Can inner tubes be placed inside tubeless tires?
2 Answers
Inner tubes can be placed inside tubeless tires. After installation, the load-bearing capacity remains good, effectively supporting the vehicle's weight. They provide cushioning, reducing impact forces during driving, ensuring stable vehicle movement, improving kinetic energy, and lowering driving noise. Tubeless tires consist of the carcass, cord fabric, and tread. The carcass is relatively soft, while the tread is more rigid. The cord fabric in between enhances the tire's strength and shape, often incorporating metal wires to improve elasticity. Features of tubeless tires: 1. Slow air leakage when punctured, allowing the vehicle to be driven to a repair shop; 2. Excellent heat dissipation and long lifespan. The absence of an inner tube and flap reduces friction-induced heat between the inner tube and tire cavity. Direct contact between internal air and the rim allows heat to dissipate directly through the rim, preventing excessive tire temperatures and reducing blowouts, thereby extending tire life.
As a mechanic who frequently repairs cars, I can definitively say that you can put an inner tube inside a tubeless tire, but it's absolutely not a good idea. Tubeless tires are inherently designed to be used without inner tubes—their sidewalls are thin and the inner surface is smooth. Forcing an inner tube in there increases friction, causes rapid heat buildup during driving, and raises the risk of blowouts at high speeds. Moreover, installation is particularly troublesome: poor sealing leads to slow air leaks, and the wheel rim may even deform. I've seen many people do this to save money temporarily or in emergencies, only to encounter problems after driving a short distance. It's far better to properly patch the tire or replace it with a new one—safety should always come first, and vehicle manuals explicitly warn against this practice. The advantage of tubeless tires is their slow air leakage after a puncture, allowing you to drive to a repair shop. Adding an inner tube eliminates this benefit. It's not worth taking such a big risk just to save a little money.
