No matter how much I try, I can't get my tyres to sit right on my Crest rims.

I'm running ZTR Crest rims and I'm running tubes.

I've tried both Nobby Nic 2.1's and Small Block 1.95's and neither will sit properly on the rim 😕

I also need arms like Geoff Capes to even get the tyres on in the first place 🙁

Any advice?

Yeah had to fight to get my kendas on. Have you tried inflating the tyres to about 50 ish. That helped mine seat on the rims.

Leave the tyres in some hot soapy water for 10 minutes of so

you are pushing the valve in to make sure the tube is the right side of the bead aren't you?

my maxxis were ok to get on, these were non tubeless so a little baggier. but have warped my front rim now 🙁

2.1" Schwalbes are also an utter bitch to get on ZTR355's, many tyre levers and fingers of steel required.

They're ok the 2nd or 3rd time once they stretch a little

uplink – Member
Leave the tyres in some hot soapy water for 10 minutes of so

you are pushing the valve in to make sure the tube is the right side of the bead aren't you?

I've ended up putting a bit of Mr Sheen on the bead and they've just about slipped on.

I'm dreading getting a puncture in the cold and rain though!!!

Glad I'm not the only one having a fight getting a tyre on 😀

I had the same problem with the Crest and a Maxxis Crossmark.

First of all patience is everything.

Fit the tyre on one side and then make sure its sitting in the "gulley" of the middle of the rim and not on the "shoulder".

Do the same with the other side. As you are moving round the rim pushing on the tyre also make sure this side of the tyre is in the middle "gulley" and not on the "shoulder". This helps to give you a bit more slack in the tyre for getting it on and positioning properly.

As it gets tighter put on lashings on soapy water with washing up liquid on the bead of the tyre. On the last few inches really grab the top of the tyre and use a bit of brute force to pull tyre over top of rim.

Now before you inflate make sure tyre is properly seated in the "gulley" all the way round. Then inflate to say 20 psi and check again that all sitting nicely. Then inflate some more and keep checking.

I then found a few rides up and down the street go it sitting properly on the rim but you might need to deflate a bit and use a bit of brute force to seat it properly.

Hear endeth the sermon.

Bugger! just logged on on route to garage to fit new NN's to new ZTR wheels with Crest rims that arrived today.
Might leave it until Saturday.

Hmm – running Nevegals and Larson TT on my 355's and went on a treat tubeless 😯

mdb – Member

That's great, I'll follow your method 8)

Thanks for all the help everyone 😀

ztr olympics, 355's and crests are easy with schwalbe bonty tubless ready and maxxis you all have the weedy hands of dainty lacemakers the lot of ya!

you all have the weedy hands of dainty lacemakers the lot of ya!

😆

JRA told me I wouldn't get UST tyres on Crest's.

Isn't the idea of Stans rims that you use them tubeless – and their 'inability' to go on and/or come off is a good thing – so presumably they are designed that way?

From JRA website re Crest rims –

We have tested it with both standard and UST Maxxis tyres, and both inflated easily with a track pump using the 25mm yellow tape and an Olympic valve stem.

I am worried now, got one pair of wheels, and just bought a pair of rims to re-rim another pair… 😕

kempfab – Member
From JRA website re Crest rims –

We have tested it with both standard and UST Maxxis tyres, and both inflated easily with a track pump using the 25mm yellow tape and an Olympic valve stem.

I've just ordered some 25mm tape and 2 olympic valves to see if the tyre fits better without a tube.

I've just put new non UST Nobby Nics on Crest's.
Went on easily with a tyre lever to help the final bit of bead over the rim.
Pumped up with a track pump easily, & beads snapped into place.
Then I deflated, unseated one bead & poured in Wheel Milk. Tyre went back on very easily without need for a tyre lever at all.
Pumped um back up easily enough.
One tyre had a couple of pin holes in the side wall that eventually sealed.
I've not fitted them to the bike yet & both are now very soft but I can hear the sealent sloshing around. So hoping once they've had a spin on the bike & all the sealents been ditributed they'll hold up.

watery soap is the key IMO (though never used crests)

UST tyres in particular have a thick edge to the bead and I think they need lubrication to ensure a proper seating, without using huge pressures and risking blowing the tyre off the rim

dickie

I'm completely new to tubeless so bear with me……

Am I right in thinking that when you 1st pumped up the non ust Nobby Nic's, you were using them without tubes and just using the Stans rim tape and valve?

I'm hoping that once I've taken the inner tube out of the equation, then the tyres might seat better.

Yes – I specified tubeless at order & they came with the yellow rim strip & valve installed.

I've got crests a few weeks back and no problems at all running Race King USTs. In fact I even got them inflated with a track pump as opposed to compressor which is a first (819s always needed a compressor)

I've just fitted non-UST Maxxis Argent / Aspen combination to my new 29er crests.
They were indeed difficult to seat (far worse that UST rims I have experience of – SLR's & XTR) & I didn't want to go crazy high on the inflation pressure in fear of damaging the rim (there is a clear limit indicated though I don't remember it off hand – maybe 45psi?)

I ended up using very soapy water & a bit of jiggling by hand. They make a scary crack when they do finally seat!

dickie – Member
Yes – I specified tubeless at order & they came with the yellow rim strip & valve installed

That's great thanks 8)

Hopefully my valves and stans tape should be here soon. I'll remove the tubes and see if it makes the tyre sit better on the rim.

No problems getting tyres (of various types) on the hugely "inferior" Mavic xc717s… 😉

My pro2's with crests arrived today. Bugger me the tyres are hard to get on.

Gave up with a mountain king, but got a nobly nic on.

I swear the rims must be greater diameter than 26" – never had a problem like it.

God… it feels so good to know other people have the same issue. I’ve had an absolute NIGHTMARE fitting my NN on the Crest rims, I’ve almost broken my thumbs, and did break 3 levers and used up the world vocabulary of swearwords in less then 10 minutes. So frustrating. I’ve tried MAXXIS non tubeless tyres, they fit but slip out of the rim. So put back on Nobbie Nics but dreading the next puncture… awful! Thinking of going tubeless and hope they’ll last a bit longer.

i have NN’s on Crests.

I was originally running them with tubes, so I guess they were nicely shaped already.

I took the tubes off, stuck some Stans yellow tape in there and a couple of valves, threw the tyres back on (managed to get them back on without even using any tyre levers!), inflated them with a trackpump (no need for a compressor!), and then deflated them to add in a scoop and a half of Stans sealant. I then re-inflated them to 28psi by which time the beads popped into place and job done.

Haven’t touched them for 3 weeks now (haven’t been able to ride) and they are still holding air, although have gone quick soft… I guess that they will seal better once I acutally go for a ride and the sealant gets a proper chance to work its way round.

I think the trick is all about making sure the tyres bead sits in the centre gulley and not trying to get the other bead on with the opposite bead out of the gulley.

Oh, and the NN’s are non UST, but snakeskin versions.

I spent an hour trying to wrestle a Spesh Captain onto my ghetto 717 the other night. I’ve delaminated my fingernails, but thankfully the tyre has seated just fine and a dash of Stan’s fluid was all that was required. I even managed to seat the tyre with a track pump and not a compressor.

I wish it were this easy all the time…

Thing is, it’s a 2-part battle – getting the tyre into the centre gulley, but then getting the tyre to seat properly on the bead rather than just sitting in the gulley! Think the latter’s just a case of bar=steward high pressures…

Got a NN & RR(both non ust) on my Crests,were a bit tight going on but nothing too bad tbh.Been on for about 6 weeks riding 3/4 times a week with with no faffage….. 🙂

Think the latter’s just a case of bar=steward high pressures…

Isn’t there a relatively low pressure limit for these rims? My nobby nic went on fine.

The problem is probably made worse by trying to use a UST tyre with a Stans rim.

The No Tubes rims are designed so you can use a normal tyre, with slacker tolerances, to convert to tubeless, with some latex to seal the sidewalls. A UST rim/tyre is designed to work as an airtight system, with the associate tighter tolerances. No Tubes rims do work just fine with UST tyres though. Use some something slippery, like very soapy water, to help the tyre slide up the rim profile.

If you’re using rim strios, not yellow tape, this will make the problem much, much worse.

I’ve had several tyres over the years refuse to seat fuilly, even at 60PSI, this has always been fixed with soapy water, occasionally I need to pull the tyre up with my hand, but this has maybe happened once or twice and only when I didn’t use enough soapy water.

Good luck – and make sure that young childern are removed from the room before yiu start to protect them from the swearing! 😉

Rob
bigrobracing.co.uk

Its worth watching the videos on the notubes website.

In terms of getting the tyres on the rim, if you make sure the bead is in the valley in the middle of the rim you can get them on and off easily (I can get Maxxis tyres on and off without tyre levers).

Ian

“Good luck – and make sure that young childern are removed from the room before yiu start to protect them from the swearing!”

and a shower of unexpected sealing fluid that will still be there for school on monday morning!