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Tubeless tires leaking at bead

My new bike has Stan’s ZTR Flow EX wheels with 2.4" Continental Trail King tires.

Since new, the wheels have tended to weep sealant (Stan's) at the beads. The tires lose air more rapidly than other tubeless setups I have run (Mavic 823 and 2.2" Trail Kings on the Heckler and my home-grown tubeless setup on the Moonlander). I need to check and add air to the new rig every couple of days.



Is anyone else running this rim and tire combination and if so have you experienced similar behavior?
 
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Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,927
14,443
where the trails are
I don't use Continental tires.
Every tire I've set up (mavic ust rims + maxxis tire) weeps from the bead but only at initial setup, after that they're sealed and good to good.
 
I don't use Continental tires.
Every tire I've set up (mavic ust rims + maxxis tire) weeps from the bead but only at initial setup, after that they're sealed and good to good.
This has been my experience to date.

It's possible that the mechanic that put the tires on didn't get the beads fully seated, but it's a person I know and respect. I guess when I get back from Monkeyfest I'll take the tires off and do a thorough inspection. Something ain't right.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,376
12,532
In a van.... down by the river
MOAR SEALANT!

I just set up my new wheel tubeless (and converted my old front wheel as well) - was having bead leakage (I couldn't identify mine by any sealant coming out) as identified by soapy water test. Added about 2 additional oz of sealant and sloshed it around flat so as to get more sealant on the bead surface. It's now sealed and haven't had any issues since I added the sealant.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,927
14,443
where the trails are
Once I helped a friend set up his wheels and he inflated to 50 then set them aside, in direct sunlight.

the bang got everyone's attention.
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
My wrench put four ounces in each tire, which should be more than sufficient. That's all I use for a 4.8" tire.

Most likely candidates in my mind:
  1. Beads not seated.
  2. Untrimmed flashing on beads.

I always put 5-6 oz in to start. That covers any leakage or sealing the sidewalls. Laying them flat will also help seal the bead.\
 

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,078
9,780
I have no idea where I am
My take is that the weight savings aren't worth much, but avoiding pinch flats is.
Maybe, if that's a reoccurring problem. But I see a lot of posts about riders having various issues running tubeless, such as burping, rolling the bead off the rim, leaking sealant, etc. Seems like just trading one problem for another one.

Hmmph, I'm probably turning into an old fart anyway. Damn kids and their Walkmans...
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,005
Seattle
Maybe, if that's a reoccurring problem. But I see a lot of posts about riders having various issues running tubeless, such as burping, rolling the bead off the rim, leaking sealant, etc. Seems like just trading one problem for another one.

Hmmph, I'm probably turning into an old fart anyway. Damn kids and their Walkmans...
Absolutely true. I'd just rather have the PITA be upfront, in my garage, than out on the trail.
 

daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,651
124
New York City
I run tubeless on my trail bike but not on my Dh bike. On my DH bike I find I have issues with burping and leaking sealant with all the east coast Rocs I ride over.
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,596
5,894
in a single wide, cooking meth...
26" tubes only weigh 5 oz. Doesn't seem like much of a weight savings to me. I guess I still don't get the tubeless thing.
Pretty sure you're comparing a volume to a weight in this case thanks to that damnable English measurement system. I seem to recall most "XC" tubes weigh around 200 grams, so that's almost a pound in total, and more importantly, its rotational weight which is basically the last place you want it (well, unless you're into slow acceleration). A few ounces (volume) of Stans weighs next to nothing, so I think there is a meaningful weight savings overall. But like others have said, its a nice way to avoid pinch flats and you can sometimes run lower pressures provided you're not burping tires in hard corners/shitty unrecovered "whips".

I was toobs guy forever as well, but ever since I got legit tubeless rims (Stans Flows ZTRs) and legit tubeless ready tires, it's be an easy switch. Over a pretty long period of time I will start losing some air, but usually I can just add moar Stans jizz and its perfect again. When the jizz starts weeping out of the sidewall, its a really good indicator that I've run the tire for far too long (as usual) and motivates me to get a new tire. The only tire I've had an issue is with a semi-old Rock Razor which took a high pressure compressor at a car tire shop to get seated. Everything else I've been able to seat with a floor pump. I just recently switched to tubeless on my the rear of my DH bike, but I haven't really put it to a hard test yet, so we'll see.
 
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jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
Pretty sure you're comparing a volume to a weight in this case thanks to that damnable English measurement system. I seem to recall most "XC" tubes weigh around 200 grams, so that's almost a pound in total, and more importantly, its rotational weight which is basically the last place you want it (well, unless you're into slow acceleration). A few ounces (volume) of Stans weighs next to nothing, so I think there is a meaningful weight savings overall. But like others have said, its a nice way to avoid pinch flats and you can sometimes run lower pressures provided you're not burping tires in hard corners/shitty unrecovered "whips".

I was toobs guy forever as well, but ever since I got legit tubeless rims (Stans Flows ZTRs) and legit tubeless ready tires, it's be an easy switch. Over a pretty long period of time I will start losing some air, but usually I can just add moar Stans jizz and its perfect again. When the jizz starts weeping out of the sidewall, its a really good indicator that I've run the tire for far too long (as usual) and motivates me to get a new tire. The only tire I've had an issue with is semi-old Rock Razor which took a high pressure compressor at a car tire shop to get seated. Everything else I've been able to seat with a floor pump. I just recently switched to tubeless on my the rear of my DH bike, but I haven't really put it to a hard test yet, so we'll see.
glad i'm not the only one that noticed the mass to volume unit error.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,289
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
funny to see this thread pop up as I installed a new tubeless setup last night. I put a new nobby nic on a Spank Oozy 295. took me all of 15 minutes, and no mess. I've found that if I use all the "tricks" I learned when I first install, it's easy, quick and clean. First I clean the rim. Then I install the tire with a tube. pop it in place. let the air our, unseat only one side, take the tube out, install the valve without the core, add two scoops of sealant, air it up so the beads pop in (yesterday that happened at 35 psi). let the air out, install the core air up and voila. It's a bit of a faff, but less so than trying to change tube with a snake bite in the woods while the mosquitoes are attacking. Plus I have a small compressor at home, (that cost me less than a Lezyne floor pump). I checked this morning, and the tire had not lost any air.

on a side note, bike-discount.de delivered again. CAD$55 all-in for a tire that's $100 in the shops, and made it here in 7 business days. I'd say that's a win.
 
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CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,861
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
26" tubes only weigh 5 oz. Doesn't seem like much of a weight savings to me. I guess I still don't get the tubeless thing.
Eliminating the tube also lowers rolling resistance more at lower pressure. Not sure if that really matters for a just for fun trail rider like me though. I used to run tubeless on the DH bike for years but I have been to lazy to install on my trail bike so far.
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
The mess is part of the fun of tubeless.

My wheels are now adorned with a lovely coat of rubberized trail dust. I was in a hurry when had to re-fill my rear tire and got sealant all over the place.

I've got a fairly significant dent in my rear rim, but with enough sealant, it seems to have fully sealed up again. No air top ups required for the last few rides.