Tubeless seating nightmare - what else can I try?

barongreenback
barongreenback Posts: 229
edited February 2019 in Workshop
Replaced my valves with the milkit valves but having done so, I cannot reseat the tyres. I have an airshot, I’ve tried kitchen soap solution on the tyres and rim but to no avail. I also cleaned out the old sealant (after initial attempts to reseat didn’t work. Beads look ok and are still very tight (ie a pain to put on the rim). Wheels are Bontrager Affinity TLR with the Bontrager sealing strip. The tyres unseated when deflated once before but managed to get them back on.

Any ideas of anything else I can try? Would prefer to avoid an inner tube! Thanks.

Comments

  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    Give CO2 a go or even better an air compressor if there's a petrol station nearby.
    If that doesn't work then try another layer of rim tape and make sure the valve collars are nice and tight.
  • orlok
    orlok Posts: 89
    barongreenback wrote:
    Replaced my valves with the milkit valves but having done so, I cannot reseat the tyres. I have an airshot, I’ve tried kitchen soap solution on the tyres and rim but to no avail. I also cleaned out the old sealant (after initial attempts to reseat didn’t work. Beads look ok and are still very tight (ie a pain to put on the rim). Wheels are Bontrager Affinity TLR with the Bontrager sealing strip. The tyres unseated when deflated once before but managed to get them back on.

    Any ideas of anything else I can try? Would prefer to avoid an inner tube! Thanks.
    I have read about Milkit valves but don't have experience with them. Try to put one or two extra layers tubeless tape and/or inflate them with no inner valve to seat the tubeless tyre and at least buy yourself a 24l aircompressor. :wink:
    Anyway look at the explanations how to install tubeless tyres of the Cycle Clinic pages.
    There will be always a moment of tailwind.Pinarello F8/10 - Ultegra 8000 Di2 - Carbonspeed C50 UST - Tubeless
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    I dont have much experience of bontrager wheels but I know another layer of tape wont work with these unless you going to cover the sealing strip.

    The bead probably has stretched a bit. Try a dilute mix of soapy water and use a CO2 cartridge. Hopefully the tyre will inflate and seat well enough that selant can then be injected and then inflated. If not youll know the tyre inflate with compressed air, then inject sealant and inflate with compressed air.

    I am still trying to work out what problem the milkit valves solve.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • barongreenback
    barongreenback Posts: 229
    thecycleclinic wrote:
    I dont have much experience of bontrager wheels but I know another layer of tape wont work with these unless you going to cover the sealing strip.

    The bead probably has stretched a bit. Try a dilute mix of soapy water and use a CO2 cartridge. Hopefully the tyre will inflate and seat well enough that selant can then be injected and then inflated. If not youll know the tyre inflate with compressed air, then inject sealant and inflate with compressed air.

    I am still trying to work out what problem the milkit valves solve.

    Thanks. For me they stop the tyre deflating so much that they unseat. The Bontrager are stretching the definition of tubeless ready. I also like being able to check the sealant level.

    Will try again tomorrow but I fear that the inner tube is coming...

    Should have bought the Prime carbon wheels while they were on offer :evil:
  • barongreenback
    barongreenback Posts: 229
    So no joy with soapy water. I already have an airshot - would co2 act any differently? I do have some rim tape. Can I tape this over the rim strip? Thanks.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,704
    barongreenback wrote:
    So no joy with soapy water. I already have an airshot - would co2 act any differently? I do have some rim tape. Can I tape this over the rim strip? Thanks.
    Not sure about the rim strip, but I've had tyres which seat with CO2 having failed to seat using an Airshot. The CO2 gives even more of an immediate rush, which is what you need to seat the tyres. It can start to get expensive though if you have a tyre which just will not seal and you waste some CO2 cartridges.
  • barongreenback
    barongreenback Posts: 229
    Tried a layer of rim tape in the end. Inflated with a track pump. I guess the bead must have stretched. Thanks for all the advice. Will be making sure my next set of wheels are properly tubeless comtabile rather than just ‘ready’.

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