Made my spoked wheels tubeless.....

[ratguzzi]

I had a set of aluminum spoked wheels for my '14 V7 and read stuff on making them tubeless. I wire brushed with acetone every nipple recess and blew them out with compressed air. Then bought a tube of 3M 5200 marine sealant. I carefully kneaded a dab into each nipple recess working any air bubbles out. I let it cure 7 days as it states on the tube. I ordered tubeless valve stems for the stock wheels and they installed just fine. Cleaned the rim well where the tire seats. Mounted the tires and filled. Soapy water all over and not a leak. Left them over night and no pressure drop.
Pleased with the results.
JB

[LaGrasta]

Sounds like a resource worth knowing about, thank you. May I ask why, what is gained, respectively?

[arveno]

Sounds like a resource worth knowing about, thank you. May I ask why, what is gained, respectively?

tubeless .

[fotoguzzi]

Sounds like a resource worth knowing about, thank you. May I ask why, what is gained, respectively?

so you can fix a flat in 5 minutes without removing wheel.

[ken farr]

....show off.....




 



kjf

[Huzo]

When I did the Norge wheels I used blind nipples from a Bellagio, they have o rings and I sealed with rtv. Now the only drama is with your set up comes when you re tension your spokes.

[ratguzzi]

If you get a nail or screw in a tube, you are flat in less than 30 seconds.
Tubeless, it will go flat but it will take hours before you are in trouble. Long trips, I use a plug kit and a mini compressor. Easier than carrying spare tubes.
JB

[Triple Jim]

One procedure has you put little round stickers on the nipple heads before sealing them, so you can adjust the spokes without breaking the seal.

[oldbike54]

 One of the forum members uses gutter sealant to paint a 1/4 inch thick layer over the center of his spoked rims .

 Dusty

[Guzzidad]

   I did that 10 years ago on my 04 Triumph Tiger. I used hi temp rtv, the dark orange stuff. Never had any problems in 60K miles. Finally sold the bike with 111,000 miles and still going strong.

[Guzzidad]

   The only drawback, you'll have to change your own tires from now on. Most shops don't want the liability. Didn't matter to me, I change my own anyway.

[Matteo]

   The only drawback, you'll have to change your own tires from now on. Most shops don't want the liability. Didn't matter to me, I change my own anyway.

Agreed, I have had that argument. I do my own now.

[Kiwi_Roy]

A friend of mine does this to all his bikes including his 46 Indian.
I decided to do my Eldorado but had a lot of leaks, not sudden but overnight. It turns out I was using a silicone that
didn't stick well to the rims, I changed brands and it's been holding for 6 months now.

As for adjusting the nipples, who does that?
First of all I covered each nipple with a dot cut out of Duct tape, now I just slap the silicone on and level it off with
a scraper that rests on the rim.

BTW this is the wrong stuff I'm applying here, it didn't stick.

As you say a tire shop might be reluctant to change a tire, that worried me until I found out how easy it is with a couple of short tire levers and some soapy water.

That looks like good silicone JB, a tube that size should be good for 6 to 8 wheels. I have been using the toothpaste size so I can re-do it on the road if I had to.

[fotoguzzi]

As for adjusting the nipples, who does that?
 

Yeah, who does that?

[Triple Jim]

As for adjusting the nipples, who does that?

Well, it sounds like some people don't.        I check my wheels occasionally and true them if they're off more than about ten or twenty thou.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Well, it sounds like some people don't.        I check my wheels occasionally and true them if they're off more than about ten or twenty thou.

Good for you

[Triple Jim]

Roy, I suspect the tape dots will allow the nipples to be adjusted just fine without breaking the seal.  I like your goop spreading tool.  It's looks similar to the one shown in the video by Woody's Wheelworks.

[Huzo]

Yeah, who does that?

Anyone that gets the chance..

[Huzo]

I thought about getting a new tube of appropriate size and cutting a strip about 1" wide around the outer circumference to make a big rubber band 1" in width that would lightly stretch around the inside of the rim over the spoke heads. Once stretched on, then fold the edges over toward you to expose 1/4" each side and run an unbroken bead of RTV sealant around the circumference then fold the rubber band back over and let it seal on the rim. The air pressure would stop the tendancy of the rubber band to expand under centrifugal force and also allow the nipples to turn for adjustment under the rubber band. Maybe...I haven't done it yet, but will when the tyres come off for replacement.

[ken farr]

I don't understand what additional liability would be assigned to someone who changes tires on the converted rims.

You are still using the same tire, the same rim, you are just leaving a tube out of the mix........nothing has mechanically changed as far as the tire installation is concerned....


kjf

[oldbike54]

I don't understand what additional liability would be assigned to someone who changes tires on the converted rims.

You are still using the same tire, the same rim, you are just leaving a tube out of the mix........nothing has mechanically changed as far as the tire installation is concerned....


kjf

 Probably has to do with the OEM defining a wheel as being designed for tube or tubeless use . Smithswede can probably explain this much better than I can .

 Dusty

[Triple Jim]

Yeah, and even Woody's won't make a wire spoked wheel tubeless unless the rim has bead retainer ridges.  At least that's his story in the video.

[Penderic]

FYI: I think these partial inner tubes also use a liquid sealant for safety. 

[ken farr]

Yeah, and even Woody's won't make a wire spoked wheel tubeless unless the rim has bead retainer ridges.  At least that's his story in the video.

That is my point, I think....

The tire is manufactured, who knows if a tube is going in it?
Are wheels made w/o the retainer ridges, and what would be the point of making an obsolete product....wait, Moto Guzzi.......


kjf

[Orange Guzzi]

I did the 3M 5200 sealant.  This is some sticky stuff.

 I swapped out the steel Borrani's for aluminum Excel's.  Yes, the Excel rims have the little hump to hold the tire on, same as a tubeless rim and the o.e.m spoke Borrani's. (for those that are afraid the rim is not made the same as a tubeless rim) A 5 pound weight loss.

 My first attempt at sealing was by using 3m 4412n tape.  I applied the 1 inch/25mm tape over the spokes and put a second layer of Gorrilla tape for protection while installing the tire.  It leaked at one of the spokes closes to the valve stem.  There was not much tape between the valve stem and spoke head.  About 1/4 inch.  Off came the tire, Gorrilla tape and 3M tape.   

Prior to applying the 3M tape, I cleaned the wheel in hot water and dish washing liquid.  The spokes had assembly lube inside the nipples.  I soaked the rim good, wiped several time, rinsed several minutes and then used compressed air to blow out the nipples.  Lots of oil came out. 

My second attempt at sealing was with the 3M 5200.  I cut the end of the tube open, dipped my finger in and started dabbing each spoke nipple.  Making sure I did not leave any air bubble on the threads or around the head of the nipple.  After hitting all the spokes, I rotated the rim while spreading out the excess with my finger.  The material sags and self leveled.  I enjoyed a cold one and watch t.v. while rotating the wheel every few minutes. After an hour,  I then laid the wheel on the side to allow the sealant to sage side to side.  Let it set for 8 hours on one side and then turned it over to sag on the other side.  It is a very slow process.  Days.   I used acetone to clean up the excess from the rim and my finger's. 

I used the NAPA valve stem.

It worked. 

Using silicon based sealant on aluminum is not a good idea because it is made of acetic acid and will corrode the aluminum and then peel off.  Aluminum and stainless are dissimilar metals also.  Galvanic corrosion is a problem with aluminum wheels and stainless spokes or fasteners.  Keep the road salt off of them. 

I always hated changing tires.  It seemed like a wrestling match between me and the wheel.  While researching the tubeless method, I read that a tire should go on and off a rim with no more than two 6 inch tire irons.  The secret is getting the tire dropped down into the center of the rim.  I was able to do this by putting a c-clamp on one side and working around the tire in both directions equally from the c-clamp.  I was able to push the tire on by hand most of the way.  I wiped the tire lip with moly grease.  Not a heavy coating, just enough to make it wet.

[Orange Guzzi]

Yeah, and even Woody's won't make a wire spoked wheel tubeless unless the rim has bead retainer ridges.  At least that's his story in the video.

The stock steel Borrina's have this and the aluminum Excel have this bead retainer.  That is why it is hard to break down a deflated tire.  The tire has to be force over the raised bead before it will drop down into the dropped area of the rim. 

[Sheepdog]

Kevin Cameron, the Cycle World tech guru says that he never uses a tire iron longer than 8 inches in length. His reason? Long irons may bend the rim and mess up the runout on your wheel.

[Kiwi_Roy]

When I did my Eldorado first I used dots over the nipples but now I just smear the sealant over everything. I had a few problems at first using the wrong sealant it would start to leak out the nipple threads but never anything sudden.
Now I have the right sealant, General Purpose in a small tube (I will add details next time I of to Home Depot) I have never looked back, no more tubes for me.