|   Tubeless Technique - Criticism Needed | I'm Going Hungry
Aug 10, 2002 8:01 PM | | OK after seeing the $55 US price tag for Stan's system I know right now I can't afford it; I'm up in Canada so it would cost me close to $100 CDN with shipping.
I thought of the following home-made tubeless system assuming you start with a non UST tire and clean rim.
1. Wrap the rim tightly with nylon tape to cover the spoke holes
2. Take some rubbery airtight caulk and smear a thin layer over the tape
3. Install a valve from an old tube - the rubber is cut around the valve just like Stan's (but less professionally done of course)
4. Smear caulk around the valve to seal it next to the rim.
5. Install a generic rubber rim strip and seal it next to the caulk to provide an airtight seal (hopefully)
5. Install the tire and dump liquid latex into the tire
6. Use the soapy water, aircompessor, tire rotation technique to get rid of leaks.
Any comments? Am I out to lunch here (and please spare the comments about me being cheap). Thanks in advance. |
| re: Tubeless Technique - Criticism Needed | nino
Aug 10, 2002 11:02 PM | | give me your e-mail and i`ll help you out! |
| e-mail is..... | I'm Going Hungry
Aug 11, 2002 8:50 AM | | whitespruce(nospam)@myrealbox.com and take out the (nospam) Thanks |
| re: Hi Nino...from New Zealand | countryMike
Aug 11, 2002 4:53 PM | | We in New Zealand have similar (but much worse) problems with the cost of all the new products and techniques discussed on this board.
I purchased the original Stan's system last year (and I have to say Stan was very helpful on the shipping costs) and had some success with it. I still had some persistent leak problems though.
I have thought about trying to improve on it myself, but any help/tips you could suggest would be much appreciated.
My email is: mfaville@mfkt.co.nz
Thanks |
| Hungry--cheaper, better method. | TNC
Aug 11, 2002 7:46 AM | | 1. Use a quality rim. 2. Use 1/2" to 3/4" nylon stranded packing tape in the rim well over the spoke holes (the tape size is determined by your rim and spoke hole placement design)--1 round is necessary, 2 rounds is bulletproof. 3. Get a Michelin or other brand of "plastic" rim strip sized for your rim--18mm is most common for most XC size rims (this makes the tape bed impervious to damage to tire installation and removal). 4. Without Stan's, the air valve is the trickiest issue. Bombproof ones can be made out of schrader motorcycle tubes--they are fully threaded and have a base that will support an o-ring sealing system (o-rings from a hardware store). 5. Pour in a 1/3 cup mix of 50/50 latex and water. 6. Air up using an air tank that has 100psi--some tires need the soapy water application and some don't.
If you use UST tires on your conventional rims-turned-tubeless, you will probably never get a flat while riding. Between the UST tires and the latex inside, they are just about bulletproof for on-trail flats--even in mesquite and cactus infested areas. Sinc last fall, I only had one nail-sized mesquite flat that the latex would not ultimately seal even though I could have continued to ride this way. I got tired of it losing its air every night. The UST tire was easy to patch--that can't be said of most conventional tires in terms of patching the inside.
This method is not the lightest but may the most reliable of any of the home methods. I've used 517, 317, Cane Creek, and Rhyno Lite rims with this method with absolute reliability. I've started using Stan's strip system because it is more assembly user-friendly and you can air up your tires with an air pump out in the field when an air tank is not available.
You mention using caulk. If done properly with good taping technique and good presta or schrader valve sealing, the latex is all you should need to seal any holes. Any holes that need more than that are going to cause you problems at probably the most inopportune times. |
| Thanks guys for the advice - I'll try it this week and (more) | I'm Going Hungry
Aug 11, 2002 9:38 PM | | post the results. |
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