Best Tubeless Brew?

[max_cat]

After running tubeless three years, I think I have tried all the different sealant types. My unscientific conclusion, if the main goal is flat protection, stan's is the best. Unfortunately, it dries up and thus builds up in the tire. To get at this problem, I have heard all kind of homemade combinations of the different tubeless product to get at a best brew of flat protection plus longevity. The latest sounded interesting superjuice with glitter. The theory is that the glitter provide better sealing protection. This sounded like little bit of a stretch to me, but at least if it came spewing out on you during a race, you would be looking good! Anybody want to throw out their experience in coming up with the "ultimate" homemade sealant brew for the rest of us to try?

[wadester]

Since 5/04 I been running:
1 part Latex mold builder
1 part Slime tubeless
1 part cheap antifreeze
2 parts water

Tends to last for about a year vs 3 months for Stan's, and I live in the southwest desert (LC NM). Seals better, less "wet spotting".

I will be adding glitter to the next batch I make - turns out there are different sizes (and colors!) of glitter to think about.

The idea is a range of hole plugging things, with latex at the low end (tiny holes) and moving up thru the fibers and then the rubber chunks in the tubeless slime. Glitter should add a next (or several more) size ranges of hole the sealant can plug - as well as give you lime green/red glitter sealant boogers

Antifreeze is in there as a low evaporation working fluid. I note that slime is water/fiber/chunks/propylene glycol antifreeze(low tox). I tried using PG antifreeze, but it has additives for auto use that coagulate the latex. That's why I use cheap PE antifreeze - no additives!

[slannon]

Since 5/04 I been running:
1 part Latex mold builder
1 part Slime tubeless
1 part cheap antifreeze
2 parts water

Tends to last for about a year vs 3 months for Stan's, and I live in the southwest desert (LC NM). Seals better, less "wet spotting".

I will be adding glitter to the next batch I make - turns out there are different sizes (and colors!) of glitter to think about.

The idea is a range of hole plugging things, with latex at the low end (tiny holes) and moving up thru the fibers and then the rubber chunks in the tubeless slime. Glitter should add a next (or several more) size ranges of hole the sealant can plug - as well as give you lime green/red glitter sealant boogers

Antifreeze is in there as a low evaporation working fluid. I note that slime is water/fiber/chunks/propylene glycol antifreeze(low tox). I tried using PG antifreeze, but it has additives for auto use that coagulate the latex. That's why I use cheap PE antifreeze - no additives!

Been using the same for a couple of months- Works great in a "Ghetto" tubeless setup with a 2.55WWLT- Don't know if the glitter adds extra protection- added some anyway. Only issue is valve (schraeder) sometimes clogs.

[mvi]

Not trying to steal the thread, but does mold builder change his properties (not mixed) with time? Mine seems more solid, almost grannulating. Time for a new can?

[CPATCRASH]

Since 5/04 I been running:
1 part Latex mold builder
1 part Slime tubeless
1 part cheap antifreeze
2 parts water

Tends to last for about a year vs 3 months for Stan's, and I live in the southwest desert (LC NM). Seals better, less "wet spotting".

I will be adding glitter to the next batch I make - turns out there are different sizes (and colors!) of glitter to think about.

The idea is a range of hole plugging things, with latex at the low end (tiny holes) and moving up thru the fibers and then the rubber chunks in the tubeless slime. Glitter should add a next (or several more) size ranges of hole the sealant can plug - as well as give you lime green/red glitter sealant boogers

Antifreeze is in there as a low evaporation working fluid. I note that slime is water/fiber/chunks/propylene glycol antifreeze(low tox). I tried using PG antifreeze, but it has additives for auto use that coagulate the latex. That's why I use cheap PE antifreeze - no additives!

A year? Wow! Now find me a tire that last's a year!

[MikeyLikesIt]

Black pepper: I've stoped a few radiator leaks with it... I wonder how it would work in your homebrew??? I may have to give it a try.

BTW, what is Latex Mold Builder, were do you get it, and how much of this mixture do you put in each tire?

Mikey

[Cloxxki]

Mold builder you can get from art supply shops. It's straight up latex, with a funky smelling dilutent.

[wadester]

BTW, what is Latex Mold Builder, were do you get it, and how much of this mixture do you put in each tire?
Mikey

Cloxxki got it: art supply stores, or the internets. Hobby Lobby is my usual source, but here's one: http://www.artmolds.com/product_deta...ubber&u_cat=28
And more important, the Material Safety Data Sheet - which tells you it is latex and ammonia (and a bit of water, but they don't actually say that): http://www.artmolds.com/pdf/ACF5DCA.PDF

Not trying to steal the thread, but does mold builder change his properties (not mixed) with time? Mine seems more solid, almost grannulating. Time for a new can?

I've brought spokeprep back to life by adding ammonia to it, and you might be able to do that to your LMB. But for $11/pt I would just spring for another jar. Once mixed into sealant, it hasn't degraded on me - stored in a glass jar inside the house.

Amount to use? Just like Stan's - for a 2.4x29 tire I use 3 scoops (2 oz ea)

[MikeyLikesIt]

Thanks for the info and the links...I'm gonna give it a try.
Mikey

[bstrick]

I'm running that mixture in a 2.55 WW and a Panaracer 2.35 Rampage and love it. Tires run better tubeless no doubt.

[Quasi]

Mold builder you can get from art supply shops. It's straight up latex, with a funky smelling dilutent.

That or just look around in your refrigerator. Why build mold when you already have an inexaustible supply? Not latex, but it will be funky smelling none the less.

[Toxic]

PE antifreeze? What is the PE??
Do you mean cheap EG antifreeze?

[wadester]

PE antifreeze? What is the PE??
Do you mean cheap EG antifreeze?

Yes, yes, I do. Ethylene Glycol, I.E. old school antifreeze. I blame my fingers.

[kosmo]

1 Stans - 1 Slime Tubeless - 1 Bonty Super Juice. Seems good. Hoping to learn more about the glitter idea by the time I need to mount up the next tire! Maybe a little quicker acting than the little rubber plugs in the Slime.

[MikeyLikesIt]

1 Stans - 1 Slime Tubeless - 1 Bonty Super Juice. Seems good. Hoping to learn more about the glitter idea by the time I need to mount up the next tire! Maybe a little quicker acting than the little rubber plugs in the Slime.

How long have you been running this mixture?

[kosmo]

How long have you been running this mixture?

Only a couple of months. Previously, I used 1 part stans to 1 part Tubeless Slime. I added the Bonty Super Juice at the recommendation of MikeSee, who said it really helps keep the stuff from drying out.

[MikeyLikesIt]

Hey wadester, or anyone...

Is latex the base material for Slime?? I live in a small town and the 'Mold Maker' (liquid latex) can't be found localy. I was just wondering if your formula would work using an extra part Slime (in place of the mold maker). I can get Slime just about anywhere and it is relatively inexpensive.

What do you think of this variation to your recipe??

2 parts Slime
1 part cheap antifreeze
2 parts water
a spoonful of glitter
and a dash of black pepper just to flavor things up

Mikey

[wadester]

Hey wadester, or anyone...

Is latex the base material for Slime?? I live in a small town and the 'Mold Maker' (liquid latex) can't be found localy. I was just wondering if your formula would work using an extra part Slime (in place of the mold maker). I can get Slime just about anywhere and it is relatively inexpensive.

What do you think of this variation to your recipe??

2 parts Slime
1 part cheap antifreeze
2 parts water
a spoonful of glitter
and a dash of black pepper just to flavor things up

Mikey

Slime is just antifreeze/water/fiber - and chunks in tubeless. Adding more/different chunks may improve your basic Slime, but I think that the real key to tubeless is the latex. That's what seals the beads and sidewall porosity.

Like I said earlier - you just gotta pony-up and get that jar of latex. I mix mine in a 5 pint pickle jar (barely fits - gotta stir that last water in carefully) and use till gone. I actually find that the mixed sealant is good to the last drop, but the latex will dry out in the jar

[nynx]

I had slime from tha auto parts store and compared it to the regular and tubeless slime. The auto parts stuff is noticeably chunkier. I now run the same mix as most everyone else here.

1 pt mold builder
1 pt slime (auto parts store stuff)
1 pt antifreeze
1 pt windex

It has been running strong in my tubeless rig (819 rims and Specialized Enduro UST 2.3 tires) for 6 months without replenishing. Stan's usually lasted a month here in the desert. The true testament will be if it can outlast the summer... The tires are about half worn and I never thought tires could be this trouble free!

I've had lots of cactus thorns, 1 nail and 1 piece of glass. All have sealed quickly. The only downside is the stuff is slightly nasty looking when it picks up dirt after sealing a hole. Oh and you need to mix all the mold builder up in one shot. As such it helps to have friends who want to do their tires as well. A batch turns out about 3/4 gallon.

[max_cat]

It was interesting to see all the combinations. I think I am going to try the bonrtrager super juice as the base, slime (for cars to get the bigger chunks), glitter (purple sparkling), and dark, dark orange food coloring. I think this mixture should cover the gamut of hole sizes. In addition, if everything fails and I get the dreaded tubeless shower, I will be a chick magnet; orange stripes, purple glitter, and chunks of flourescent green!

[MikeyLikesIt]

OK, last night, I mixed up wadesters recipe and added about 2 ozs of glitter. Did the getto tubeless thing on a 26 in wheel with an old velocirapter front tire. The tire had severall punctures. When I aired it up to seat the bead, I could here and feel the air escapeing from the holes. After the bead was set, I added the mixture (about 3oz) and aired it up again...as I turned the wheel in my hand I could literaly hear the holes seal up...instantly! The bead sealed fairly well in a matter of seconds but did continue to weep a tiny amount of sealent over night. The sidewall is still weeping some small pinhead sized spots in a few places but after 24 hrs I can't tell that it has lost any pressure. I'm going to go hammer it on the trails tommorow and see how it holds up.

I think wadester is right about the latex 'mold builder'. The sidewall and bead seems to leak such small amounts that the chunks and fiber are of little use...but the latex will eventually seal up the pours...I hope.

Mikey

[wadester]

1) The Ignitor/road rim/stanstrip on the front of the Karate Monkey after a year. After no problemo for nearly a year, had to pump up twice during one ride. This was March

2) The Rampage/notube rim/stanstrip that's been running since the Rampage came out. Same deal - suddenly had to keep pumpin' it up.

3) Tread condition of Rampage

4) The sealant booger out of the Rampage - none in Ignitor

[wadester]

1) The good stuff: 5 pints of Wade's Secret Sauce, and three sizes of glitter. I consulted with my local glitter expert (my 11yo daughter), and found that glitter comes in different sizes - purple is medium, red is fine, the light blue/iridescent is x-fine. Woulda got a nicer color for the x-fine glitter, but this is what they had.

2) 3 scoops of sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of each glitter

3) My secret weapon for beading a tubeless setup: It's just the soapy water mix recommended by Stan - the trick is the recycled pump spray bottle. Puts a good dose of lube on the bead where it belongs w/o making a huge mess - and the fine spray seems to wet the tire very well. Just stick the nozzle between the bead and the rim and spray all the way around the wheel.

As a note, I got a small sidewall tear on the next ride - but noticed it at a stop because there was a tic-tac sized green bubble on the sidewall. Left it alone and it sealed up dry.

[MikeyLikesIt]

Wade, I've been real happy with the setup I did using the old velociraptor and your 'sauce'. If this stuff last as long as you say, then I'll forgo the Stans.

I have three sons that ride and get flats...I'd/we'd been repairing about two a week. I didn't want to do the tubless thing yet on all those bikes, so I just removed the valve stem core and squirted about 1 1/2 to two ozs. in each. No more flats...well, one exception...one of my sons hit a big rock and got an instant pinch flat. We pumped a little air in the tire, quickly laid it on its side and rotated and repeated on the other side. The holes sealed up and he has been riding that same tube since. I'm impressed.

Mikey

[Miker J]

I've been going straight Stan's for years and evaporation has not been an issue in the damp NE.

An observation. Seems to me the last few bottles of Stan's I used have been much less granular (or chunky). The stuff seems almost like fresh milk instead of the old time Stan's which reminded me of sour, chunky milk. The last few punctures I've had were not sealing as they seemed just a bit too big for the Stan's to plug up. Thing is the holes were not that big and the mix just squirted out with out sealing. When it did ultimately seal the spots would often re-rupture quite easily. In the past I've had far larger holes easily plug with Stan's.

Any thoughts?