non tubeless to tubeless........ help

[ton]

looking for a foolproof way of setting my non tubeless wheels up tubeless.

is there one ?

tyres are tubeless version. i have tubeless tape, i have gorilla tape and tubeless valves.

[redefined_cycles]

Wrap a tight inner tube around the rim (like a 26er on a 29er rim). Then cut it down the centre and overlap it around the rim.

Then do a bit of soapy water and apply your tyre around that tube Ton. Might be a good idea now to include you tubeless sealant as you'll not be opening the system again until tyre is worn (maybe scraper valve tube and a removable core means you can inject sealant through after).

Now pump it all up. Smile at the excellent seal you've managed to achieve. Grab some long but sharp scissors and carefully go around the rim removing the excess tube. Voila.

[Oxoman]

It's easy enough to do if you take your time and have everything to hand. The youtube link I've put on here is worth a watch. TBH loads on the web but this guy is one of the better ones. He did have a business but recently shut it down otherwise I'd have linked you to his tech pages.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq_7EFJDw ... 9yZw%3D%3D

[redefined_cycles]

I think I might have overdone it for you there Tony. Use the tubeless tape. Shave it down on the edges using a very sharp knife and uniformity is key.

Make it just about 4mm wider than your rim channel but don't forget to account for the curvature. Then go round the rim well enough....

Actually, text me when you have time Tony. Have plenty sealant ready mate and a bit floor pump. I'll come and hopefully sort it for you. We can both laugh at each other together in case I'm sh*t.

[riderdown]

looking for a foolproof way of setting my non tubeless wheels up tubeless.

There isn't, it's a bit hit and miss. Also watch them for burping if the pressure drops. Taping depends on the tyre and rim interface so you may need a couple of attempts. Having a tubeless inflator helps a lot to get the tyre to pop on, set up with an inner tube first if it's not taking straight away

[The Cumbrian]

Don't overinflate them to try to get them seated either. I did this and it was shortly followed by a massive bang as the tyre burst off the rim that nearly loosened my bowels and left my ears ringing for a couple of hours. Fortunately there was no sealant in at the time and I later got them seated properly, but I was much more careful and wore safety glasses.

[godivatrailrider]

It's variable. Good tubeless rim tape wrapped around a couple of times. I've had mixed experience using gaffa tape.
Tyres are also variable .... Stan's Hugo rims with Chronicles - 29+ and seemed baggy, thought these are going to be a nightmare. Nothing of the sort! seated and inflated first try.
Others have been a mare.
Mostly they're ok.
I've made a ghetto air tank from a 2L pop bottle, works well.
I inflate without sealant to seat, go a bit higher than you might ride with, then deflate, remove valve core and pour the sealant in through the valve stem. Inflate and shake the tyre side to side to spread the sealant around then fit to bike and spin wheel fast and stop sharp a few times just to throw the sealant all over.
Works for me.

[faustus]

I inflate without sealant to seat, go a bit higher than you might ride with, the deflate, remove valve core and pour the sealant in through the valve stem. Inflate and shake the tyre side to side to spread the sealant around then fit to bike and spin wheel fast and stop sharp a few times just to throw the sealant all over.
Works for me.

This. Plus I now use a spray of soapy water to help seating on first inflation, and it really helps and stops additional faff/pumping. All good points above about taping etc., but worth saying you're unlikely to get a good or typical tubeless setup without the right rims. Even if the tyres go on OK and seem reliable, there's still the risk of burping. You do need an inflator, and possibly an injector too if you don;t have them already - just the minimum new tools to make the job much nicer. Possible to do without, but not preferable.

[Oxoman]

An airshot type pump helps, loads of diy ghetto type ones on YouTube. I've actually made my own using an old fire extinguisher. Fill with compressed air using track pump then I've fitted a Schrader and presta head on the end of the hose. That way it allows more volume of air without restriction unlike a track pump. Have yet to find one that it won't reseat.

[Alpinum]

Rim tape 2 - 4 mm wider than inner width of rim. Clean rim eg with IPA (not the beer, the solvent). Ideally unpack the tye as soon as possible (kevlar ones), unfold it and let it hang for a couple of days.

Start taping and constantly pull firmly. Start about 4 cm before the valve hole, tape fully and overlap tape by about 8 mm (the valve hole being covered by 2 layers with some spare to eachs side.

Mark the valve hole. Heat a pointy and sharp tool with a lighter and melt a hole, bit smaller than the valve.
Push valve in 3/4 of the way and drop some sealant around it. Push it in fully and tighten it.

Mount the tyre, one side completely, the other side is left open in the area of the valve (makes mounting easier, since you can push the bead into the rim center where the circumference is smaller).

Pour in 40 - 120 mL of sealant, depending on tyre volume. Regular 29 x 2.3 - 2.5" work well with about 80 mL.
Close tyre and pump (I use my 8 L tank compressor). Pump to about 2 bars and let it plopp.
Check if seated well. Pump and check. Go to 2.5 - 3 bar (for a mtb tyre) and shake it, holding the wheel sideways, so the sealant gets to the sides too. Depending on hub, make sure the cassette won't drop out when shaking (I let it bounce it on the floor sideways).

Let the tyre sit at a high pressure until you want to go riding. Adjust to riding pressure for riding. You may have to adjust the pressure in the first couple of days, but with some use it'll be stable (unless using eg Rene Herse tyres or other types with thin sidewalls, which may leak for longer).

I like WTB tape, OKO High Fibre sealant (diluted with water, 2 parts sealant, 1 part water) and Peaty Valves.

[jameso]

non tubeless wheels

What rims? Some do OK when converted, some are just a waste of time or a guarantee of faff and may be better off with slime tubes combined with relatively light tyres.

[fatbikephil]

I was going to add something similar - if the rims don't have the level bit for the tyre bead to sit on, they won't go up tubeless regardless of how much tape is applied. They might work ghetto but I'd be dubious....

[Joe]

I think it also depends on your rims, some will be possible to set up tubeless and some less so.

I set up some WTB trail 29 rims that were not "tubeless ready". The main issue was that the rim bed was too deep, so when the tyre was installed but not inflated it wasn't tight enough to hold any air and seat into the bead.

You'll notice tubeless ready rims generally have a gentle curve from the bottom of the rim bed up to the bead hook, whereas non-tubeless ready might have a deep rim bed and a step up to the bead hook. I used a wrap of door seal (the foamy sticky back stuff) then wrapped over that with gorilla tape to build up the rim bed into the shape of a tubeless rim and they have worked for years since.

[whitestone]

Can be easy, can be frustratingly difficult. I’ve found Bontrager tyres to be easy.

On my Pompetamine with identical rims, tape and tyres one seated and stayed inflated without sealant but the other wouldn’t even seat! Took days to get it to work.

[ton]

What rims? Some do OK when converted, some are just a waste of time or a guarantee of faff and may be better off with slime tubes combined with relatively light tyres.

the rims are Exal. from Spa.

i will have a go with the front one tomorrow. if it fails slime it is............

[fatbikephil]

the rims are Exal. from Spa.

i will have a go with the front one tomorrow. if it fails slime it is............

Looking at the profiles of them, you've no chance as there is nothing to support the tyre bead. You might get it up and even seal temporarily but any kind of bump and it will deflate.

[redefined_cycles]

the rims are Exal. from Spa.

i will have a go with the front one tomorrow. if it fails slime it is............

Looking at the profiles of them, you've no chance as there is nothing to support the tyre bead. You might get it up and even seal temporarily but any kind of bump and it will deflate.

I was gonna say summat similar but you wrote it alot more eloquently thanks Phil.