Tubeless

[jasonhilt]

So I finally took the plunge and converted to tubeless!  Front tire was tubeless ready and sealed up right away.  Rear tire is going to take some more work as it wasn't tubeless ready.
For those that converted a non-tubeless to tubeless, how long did it take for the sealant to work?  Just curious.  My rims are tubeless so no ghetto conversion was done and I used the Stans tubeless valves.

[Raleighguy29]

Welcome to the modern world


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[Dave Tozer]

So I finally took the plunge and converted to tubeless!

So THAT'S why hell froze over! Makes sense. 

[JCampbell]

My non-tubeless tire took several minutes for the sidewalls to seal with Stans fluid.  Spinning the wheel vertically didn't seem to work.  I had to hold the wheel nearly horizontal while shaking to get the sealant to thoroughly coat the sidewalls and then lay it flat for a few minutes to seal the "bottom" sidewall.  Flip it over and repeat for the other sidewall.  Had the same problem on the trail with sidewall damage - it wouldn't seal until I got the wheel horizontal.

[jasonhilt]

Took a few days but I think I finally got my non-tubeless tire to hold air.  I pumped it up last night and it still had plenty of pressure this morning.  Now to see how long it goes before needing air.

[matt_laker]

Took a few days but I think I finally got my non-tubeless tire to hold air.  I pumped it up last night and it still had plenty of pressure this morning.  Now to see how long it goes before needing air.

They definitely need air added more frequently when tubeless vs. with a tube, but I think you'll like the trade-off.  Next thing you know you'll be riding a + or fattie!   

[jasonhilt]

Next thing you know you'll be riding a + or fattie!

My next bike will probably be a 27.5+.  Hopefully this year.  Have to see how much my sons college is going to cost us first.

[jasonhilt]

Looks like my rear tire, the non-tubeless one isn't going to work.  I have LOTS of areas leaking down near the bead.  Not just a bubble stream, but hundreds of little bitty bubbles coming out.  I can see the stans come off when I put it in the tub.
Any ideas to get it to seal or should I just put a tube in it.  It's been almost a week of pumping it up, swishing it around, pumping it up, swishing it around, etc....

[Ed Strobel]

It isn't the only thing to try, but if you want to go through the effort, doping the inside with rubber cement and letting it dry before installing does work on tires that seep a lot.
Someone was going to throw out a jar of rubber cement and had asked if I wanted it, so I gave it a try on a tire that had not sealed with the latex.


Edit: I used one of the credit card blanks that come in the "You're Approved!" junk mail cut to match the inside of the tire to trowel the rubber cement around.

[mtbikernate]

I have found that for tires that refuse to hold air, oftentimes getting out and riding a little around the neighborhood helps to get things distrubuted and sealed up.

But it depends on the tire. Some just won't work, and some non-tubeless tires are a breeze.

[Allen Edwards]

I've never used tubeless ready tires or rims and have always gotten my tires to seal. But as others have mentioned, some are more stubborn than others.



Watch the video and be sure to follow Stan's advice on shaking and turning the tire over "like a pancake" (I love the way he says that!). I think that's the key. I've heard that some riders don't go through all of that trouble but I do it every time and have never had a tire that wouldn't seal. It also helps to inflate the tire up to it's maximum during this step to get the bead to seat in the rim.

[Mahk]

Thanks Allen, that was helpful. 

What specifically does 'tubeless ready' mean and how does that differ from tubeless unready? 

[Ed Strobel]

More or less it is a tire made to use sealant. (All of this is just my take on the subject.)


Tubeless (UST) tires are made to hold air without a tube or sealant. The bead is made to stay on better without being held in place between a tube and the rim. Goes on with a regular floor pump, rarely need an air compressor for a quick burst of air to get it seated. The casing is heavier to do the job of both the tube and the tire.


Regular tube tires have been used tubeless with sealant since the casing wan't made to hold air. The bead can be difficult to seat since it was made to be held against the rim by a tube. Most need a burst of air from a compressor to seat the tire. The casing is lighter having relied on a tube for support and holding air.


Tubeless ready tires split the difference. Make the bead like the tubeless and the casing somewhere between since everyone was using sealant in the tubeless tires too. Lighter than full tubeless and same to set up aside from adding sealant. Heavier than a tube tire, but more durable and easier to set up.