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This is driving me insane. I've tried to convert a set of Stans Arch rims to tubeless using Stans yellow tape and valve stems. I've also put a Joes no flat rim strip on a Flow rim and each of them is pissing air out from around the base of the valve. The tyre inflates fine, but then deflates within 10 mins. I've watched the videos on Stans website and can't for the life of me figure out what is going wrong.
Should I track 'Stan' down and hideously disfigure him for selling shoddy valves and rims? Should I set fire to the garage erasing any trace of my futile attempts at anything practical? Or am I just being a moron again and doing something wrong?
my experience is that the air coming from the valve hole may be entering the rim anywhere - it just finds it's way out at that point.
the trick is to make sure that the rim tape full seals the spoke holes and that (with Joe's) that the tyre is pressing on rim strip at all points.
That makes sense. I think I'm going to have to just strip it all down and start from stage one with some fresh tape and rim strips.
unless you've damaged the rim strips you shoudl be ok to reuse them.
I've used a couple of passes of electrical tape as rim strip with good results although the Joe's rim tape does deform less into the spoke holes over time.
Did you clean the rim thoroughly before sticking the yellow tape on? Mine didn't stick well first time so I used disc-brake cleaner to make sure there was no residual grease anywhere on the inside of the rim, [i]after[/i] going over it with a scouring pad to key the surface. You also need to really, really yank on the tape to get it tight enough. If you can stick it in the frame or forks, or a turbo-trainer or something to keep it held steady it makes it easier.
One thing that also helps with yellow-taped rims is to inflate an inner tube inside the tyre to press the tape down properly, and then leave it overnight. Pump it up to a good 50 psi or more (carefully, if it looks like it's going to blow, back it off a bit).
Stick with it. In my experience over the past year or so, setting up Stan's tubeless kit is more of an art than a science, you need to be patient and assume that it'll go wrong the first few times...
I had the same problem just over a week ago, I patched it up with duct tape and another layer of yellow tape over the valve.
I ordered a roll of the yellow tape to re-do the whole wheel, but until it starts leaking air i'm leaving well alone.