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Should a new tubless set up hold air without sealant?

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Imho4ep

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So I'm setting up some new wheels tubeless, the rim and tire are tubeless ready, the rims came taped up already. i installed the tires and inflated them to seat them on the bead, i was going to put sealant in them the next day via the valve but the next morning they were flat. is this normal or is it an indication there is a problem with the tape etc?
thanks!
 
#2 ·
Depends on the setup. Usually only double and DH tires have air tight casings. Doesn't take much of a leak. It you are worried that the tape or valve is leaking, get some soapy water in a spray bottle and find the leak.
 
#4 ·
I find that how little or much the tire leaks prior to sealant application is a great prognostic factor for how good of a tubeless set-up you've done. Not saying that sealant won't do the job, but you're off to a good start if your initial set up isn't leaking like crazy.
 
#5 ·
Imho4ep said:
So I'm setting up some new wheels tubeless, the rim and tire are tubeless ready, the rims came taped up already. i installed the tires and inflated them to seat them on the bead, i was going to put sealant in them the next day via the valve but the next morning they were flat. is this normal or is it an indication there is a problem with the tape etc?
thanks!
Click to expand...
That's normal. Ideally the beads would still be in place and you can inject sealant through the valve stem and inflate with a floor pump.
 
#6 ·
Imho4ep said:
So I'm setting up some new wheels tubeless, the rim and tire are tubeless ready, the rims came taped up already. i installed the tires and inflated them to seat them on the bead, i was going to put sealant in them the next day via the valve but the next morning they were flat. is this normal or is it an indication there is a problem with the tape etc?
thanks!
Click to expand...


Totally normal. Some tires leak down faster without sealant than others but to some extent they all do. All (except ust) require sealant.
 
#8 ·
Some schwalbe tires are so thin they are see-through. It's normal for air to seep out much easier/quicker without sealant. A fairly solid way to do tubeless is put a tube in overnight to help set the tape and press it up against the rim, then you can use that to also help setting the tire by only removing one side's bead to pull the tube out. Then only add sealant before a ride, since unless you get it moving around in there real nice like a ride will do, you'll run into your original problem again. But after that, it's usually solid and will hold air much longer.
 
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#9 · (Edited)
Most of my tires are continental, mountain king etc. my wheels that are taped at the factory hold air quite well with no sealant, no need to fuss with the factory tape job. I add conti sealant to all my bike tires, 9 bikes. Some of the other brands or Uber light weight tires can be more of a problem with porous side walls. Just add sealant to what you have,seat the bead, should seal up those leaks eventually . Years ago I lmmeresed tire/ wheel in water to trouble shoot leaks, hardly have to do that anymore.
. Conti tires have an inner layer that does not leak much, kinda like the old ust tires I used back in the 90s.they do tend to be a bit heavier.
 
#10 ·
I use to install new tires w/ tubes to "shape" the tires before a tubeless install.. Decided on one set to install w/o tubes and no sealant. Left them for a couple days, of course they were flat by this time. Installed sealant and never had so much weepage. Talked to a tire manufacturer tech and was told not to dry air fill as the sealant infuses the tires casing.
 
#12 ·
I've had some that hold air without (Maxxis DHR, Rekon), I've had some that require sealant to hold air (Teravail EhLine). The biggest thing is how fast it's leaking air. Overnight or a few hours it's probably the tire, not how you seated it.
 
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