Maxxis wire advantage onto wtb laser disc trail. Wrapped rims in 2 layers gorilla, hole, stem, stem covered and hole cut. Bead of tyre just sits tight in the middle of the rim hole and I can’t pull it even close to the bead – when I do it just leaps off the other side.

Put a tube in overnight to try and stretch the bead out a bit.

Will I need a compressor?

Oh, and soapy suds just made the tyre slip into the centre channel more easily.

Wire beads can be a bit tricky, they tend to want to “pinch” together. Folders tend to want to open out. which make sthem easier.
Compressor, can make a big difference, as will lots of soapy water.
You could try a length of string around the centre of the tread this can push the beads out. I’ve never out it to work but some people have.

Lots of soapy didnt help.

Might just wait and take it all down to the local garage and sit and have a play by the air compressor for cars.

The local garage compressor (if like a tesco 20p job) is a croc o shite and won’t help….

You need a decent pump as well as technique.

I’ve had lots of success in recent times – mostly due to the B & Q compressor I bought for a hundred quid but I’ve also been successful with a 12V car compressor and a Joe Blow Track Pump.

Is the bead of the tyre quite tight in the middle of the rim with tape? If you’ve got a helper try the following:
1) Suspend the wheel off the ground – hooking it over the handle bars helps.

2) apply suds.

3) Get a helper to pump like crazy with a track pump or use a 12v car compressor whilst gently pushing on the tyre above the valve to get a good seal at least near the valve – you’ll know when this is achieve as you won’t hear the air escaping near the valve.

4) with your helper pumping away work around the tyre trying to pull the bead out and gently patting the tyre all the way round – the suds and hissing should show you where to focus

With any amound of luck it will suddenly inflate (fingers crossed)

The bead isn’t tight, just its neutral position is to sit in the middle of the rim rather than on the hook (or anywhere near it. If I pull it out one side, either the other pops back in or it sits for a few seconds then pulls back to the centre.

Pushing down on the tyre does not seal onto the bead, it pushes it closer onto the centre of the rim.

Suds lubricate this slide away from the bead.

I don’t have a helper.

Is there a way to inflate it with a tube in then remove the tube and add stans?

Reading your post again, I could be wrong but ghetto to me usually involves a 20 tube that is cut down the middle to act as a rim strip, once the tyre is inflated te excess is carefully cut obvious with a knife I thought to use just tape you needed a tubeless ready rim i.e with a bead hook.

Where abouts are you based?

If using a ust rim an tyre you can pre-inflate with a tube and then carefully break the bead on one side whilst keeping the other side’s bead attached to remove the tube and install the tubeless valve. it won’t help in your situation as doesn’t sound like you have a ust tyre or rim

Personally, to me it sounds like you’ve got a baggy tyre/rim combo, which probably won’t work too well with the gaffa tape ghetto method.

IMO, more reliable, and easier to inflate (largely cos it is stretched over the sidewalls of the rim) is the 20″ BMX tube cut down the middle method. Done several tyres this way now, all of them inflated very easily, though getting ultra porous Kenda Nevegals to stay up was a bit more tricky!

I was under the impression that the gorilla tape method was basically the stans strips method, which is supposed to work with my rim / tyre combo (apparently wtb have a very good hook).

It’s just getting the bead into f’ing place.

When you inflat the tyre with a tube do you hear the bead popping on to the rim?

A google search suggests a some people have had struggled with tubeless on your rim until they built up the middle of the rim with a weather strip to reduce the channel.

Stick with it – it’s worth it once you succeed!

Compressor or ghetto inflator, the Trail rim works well once you get the beads in.

Take the valve core out and neat washing up liquid on both beads too.

Sounds all too familiar to my experiences!

I went through a combination of tyres sealing methods etc.

Then I kept pulling the Bead off the rim. Through my experiments I have concluded that the best combination is tubeless tyres with tubeless rims! Doh!

I made a ghetto inflator. 90psi. Inflated first time. 80ml stans in the shraeder vale (thank god for removable cores) and another ghetto inflator inflate and BOOM. Tubeless tyres with two strips of gorilla tape.

Thanks for all your help!