[Closed] Why's my Ghetto tubeless losing air?

Get about 100ml of sealant in and pump up to 60psi. Shake all the way around on both sides. Then lay flat on a bucket for 10 mins a side, spinning the sealant so it covers the whole tyre. If sealant is seeping out through the tyre walls or bead you may need to add more before long. Other than that, Dip them in a bath and find out where it comes from. Mine have never gone down after the first inflation but I've never done the gaffa method.

DeVs - Done that a few times and put loads of sealant in after first attempts. Air seems to be seaping out along the bead in a few spots - wondering if the tyre wall is shagged - not that old tyre, they just don't seem to be sealing that well. I can pump them up and they hold the air for a ride - its just next day they are about 50% the pressure they were.

Have you been out riding in them? That can sometimes fix mystery leaks...

B

Which sealant did you end up using?

And how much of it per tyre?

Kenda's are VERY porous, and you need more sealant than you might originally think in order to get them to properly seal...

Get some proper UST rims and tyres you cheapskate. 😀

Has Si been in touch about Sunday?

Got some Stans now which is loads better - put three scoopfuls in each. Think they might need more then?

Pete - Yeah, thinking about getting some UST tyres at the very least. Si mentioned Sunday but I can't do it as will be in Salisbury. 🙁

A bit heavy but maxis dual ply work great and never loose air.
We all use 2.5 high rollers but the 2,35 are just as good if you dont ride in the peaks, its a bit on the rockyside around here.

Are those UST HRs or normal?

just normal but dual ply.

Are they losing it slow or fast? If fast, throw them in the bath, look for bubbles.

Because ghetto and all other tubeless systems are a bad idea.

Take a regular tyre and tube, remove the tube (100g), seal the rim with tape, and fit a tubeless valve. Now put 100g of liquid sealant in which sits on the outside of the tyre adding 100g x the centrifugal force exerted @ a given speed, and you've effectively made your bike lighter.
Unless you actually ride it.
But it stops punctures, oh, wait a minute, it doesn't.
IT'S ALL BOLLOCKS!

It doesn't stop punctures. Do you not believe it reduces them? Also, regular tubes aren't 100g (my XXlights averaged 105g, and they're not regular tubes) and you don't usually need that much sealant for that matter.

Not a fan of ghetto myself but on my tubeless rims with standard tyres and sealant, it's been fantastic.

Got some issues there skyline. Did a ghetto tubeless wheel run away with your missus? I never seen it claimed that it's lighter. Only betetr grip and less rolling resistance. I struggle to understand the latter but it certainly feels that way. As for punctures I've gone forom 3 a ride to 2 in 3 years. It might not work for you, it does for others. Get over it, would you like a nice cup of tea? 🙂

LOL @ Skyline-GTR

Do you actually know what you're talking about?

I've not punctured once since running tubeless (about 6 years or so now), whereas I used to puncture all the time. I've use UST, Stans and the Ghetto method, all have brought about the same results. More grip and zero punctures, with the only downside being it's more of a faff to fit in the first place than a normal tyre/tube.

Your weight argument is crap anyway, cos a normal inner tube is more like 200g than 100g (go weigh one you'll see!), and the 100g or so of sealant you put in a tyre doesn't centrifuge its way out totally cos otherwise the tyre wouldn't have sealed in the first place. It has to coat the entire inner tyre wall first, probably leaving 20g or so of spare sealant to go towards fixing any punctures that is then subject to centrifuge.

The marginal weight loss (perhaps 50-100g per wheel, so not massive at all) is the smallest benefit as far as I'm concerned. Being able to run the pressures I want to without pinching, getting more grip, all punctures becoming a thing of the past and improved rolling resistance all far more important in my opinion.

Of course, the serail tyre changers will never agree, they're more concerned with how quickly they can change their tyres the night before every big ride! 😉

Well done Skyline. There there..

Whack a few extra layers of gaffer tape on. Once the tyre is ****ing hard to put on it should be about right. Unless you see sealant seeping through the sidewalls of the tyre you shouldn't need to put extra sealant in.

Oh.. and Skyline..

Does your Skyline GTR have tubes in then?

Down fethers from a duk will mak seelent dtik to sidwalls so centrapetal forse dusnt mater the fethers blok hols if u get a punchur and their liter than a chub so u r faster2 I thort tubles was stupid but aftar I tryed i got no puchurs so vurdik is totaly awsum

LOL @ everyone - I ain't doing it for the weight as I'm not bothered how light my bike is.

I had this problem, top up of Wheel Milk sorted it.
A blast of CO2 from a canaster can also help the milk coagulate and seal holes.

Bushy - how old / dinged are your rims?

i've seen the 'ghetto seal' fail because of a slightly dinged rim.

(DT rims do seem a bit prone to dinging)

i gave up with ghetto after spending an entire weekend trying to get 2 tyres to inflate, failing with 1, and then burping all the air out of the other 1 during the first descent of the next weekend - i'm very jealous of those guys who can make it work.

[url=

rather good video of the tape method[/url]
Works for me on 717's

Rim doesn't have any obvious dings in it - checked before starting - thinking that the tyre bead is a little knackered and as I'm using the gaffa tape method there is less purchase between rim and bead leading to leaks but I think the sealant should patch these up.

Thinking I might get the DT Swiss kit for the one which keeps losing air - the front is fine. Plus I might get a UST tyre for the rear too.. The Kenda is rubbing against my chainstay annoyingly.

The good thing is the tyres hold air long enough for a ride.

B

Wally - thats the one I used - dead easy to do. Might try it on my 719 rim too and see the difference as I know that rim is much less abused than my DT. Plus I want to run a Mud X since the rain is back and thats UST ready.

I run Mud-X tape method on 2 bikes, works very well.

Been using my neighbours track pump which is significantly better than mine - pumped both up (DT Swiss and 719) and lets see how they hold air.

Mud x and tape for me too - they lost air over night fr a few rides and then settled down. Kenda tyres are notoriously porous

The idea is to put air in faster than it can leak out which forces the bead to seat. Be careful though, if you go much over 60psi you'll hear a deafening bang as the tyre leaps off the rim and you'll be covered in what looks like fanmat.

I've had really good results with ghetto tubeless using slime liquid, but switching to Stan's made the world of difference. And proper rim strips from Stans or Joes work better too.

Tubeless all the way for me.

When I'm riding for the first time can I run them at normal pressure?

Shouldn't be a problem. I normally use mine at the same pressure as I would with tubes anyway.

Try this.

It worked for me when I had Ghetto issues 😀

[url= http://paradigmhosting.net/yes_tubes/ ]Linky click click[/url]

Thinking I might get the DT Swiss kit for the one which keeps losing air - the front is fine.

Wouldn't bother mate... The Ghetto method using a 20" tube is far more reliable, and easier to do in my experience... I bought the DT kit a while back, and sold it about 3 months later... Wasn't impressed! Conversely the ghetto method I've had no issues with whatsoever using 20" tubes.

Just watched the vid of that gaffer tape ghetto method. I'd be VERY wary of the tyre burping lots using that method. To the uninitiated, you're just creating a UST rim by sealing the spoke holes yes, but UST rims have the distinct difference of having slightly larger external diameter, and slightly higher rim sidewalls. It's only a subtle difference, but it all makes a difference in keeping the tyre on the rim. Why does the 20" tube method differ? Well, you've got a large overlap of tyre and inner tube, going right up the sidewall. And the inner tube will flex with the tyre as it bends under load etc. The gaffer tape method does look nice and convenient, but I'd personally only try it on rims that are known to be very tight already, such as DT Swiss (so you should be OK once that porous Kenda has sealed B), but certainly not Mavic unless you're running mega tight tyres...

Had no burping issues on my bonty rims using the gaffa tape method - but I don't run low pressures so that will probably help

M6TTF, Bonty rims also pretty tight in my experience so less likely to burp than others.

@mboy - what was the problem with the DT Swiss kit?

I've just set up my EX500 rims tubeless using the DT Swiss rimstrips and Eskar 2Bliss tyres, and you've got me worried now.

@mboy - what was the problem with the DT Swiss kit?

Problems I had with it were as follows...

1. They cost a BOMB!
2. They are a nightmare to fit compared to everything else I've ever used, using Maxxis Highrollers took me several tyre levers and nearly broken thumbs to get on, trying to fit proper UST tyres on them... Well, they just wouldn't go on at all... I can fit UST tyres on UST rims with just my thumbs, so I've got pretty hardened thumbs, but UST tyres would just not go on DT rims with the DT kit.
3. The sealant is nowhere near as good as Stans. It clogs too easily, and doesn't last as long.

So considering you've already bought the kit (hence swallowed the cost), and already fitted it, then that's 2 out of the 3 issues covered. The 3rd one, just buy some Stans sealant when you need to top it up.

They do work ok, but the ghetto method works even better... And it's a fraction of the price!

anyone been posting here long enough to remember the badger have a complete meltdown over this pic?

lots of photoshops inc hindenburg, buses and planes

[img] [/img]

what is datz on about

Down fethers from a duk will mak seelent dtik to sidwalls so centrapetal forse dusnt mater the fethers blok hols

Mboy - using the tube method on my DT's I can't get the tyre on the rim - hence the gaffa method - if you've got some suggestions let's me know even if it involves a visit from Dr Mboy the professor of no-tubes!

I have found Joe's to be the best sealant. Stans doesn't seal as well and dries out quicker. I haven't used any others.

@mboy, I don't feel too bad now you've gone through those points, in reply:-

1. I got the rimstrips off Ebay for £12, I wouldn't have paid full price.

2. I tried the rear with an old folding bead Highroller which was easy to fit, I did this to see if I could get the tubeless thing to work, I did one ride with this. I then bought some 2Bliss Eskars, these were a bitch to get on, but I got them on eventually without tyre levers. Bit worried how long it would take to put a tube in an emergency.

3. I'm using Stans sealant, so hopefully no worries there.

First proper ride tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Mboy - using the tube method on my DT's I can't get the tyre on the rim - hence the gaffa method - if you've got some suggestions let's me know even if it involves a visit from Dr Mboy the professor of no-tubes!

Gotcha

DT rims are BLOODY tight, hence I reckon the gaffa tape method should be safe enough with them (in theory at least). I just couldn't get my Bontrager ACX's onto my old DT rims with the DT/Eclipse rimstrips either, so in a fit of rage, sold the bloody lot and switched back to Mavic rims...

A tight rim/tyre combo does make for a pretty bullet proof tubeless combo though in fairness, just whether or not you can actually get it to work in the first place!

Oh, and my front Kenda went down to less than 10psi or so overnight for the first few rides just like yours is doing. I eventually popped a bit more sealant in through the valve (only like 20ml or so), gave it a right good swill around, pumped it up to 60psi, gave it more of a swill around, rode it up and down the road, left it overnight and it retained most of its pressure. I just leave mine somewhere around 26-28psi now and they barely lose any air inbetween rides.

Maybe I need to ride them a bit more before givinh up.

Oh yes!! ROCK HARD!!!

Used my neighbours JowBlow track pump which got both my back wheels up to 60psi (Rather than 40psi with my shitty blackburn one) and then rode both of them around a bit. Checked them this morning and they are both fully loaded!!! 🙂 🙂

Well chuffed!!!

Result!

Been out riding on them today and they are still up now - hopefully will still be up tomorrow too! 🙂

On my singlespeed I've got sun ringle SOS wheels ghetto'd with an advantage 2.25 R and a HR 2.35 F. I inflated them in Nov, I've not touched them since. I ride it about 3 times a week. Got to be happy with that!