TUBELESS TYRE MEGATHREAD - All questions asked and answered in here!!

blurred

Likes Bikes
Not sure why your having probs with any of the setups you've got. The way I set mine up is as follows:

You'll need a small container with some dishwashing liquid and a small amount of water in it just to thin it out, 2 cups of stan's sealant per tyre and a compressor.
1) With the rim strip/tape and valve in the rim, mount the tyre and use your finger to run the soap round on the tyre bead, you don't need heaps, just enough to allow the bead to seat easily.
2) Use the compressor to inflate tyre to the max pressure stated on the tyre, check the bead is fully and evenly seated around the rim. Leave inflated for around a half hour.
3) Deflate tyre, pop 1 bead off the rim and lever a small section off the rim, I like doing this on the opposite side to the valve so you don't get sealant in the valve straight away. Pour 2 cups of sealant in the tyre and mount back on the rim. Inflate to max again and hold rim on it's side to allow the sealant to flow round the bead. You can leave them as long as you want on each side, but around 5 min is all that they really seam to need.
4) Install wheels on your bike, set tyre pressures and GO SHRED!!!!!!

I have used this method on all my setups, and my dh bike went a month in whistler with no flats! Always bought a smile to my face when passing people changing tubes on the side of the trail, hehe!
 

clockworked

Like an orange
Not sure why your having probs with any of the setups you've got. The way I set mine up is as follows:

You'll need a small container with some dishwashing liquid and a small amount of water in it just to thin it out, 2 cups of stan's sealant per tyre and a compressor.
1) With the rim strip/tape and valve in the rim, mount the tyre and use your finger to run the soap round on the tyre bead, you don't need heaps, just enough to allow the bead to seat easily.
2) Use the compressor to inflate tyre to the max pressure stated on the tyre, check the bead is fully and evenly seated around the rim. Leave inflated for around a half hour.
3) Deflate tyre, pop 1 bead off the rim and lever a small section off the rim, I like doing this on the opposite side to the valve so you don't get sealant in the valve straight away. Pour 2 cups of sealant in the tyre and mount back on the rim. Inflate to max again and hold rim on it's side to allow the sealant to flow round the bead. You can leave them as long as you want on each side, but around 5 min is all that they really seam to need.
4) Install wheels on your bike, set tyre pressures and GO SHRED!!!!!!

I have used this method on all my setups, and my dh bike went a month in whistler with no flats! Always bought a smile to my face when passing people changing tubes on the side of the trail, hehe!

mate thats pretty well what i do, except i usually take the valve core out and put the sealant in through a funnel/tube so as to avoid unseating the bead again.

i think the ID of the rim and the 2.35 tyres are probably getting to the cause of the issue...
 

Mywifesirrational

I however am very normal. Trust me.
I'm a tad lighter at 108kg and running hans (F), Nobby nic (R) or HR2's all round on stans flow ex rims 25mm internal?

Currently running front at 26 psi and rear at 28+ psi, no problems what so ever. Some rims and tyre combo's from what I can tell just don't work as well as they should.

If you are running high 30's the pressure would not be the problem.
 

blurred

Likes Bikes
Does the tyre hold pressure for long without sealant? I'm running DT Swiss EX500 rims (23mm internal) with a Dampf/Highroller combo, both in 2.35. Just changed the HR and there was still about a cup of sealant left after a year.
Mate of mine is running maxxis on the wtb i23's and hasn't had a problem, another runs dampfs on the old flow's which are 23mm and my dh bike has 23mm internal rims running a 2.5 butcher (dh casing, not the tubeless 1) on the front and a minion dhr2 super tacky 2.4 on the rear. So I don't think it's the rim width.
Maybe check that the rim tape is the correct width and installed correctly, and that the valve is as tight as possible.

I run 25psi(f) and 28(r) and weigh around 94 all kitted up by the way.
 

clockworked

Like an orange
no, they haven't been holding pressure very well at all. I probably pump them up each fortnight or so. It occurs to me that this didn't used to happen. Maybe i've failed to seat the bead properly recently? I've been pumping to around 50/60psi or the loud popping noise. Could I not be fully seating it?
 

silentbutdeadly

has some good things to say
I've been pumping to around 50/60psi or the loud popping noise. Could I not be fully seating it?
Certainly possible but you'd likely notice the tyre wobble (visually at least) if they weren't fully and evenly seated.

It might also be worth checking for dried latex buildup on the tyre bead and rim bed. Also check that your valve stem seals aren't gummed up...same goes for the core seals.
 

clockworked

Like an orange
Certainly possible but you'd likely notice the tyre wobble (visually at least) if they weren't fully and evenly seated.

It might also be worth checking for dried latex buildup on the tyre bead and rim bed. Also check that your valve stem seals aren't gummed up...same goes for the core seals.
cheers dude, i'll look into it. I always visually check the bead after the noise. There is usually a strip of molding rubbing running parallel to look at. I'll give everything a clean and see how it turns out
 

blurred

Likes Bikes
If your getting a couple of weeks at the same pressure then your doin well! I normally check them at least every second ride, but maybe I'm just bein pedantic.
 

Slowman

Likes Dirt
Best Tubeless Sealant?

I've been running tubeless for a decade almost. Started out using the Stans conversion kits with little drama, occasionally the valve would separate from the rim strip.

Anyway the sealant seemed to be the best around for the longest time but now I'm wondering. Both my dually and HT have BST rims (Stans Crests in one case and Sun Black Flag Pros in the other) and every so often, more often than I'd like, one of the tyres will lose pressure over a day or sometimes over a ride, down to about 15-20 psi and then kind of stay there. I usually top up the sealant and the problem goes away for 2 or 3 weeks and then maybe shows up again, not necessarily in the same wheel. It seems the Stans Crests are the worst.

When I picked up my new bike the shop said they used some Australian made sealant and reckoned it was better.

What are people using? BTW, I'm only riding XC so nothing too heavy duty.
 

vtwiz

Likes Dirt
The best sealant I've tried is Hutchinsons Protect'Air. Used it a few years back and it sealed punctures really well and lasts much longer (1year+!!!) than other sealant I've tried before turning into a rubber blob in your tyre.

Saying that, I've been using Stans the last few years as it's hard finding the Hutchinson sealant in anything other than tiny bottles which gets expensive.
 
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scblack

Leucocholic
I'll keep an eye on this, I have only used tubeless for less than 6months now. And I have only used Stan's. Be interesting to see the other options and how people rate them.

Tubeless now on roadie and AM bike.
 

Sappa

Likes Dirt
The first one I have used is called Aussie tru-blue, well I think it is. It sealed my ghetto conversion before I knew you where meant to use a rim tape. When it went off it separated into a clear liquid and a lump of blue fibrous material. Easy to clean out of tyre to add a new batch. Once seated a sealed held pressure. Maxxis tyres.

Second time I used another Aussie brand, unsure of name but was a white liquid. While it worked similar I found once it went off it separated into an oily liquid and the latex? dried onto the tyre and was impossible to remove all of it. Also this is on uts rims with schwalbe tyres. I do need to add air every week before my ride. I am pretty sure it has gone off and set but the tubeless rims and tyre combo you can almost have no sealant.

I believe my air leaking is more due to the tyre than the sealant.
Over all I prefer the first brand as I don't like to keep adding more and more sealant, I like to clean up and start fresh. I don't like the bottle tru-blu comes in as it looks like it would leak if flying.

This is only what I have discovered for me and I still feel a noob in this.
I grabbed my sealant from a local hence my limited range. One here in WA, the other while on holiday in Tassie.


Edit: other brand is SPEX
 
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mtb101

Likes Bikes and Dirt
there was a magazine test a while ago that compared tubeless products, stans still came out on top - the product has been around a long time, what stood out was stans was the slowest to evaporate and had sidewall sealing due to formula. I usually remove product and put 2 caps in every 3-6 months or sooner if I have an event coming up.
 

SummitFever

Eats Squid
I like the Podium sealant. Works well in lightweight tyres like Conti Race Kings and X-Kings. Will dry out but does not seem to form the "Stans booger".
 

vtwiz

Likes Dirt
there was a magazine test a while ago that compared tubeless products, stans still came out on top - the product has been around a long time, what stood out was stans was the slowest to evaporate and had sidewall sealing due to formula. I usually remove product and put 2 caps in every 3-6 months or sooner if I have an event coming up.
Did they include Hutchinson in that comparison? I've been using Stan's for a while but nothing compares to Hutchinson for being long lasting.
 
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