want to summarize. Of course, tubeless options are more advanced, and there are fewer troubles with them, they go longer, if you want, this is a step in evolution. When they are punctured, you do not need to remove the tire, the tourniquet is simply screwed into the puncture site - that's it! It seems to me that the second type will soon become a thing of the past forever.

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If you are reading this article, then you already know that there are two types of tires - chambered and tubeless, therefore, you are interested in which one is better. That is what we are going to talk about today in this article. In the heading "" we have repeatedly weighed all the pros and cons in this or that controversial issue, today we'll talk about tires, and more specifically, about that. Go...

• The marking of tube tires is TT (from the English Tube Type - tubular, chamber type or simply, chamber).
• It is customary to designate tubeless tires - (TL from the English. Tubeless - not having tubes, chambers or simply tubeless).

What is a tubeless tire

The main question that I had when I first learned or heard about this type of rubber was - "But how is the air retained and not released, that is, what ensures the tightness of the connection between the tire and the disk?" As it turned out, a special layer of special rubber is responsible for the tightness, which is applied during production on the inner ring of the tires. A tubeless disk differs from a conventional disk in a more complex structure and secure fixation. On the rim of a tubeless tire, there are so-called "humps" that firmly hold the bead ring of the tire in the right place.

Advantages of "tubeless"

1. Tubeless tires have more than enough advantages, but the main thing is considered to be the ability to maintain normal tire pressure in the event of a puncture. Simply put, if you break through a tubeless wheel, then you can drive more than a dozen kilometers on it, and if available, then several hundred. In addition to convenience, this advantage also provides a high degree of safety, since an instant drop in tire pressure can cause you to lose control and get into an accident. For example, a tube tire in the event of a puncture almost instantly loses pressure, the reason is especially the tire and the disc, there is no strong connection between them and the air under pressure leaves the chamber through the puncture, as well as past the rim of the disc, after which the air goes out through the valve hole of the rim. A tubeless tire in the event of a puncture loses air only at the puncture site, and then, as a rule, only in the event of a collision with this place. If the puncture is small, then the pressure drops very slowly.

1. The next advantage of a tubeless tire is weight. tubeless significantly lighter tires with a tube, therefore, the load on the suspension will be lower.
2. When driving, tubeless tires heat up less in case of fast and long driving.
3. The increased safety and reliability of tubeless tires is beyond doubt, due to the design features and high strength of tires, the probability of rapid depressurization is almost zero.
4. Simple and fast repair. There are special pastes and sprays that can instantly solve the puncture problem. Compared to tube tires, which require a lot of time and tools to repair, even women can repair tubeless tires. This means repairs, after which you can get home or to the nearest station for a full repair.
5. Tubeless tires have a longer service life, approximately 10-12%. This is achieved through the best temperature regime and increased heat transfer from tire to rim, as well as stability of the internal air pressure in the tire and the absence of any friction between the tube and the tire.

Disadvantages of a tubeless tire

1. There are also disadvantages to tubeless. For example, their installation requires special attention, special equipment and a certain skill. Damage to the bead and flanges can cause a tubeless tire to depressurize or need to be repaired.
2. The overhaul of a tubeless tire is carried out on special equipment by specialists and this "pleasure" costs a lot of money. Unlike tube tires, which you can fix yourself, tubeless repair requires great skills and appropriate tools.
3. Long-term driving on a flat tubeless tire (please do not confuse with a punctured, but pumped up to the optimum pressure) is fraught with the destruction of the sealing layer and the tire as a whole.
4. Tubeless tires often blamed for a flaw called weak sidewall. However, in my subjective opinion, the accusations are groundless. First of all, it should be noted that perfect tires do not exist and, no matter what the manufacturers say, ideal tires are still only a myth. The manufacturer's goal is to achieve not only strength from the tire, but also to provide comfort to passengers while driving. The aforementioned sidewall is responsible for this factor, its softness provides a feeling of smooth movement. A rigid sidewall will not do anything good except for racing, even smooth road will seem bumpy with a "wooden" sidewall.
5. One more significant disadvantage tubeless tires - a vulnerability in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bjoining the disk and the tire bead. If, for example, you "rumple" the disc even a little (having fallen into a hole, or catching a curb), you will have trouble, the wheel will flatten instantly, almost like a tube tire with a puncture. The fact is that a violation of the tightness of the connection, which occurs due to damage to the disk, will lead to the fact that the pressure in the tires will begin to drop rapidly, in other words, the wheel will deflate.

Tube tires: features, advantages and disadvantages

Tube tires, perhaps could have lived for a very long time if they had not been supplanted by more advanced tubeless successors. The latter simply replaced their predecessors and were warmly received by the entire global automotive community. By the way, some "Old Believers" still use tube tires, for which they have their own reasons, for example, such - the camera can be replaced, repaired, and with it's own hands - cheap and cheerful! In principle, they are right in some way, and if you do not take into account all the dubious "pluses" of tubeless, then differences between chambered and tubeless only that the latter, in the event of a breakdown, will allow you to get home or to the nearest service station, without problems and danger to life. The chamber wheel, as mentioned above, will lower almost instantly.

In addition to other shortcomings, tube tires are also dangerous because there is a high probability of puncturing the chamber from the inside with a worn or broken cord. As a result, you will get a puncture of the wheel and a stationary car. If a tubeless tube is pierced, then the air does not have the ability to quickly leave the tire boundaries due to the reasons described above, and also due to the fact that in the event of a puncture with a sharp object (screw, wire, wooden thorn, etc.), the object itself gets stuck in tire, becomes such a cork. By plugging the hole he made, he does not allow air to escape through the puncture.

On the other hand, you can always use the spare tire and use it to get home or to the service, it is not necessary to start disassembly and tube tire repair. Although from time immemorial, sealing the camera and disassembling the wheel was considered a “trivial” matter for a harsh Russian peasant. It is not surprising that tubeless was not invented by "we", but by some "foreign squishy" who did not know how or did not want to mess with a jack, glue and other tools. 🙂 But, all these are jokes... In fact, tubeless was invented by a good smart person, thanks to whose efforts we solve the problems associated with a puncture easily and simply, without wasting time and effort. In addition, now developing greater speed, you do not need to worry about losing control in the event of a puncture.

As you can see, in the question what is better tube or tubeless tires, the answer will be obvious, tubeless ones have a number of advantages, so when buying tires, it is worth choosing them. Thank you for your attention, those wishing to supplement this opus can do so through the comment form. See you on the site website.