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Tubed Back To Tubeless


wayneniner
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so, I got the tire/tube off the wheel...

before I ordered the needed parts, I wanted to make sure the wheel is in good enough condition to work with a tubeless system.

 

rim band was in good condition except around the valve area..pretty damn tight and I think there was some adhesive under it or it could of just been dirt mixed with some sticky rubber residue. (will have a better look later in sunlight)

 

all the spoke nipples/screws inside the rim are rusty...still ok?

 

I did spot(visually) and feel (by hand) a couple spots of the rim that were not ideal for a perfect seal of the tire bead....  I will post some pics later.

 

 

Does the bead area have to be completely flawless or some minor flaws OK? (no cracks or any major damage...just a ham fisted "mechanic" with no patience)

I'll post pics a little later when I get a chance.

 

 

Planning on taking a wire brush to the rim to clean it up a bit.... 

 

 

 

(edit to add: I am not the ham fisted mechanic....I meant one of the POs) :)

 

 

 

 

Edited by wayneniner
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It's difficult to say without looking at it.

 

But you've got to think this maybe why it had a tube in it when you bought it.

They can get a bit rough through corrosion and damage and owners get fed up with it leaking.

 

If it's not too bad, a bead sealer might fill out any dints and dimples.

It's a rubberized paint that you lightly coat around the rim, where the tyre contacts it, just before fitting the tyre.

Car tyre specialist use it on porous alloy wheel rims and it's popular with scooter owners, to seal the two half wheels together.

Edited by goudrons
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the area you have high lighted in your photos is the welded ends of the extrusion that make your rim.

 

put the rim band,valve and tyre on,blow it up. wait for the wife to go out. then put  10inches of water in your bath then carefully lower your wheel in the water without splashing

the tiles. rotate wheel, looking for bubbles. mark leaks with lipstick or mascara pencil. now you know what you have to seal!

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not necessary, but i would true wheel while waiting for parts that will involve soaking nipples and easing and adjusting.

Then clean up and fit rim band.

My trick is to get an air bubble in the rim band which allows it to be fitted in the groove, when you fill with air this disappears.

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  • 1 month later...

just a quick thanks for the tips/advice and words of encouragement.

I cleaned the rim(wire brush and simple green), lubed the spokes, tightened the spokes...installed the tire.

 

I ended up using a new rim band with the built in valve.  Genius.  Never done a tubeless tire before but the built in valve had to make my life easier.  Installing the rim band was the hardest part of the whole process.  I used "Slime" for lubing up the band and that also sealed any leaks under the band/spokes, and the sides that sit in the channel. (this was recommended by lewisport)

 

I went with a Dunlop due to price... it went on pretty easily with soap water.  Maybe I am getting better at installing tires but this went on very easily.

 

The tire beader tool helped...not sure how I would of got the tire inflated without this helpful tool.

 

Damn...that POP is scary.  Glad I didn't have my finger in the wrong spot...wear goggles.  I didn't(goggle) and got some residual slime shot into my eye when bead "locked".

 

 

After all is said and done--easy job.  No need to seal rim with "Sikaflex"/etc.  Just a new rim band, some slime and patience while installing everything.

 

 

After being hit with $1 wire brush, simple green and about 15 minutes:

20151112_163819_zpslmicgjqu.jpg

 

20151112_163828_zpsur9swmej.jpg

 

After a few rides:  

20151130_154334_zpskeopcxf4.jpg

 

20151130_154318_zpsrjijallu.jpg

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not necessary, but i would true wheel while waiting for parts that will involve soaking nipples and easing and adjusting.

Then clean up and fit rim band.

My trick is to get an air bubble in the rim band which allows it to be fitted in the groove, when you fill with air this disappears.

 

 

I ended up getting an air bubble underneath the band on accident...I think this helped plenty(went into the groove nicely..with a little work from a blunt wide tipped flat head to help seat it in groove).

 

 It was impossible to get rid of the air under the band so I left it as is and installed the tire.... I'll take your word for it that it disappears.  (it's holding air so even if bubble is still present, not a big deal)

Edited by wayneniner
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  • 1 month later...
 

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