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Cant keep air in my tires

899 views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  DG73 
#1 ·
2014 Kona Taro with stock WTB rims and Maxxis Ardent tires front is standard and the rear is EXO. I ride in the ozarks which is rocky. Im 6'4" and 290

I initially had them set up tubeless with a stans kit but i kept burping the front tire and it dumped me once and I had a class one AC separation. I put tubes in front and rear and it helped for a bit but i kept pinch flatting the rear so i went back to tubeless.

Now i cant keep the rear to hold air for the life of me and the front is pinch flatting. Ive tried to up the PSI in the front from 30 35 then 40 and im still getting small tears in my tubes

The rear wont hold air tubeless, i took the PSI to 60lbs on set up and shook it for about 10 minutes, I didnt notice any leaks but it was flat by morning. I decided to ride it around the block at 50 PSI to try and seat it in and pump it back to 60 when i got back and left it over night after a good shaking and was still flat by morning.

I took it out last week end and peeled the rear tire off again running tubeless @40 PSI.

Ive booted 2 tears, one in the sidewall and a 1/4" hole in the top on the rear and dont see any leaks from them.

This is really frustrating and has totally killed my confidence. Theres a race in a few weeks that id like to enter but I cant practice the DH course at all cause im afraid ill blow a tire and crash.....Any Tips?
 
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#2 ·
Find out where it is leaking. You might find it by spraying soapy water on it, but I have had better lick submerging it in a large pan of water or use the bathtub. In my experience, a slow leak shows up as a little cloud of very small bubbles that will be hard to see if you don't know what to look for.

The best way I have found to distribute the goo is just to riding i hard -- offroad.
 
#6 ·
I wouldnt classify missouri DH as true DH. Its not a line at whistler by any means. Biggest drop is 3 maybe 4 foot.

I do have some damage on the rear wheel from it coming off so often, i filed them down and made them smooth but i guess its possible.
 
#7 ·
For me it takes a few rides before the tires will really hold air well, but I never have a tire go "flat" overnight. I am guessing the rims aren't up to the task of a big mans thrashing. I would stop messing around with WTB rims and have a nice set of Stans Flow EX 36h or 32h build up for you.

A lesson I have learned on my weight loss journey: Buy really good wheels, or be prepared to put up with being dissapointed.
 
#8 ·
Ya im thinking the same thing, I was going to buy a rear wheel last xmas but actually thought if it aint broke why fix it.

I reset up the rear yesterday took it up to 40 psi and went for a ride, when i got home I pumped it back up to 60PSI hoping it would hold....no luck
 
#9 ·
things I learned.

Re-using a tubeless tire is very hit or miss unless you do a really good job of removing the old sealant

A bad tape job on the rim is very hard to tell where it's leaking from, but it will not seal right.

Put the tape over the valve stem. If you tape first and then put on the valve stem, the valve stem can leak. If you put the stem down first and then the tape, it seals up better.

I also don't change pressure that much. Every time the pressure is taken up or down, you're tearing the bead of the tire off the rim a litle bit.

Side note: running a tubeless setup at 60 psi, even for a short while, is somewhat begging for trouble. It can easily pop off, even with the WTB bead lock technology. If the bead doesn't seat by 40 psi, spray some soapy water on the bead and try again.
 
#10 ·
You're rolling the dice running this wheelset tubeless. Your AC separation is proof of that.

If the hubs are worth keeping, then have some true tubeless-ready rims laced to them. You'll probably lose some weight *and* gain some durability relative to the stock WTB rims. And you'll be able to ride with confidence instead of always wondering when the other proverbial shoe is going to drop.
 
#11 ·
I run my WTB i19 right now on the front since I'm waiting on a new Stans Flow set to be built up. I found they don't seal properly unless everything is set perfectly, and I pump them up to at least 50psi to set the bead. On my Flows the bead will set with a hand pump, on the trail pretty easily, that's not happening with my WTB set. I'll be glad when my new Flows get here so I can have more Flows as my back up instead of this WTB set.
 
#12 ·
Ya youre right mikesee, I put a tube back in after last nights ride. Came off a small table top and burped it out and went down again...bent the rim pretty bad in the process.

Im not overly concerned with running tubeless or not i just want something to work. I guess its time to upgrade as my riding improves. Id really like to enter a local enduro race in 3 weeks but i have no confidence in this bike right now.
 
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