Going Tubeless w/Stout wheels

Piston Honda

Piston Honda

Well-Known Member
Trying to go tubeless on 2019 Spesh Fatboy with Stout wheels.

Popped one side of the tire.
Removed the rim strip.
Put in valve stem.
Reseated with air compressor.

It's leaking air at multiple spokes. Will Stan's seal this up?
 
Santapez

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Need more details.

You said it had a rim strip? Does it have tape or anything else sealing the spoke holes?
 
Piston Honda

Piston Honda

Well-Known Member
No tape at all now. My understanding is that it does not need to be taped up based on this post - https://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/2018-fatboy-carbon-comp-new-stout-solid-rims-1055219.html

Not my pic, but this is how the rim looks like:
21367044_10155407550995239_4819397005688436072_o.jpg
 
Santapez

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Weird.

Judging by that, I'd say let the sealant do it's job. Probably will leak air for a bit until the sealant builds up in the small gaps.
 
one piece crank

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
I did as you did, plus drilled and installed a schrader valve. Pumped up to set the beads and I had no leaking for 36 hours before adding Orange Seal Subzero. Running for over a year this way...
 
one piece crank

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
Just to follow up, these new Stout rims have neoprene washers under the nipples, like the HED aluminum rims. I’ve ridden some really hardcore trials with too low psi, and had to straighten a few dings out of my rear rim. I got it perfectly straight/true and have never had them leak.
 
Piston Honda

Piston Honda

Well-Known Member
I think the sealant did the trick. Holding steady for 3 hours so far. I guess I'm not blessed with a set that won't leak w/o sealant. No biggie.

Anyway this is kinda cool not having to mess with tape.

Thanks for the tips guys!
 
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Santapez

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Karate Monkey said:
Personally, I'd throw a strip of tape down. Sealant doesn't play well with [aluminum] nipples.
Click to expand...

Not sure how well tape works with single wall rims. I think it'd be pretty hard to get a good seal around each nipple and it'd be all wonky as it's not a smooth straight surface.
 
Karate Monkey

Karate Monkey

Well-Known Member
Santapez said:
Not sure how well tape works with single wall rims. I think it'd be pretty hard to get a good seal around each nipple and it'd be all wonky as it's not a smooth straight surface.
Click to expand...

Use something like draft tape. Doesn't need to conform well, just seal the ends off. Set with a tube at lowish pressure.
 
one piece crank

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
jimvreeland said:
Did yours come with the non-cutout rims, or is it an early '19?
Click to expand...

Purchased in August ‘18, all black, as the only NX FB the shop could get. It has the current non-cutout rims and a strip like Piston Honda posted above. From outside I can’t tell the the nipples are brass or alloy.
 
Steve Vai

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
That's not the tubeless strip, tape it. I wonder if you can get the new strips aftermarket? I'll look into that.
 
one piece crank

one piece crank

Well-Known Member
jimvreeland said:
It needs tape. The sealant will eat through the nipples in a few months and the wheel will come apart. The stock Specialized tape is tubeless ready.
Click to expand...

I swapped tries on my front wheel, and found the nipples are brass not aluminum. I had a sealent globule encasing each nipple head, connected to the next nipple by a spiderweb of congealed sealant. It was a pain to clean it all off but I did, then taped 'em up when dry. The new tubeless Bud installed with out issue.
 
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