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Ghetto tubeless

peter6061

peter6061

Turbo Monkey
Nov 19, 2001
1,575
0
Kenmore, WA
I ripped this from MTBR a while back. Waiting til after my race this weekend to try it. I had good luck with the whole latex thing instead of Stan's a couple years ago, but now just use Stan's for ease of use.

someone on MTBR said:
I just converted my wheels & standard tires to tubeless and it rocks. Easy and cheap. Stans-style only with locally available and cheap stuff (I'm sure not as good/slick/etc as Stans). I have been running the front tire like this for a week (about 6o trail miles) and the rear finished conversion today. Here's the scoop.

Wheels: Sun DS2-XC rims, these were brand new
Tires: Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 kevlar 127tpi, tires had about 50 trail miles on them (NOT UST tires!)

Stuff you'll need:

1. Pair of tubes you don't mind cutting up (size etc doesn't matter but must have a good valve!), $free

2. roll of Scotch "Strapping Tape", $1.50

3. roll of 3M vinyl electrical tape (I got a high-quality roll), $3

4. Tub of liquid-latex molding compound from Michaels, $10

5. Little 4 oz shampoo-style bottle like you'd get in travel-size shampoo, $1

6. Coupla shop towels, dish with dab of dish soap, $free

7. Tools: air compressor with tank or pressurized air tank (must have presta valve adapter), bike pump, scissors, pliers, rubbing alcohol, acetone

Total parts cost $15.50

Steps to convert:

1. Take tire/tube off of the rim and pull off rim strip/tape. Clean the inside of the rim real well with acetone or alcohol etc.

2. Peel up the edge of the strapping tape from the roll and cut a little cut in the end with scissors about 12-15mm (1/2") from the edge. Stick the "wide" side back down and begin peeling the tape off the roll with the "narrow" side. It should come off in a straight line strip 1/2" wide. Stick this tape over the spoke holes on the rim pulling it tight as you apply it. Run one continuous strip of tape all the way around the wheel and overlap about 3-4". Stick it down REAL GOOD.

3. Starting in a different spot on the rim, stick electrical tape over the strip of strapping tape on the rim. Stick this down real good! It does not have to be tight, but has to be "airtight". Overlap about 3-4". Poke a hole from the inside out where the valve hole is. Don't make this hole any bigger than the valve.

4. Take the salvage tube and cut out the valve. Leave a piece of the tube around the valve making a 3/8" by 1" rectangular patch with the long side running the direction of the tube.

5. Take the tire and clean the inside and bead of the ture with rubbing alcohol. Mount one side of the tire on the rim, leave the other side off.

6. Install the valve loosely with the little "nut" on the outside. Don't tighten! Leave 1/2" of slack in it.

7. Mount the other side of the tire bead. Get the bead set pretty well around the valve area. Pull the valve and finger-tighten the nut. This should kind of "pinch" the tire bead between the little valve patch of rubber and the rim near the valve.

8. Pull the bead loose from the rim on one side at the spot on the rim directly across (opposite) from the valve. Make an opening about 6-8" long. Now hang the rim with this opening at the bottom. Use a bike hanger hook, work stand, saw horse, whatever. Hang the wheel upright.

9. Mix up your sealant. Use some kind of disposable spoon to spoon out about an ounce of latex into the little shampoo bottle. If you have a 4oz bottle, then fill it 25% of the way up with latex. You'll see it has to be approximate at best. The stuff makes a big mess. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water, then install the cap, seal it up, and shake it vigorously to mix all the latex and water.

10. Mix up a little bit of dish soap and water in a bowl and use a rag or shop towel to coat the tire beads (both sides) with soapy water.

11. Squirt the contents of the little shampoo bottle into the open spot on the tire bead. Re-mount the tire.

12. Connect the tire to an air compressor and fire it up. It may seat and begin to inflate right away, if not then you may have to kind of wiggle the tire and monkey with it to get it to seat the first time. Adding a bit more soapy water can help.

13. Once the tire seats and you get some air in it, put like 30 psi of air in the tire and then unhook from the compressor. Pick up the wheel and shake it all around, spin it, turn it over, flip it, etc. Try and get the liquid sealant to evenly coat the inside of the rim & tire. You'll probably see some of the sealant leaking from the bead in some spots, seeping through the sidewall. That's ok.

14. Most likely it's leaking like a sieve from the valve hole. Take pliers and tighten the nut until it quits leaking from the valve hole. Don't torque it to death, but you'll need to get it pretty tight.

15. If the pressure begins to leak down, put some more air in there. Keep shaking, flipping, etc., adding air, wiping away leaked-out sealant, etc., until the tire quits losing air. Once it seems pretty much stable, pump it to 40 psi or so and let it alone for a while.

16. Keep an eye on the tire for the next few hours, checking the pressure and re-pressurizing as needed. The sealant will continue to seep around. Flip it around from time to time. Let it sit overnight and check to be sure it's holding air. Then pump it to about 80% of the pressure you ran in it with a tube, up to about 45 psi, and go ride. Bring your pump to adjust pressure while on the trail. It'll feel way different.
Click to expand...
 
Greyhound

Greyhound

Trail Rat
Jul 8, 2002
5,065
365
Alamance County, NC
I'm using Stans rim strips in Performance Loco wheels with a Nokian 2.5 NBX on the front at 35psi and a Michelin Comp 24 tubeless in the rear at 32psi. The rear Michelin was a little more tempermental to get seated--I had to inflate to 50 psi to get it to pop onto the bead, but it's working great. The Nokian tire--although not a tubeless one, popped onto the bead and sealed like it was born to be a tubeless convert.
 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
I Might actually try this 20in Bmx method, i tore my Stans strip last night, the valve broke loose from the rubber, I alread ordered replacements, seems like good life seeing how they are three years old now. We will see how they hold up with the Bmx tube method
 
Panadog

Panadog

Chimp
Aug 29, 2007
16
0
I run stans rim strips on some bikes and my home-made rim strips in others. I actually have had less trouble with my home-made rim strips (no valve tear outs and they seem to be easier to bead up). The best way I have found is to:
1. take a 24" tube and cut it down the outer edge. Leave it real wide. Put it in like a stans rim strip.
2. Then install your tire. There will be lots of tube hanging out either side.
3. Install stans goup in accordance with stans directions.
4. Bead up the tire like stans.
5. Trim those floppy edges of the tube that are hanging out either side of the tire.
 
Dangerous E

Dangerous E

Monkey
May 24, 2006
214
0
Coorstown, CO
Yeah I just tried it for the first time and it seems to work really well. I run Stan's rim strips in a couple of bikes and this is sure as heck a much more cost effective method. I didn't even tape the rims or anything. Just threw in a 20" presta valve tube. My only problem w/ this is that it seems like you pretty much have to put in a new rimstrip each time you switch tires. It's easy but wasteful.
 
Dangerous E

Dangerous E

Monkey
May 24, 2006
214
0
Coorstown, CO
SteezyWeezy said:
is presta a must? im considering trying this method simply because stans strips are overpriced and so many people have had success with bmx tubes.
Click to expand...
presta is a must unless you can find a schraeder valve that has a threaded valve stem w/ the little ring that tightens down (like the Stan's rim strips). w/o this ring to hold the valve stem in place, when you try to inflate the tire you just push the valvestem into the rim.
 
SteezyWeezy

SteezyWeezy

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2006
2,436
1
portland, oregon
Dangerous E said:
presta is a must unless you can find a schraeder valve that has a threaded valve stem w/ the little ring that tightens down (like the Stan's rim strips). w/o this ring to hold the valve stem in place, when you try to inflate the tire you just push the valvestem into the rim.
Click to expand...
ah right i didnt think about that. who makes a presta bmx tube, is kenda the only one?
 
Panadog

Panadog

Chimp
Aug 29, 2007
16
0
SteezyWeezy said:
doesnt stans use presta?
Click to expand...
Not mine- and I have used many tubes with schrader vavles that are not threaded all the way down, to prevent the valve from pushing into the rim, pinch it with your fingers (just like everyone does when they fill up a flat schrader tube).
 
Dangerous E

Dangerous E

Monkey
May 24, 2006
214
0
Coorstown, CO
Jimmy_Pop said:
DO NOT use presta tubes for ghetto tubless!!!! Often times, presta can't deliver enough volume of air to seat bead.
Click to expand...
That sounds totally reasonable but it worked ok for me when I did it. I've only tried it once though. But you can also buy Stan's rimstrips w/ a presta valve. They worked well for me too. What rims/tires were you using when you couldn't get it to work?
 
Percy

Percy

Monkey
May 2, 2005
426
0
Christchurch NZ
DirtyMike said:
I Might actually try this 20in Bmx method, i tore my Stans strip last night, the valve broke loose from the rubber, I alread ordered replacements, seems like good life seeing how they are three years old now. We will see how they hold up with the Bmx tube method
Click to expand...
Use a 24" tube, I had major twubble getting the 20" tubes off again, which is sometimes necessary!:banghead:
I must go do this to my ASX soon, it makes the tyres feel so much better!:happydance:
 
bullcrew

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Dec 8, 2004
8,936
2,615
I'm dude playing dude pretending to b another dude
20" split it down the center strap it over the rim, mount 1 side of tire pour stans in and then mount other side of tire. (secret: wipe stans between the bead and the rim help alot. :thumb:)
air up and trim off excess rubber. make the first cut and then pull out and away from the tire while gently sliding a razor blade flat against tire in a forward motion. ive done probably 15 pairs for people and done a couple for my self when the schrade on my stans rim strips ripped off.
 
tsamps

tsamps

Chimp
May 6, 2007
58
0
Could someone please post pictures of how you do this 20inch bmx tube tubeless conversion. Im wickid confused
 
D

demo8razor

Monkey
Mar 31, 2008
250
0
i do the ghetto method 20" tube etc, but i used a different concoction instead of stans,

i used 1 part latex mold builder
1 part slime
1 part anti freeze old traditional cheap stuff ethylene glycol i believe
2 parts water or people have used windex
also some glitter, a few oz can be added
the idea was to have something with varying sizes of material to fill punctures or leaks

this was from an mtbr post that Acadian pointed me towards the person that came up with this said it lasted considerably longer than stans did for him
 
Last edited:
William42

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,936
680
old thread, but goride has some picture/instructions here

http://www.go-ride.com/Articles/ghetto_tubeless.html

i've never had any trouble getting the valve to stay in place without the little screw on attachment you get with stans/continental/presta. If you hold the tire and rim at the point where the valve is, it'll hold it in place just fine.
 
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