Tubeless tires are much, much better than the alternative, but that’s not to say they’re perfect. Sometimes, just getting a tubeless tire to hold air can be a challenge, and diagnosing the problem — let alone fixing it — can be frustrating. If you find yourself staring at a flat tire in the garage and muttering “why” over and over again, here are some tips for getting rolling again.
This article won’t cover mounting tubeless tires; we’ll assume the tire has been mounted successfully, but that it won’t hold air for more than a day or so.
No, we’re not celebrating yet, but this will get us closer to our goal by allowing us to zero in on the part that’s leaking.
Fill a spray bottle with water and some dish soap, or really any soap that forms bubbles. Next, inflate the tire to 30psi or so. Spray or just pour the soapy water all around the tire and rim, one section at a time. Note any places where air bubbles appear.
If there is a puncture in the tire itself that is leaking, this is generally an easy fix. Make sure you have plenty of sealant in the tire and move it around until the sealant pools at the puncture. Larger punctures may benefit from a tire plug.
With a sidewall leak, you’re usually better off replacing the tire. It might be possible to patch it, or if you’re really lucky, plug it, but in my experience sidewall repairs rarely last very long.
While rare, some tires have been known to absorb or even weep sealant. Tiny pores in the tire compound fill with sealant when it’s initially added, so you may need to add a bit more liquid to replace what’s been lost. If a tire still leaks through the tread or sidewall in multiple locations despite having good sealant coverage and no punctures, you may want to check with your local bike shop or tire manufacturer to see if the tire should be replaced.
Check to make sure the rim wall isn’t dented.
If it is, your tire won’t be able to seal. If you find your rim is slightly bent or dented, it might be possible to get things straightened out enough to hold air. According to Gerow, “a couple of small planks of wood, a vice, and a hammer will get you started.”
Even if the rim wall isn’t visibly dented or misshapen, there could be a small gap between the tire bead and the rim that’s leaking air. Make sure you have plenty of sealant in the tire, and hold it horizontally and tilted to allow the liquid to pool around the part of the rim where you saw the bubbles forming. Shake the wheel gently for a minute or so to let the sealant do its work.
In some cases, the tire-rim connection may not be tight due to buildup of old sealant. “Older tires can have a buildup of dry and hardened sealant at their bead that will create space between the rim and the rubber, causing air leaks,” says Gerow. “When mounting a tire that has already been mounted previously, be sure to remove as much dried sealant from the bead as possible.
”
Sometimes a tire bead may not be fully seated in the rim. Try pumping the tire up to maximum pressure. The loud popping sound you’ll hear is the bead popping into place. If you didn’t hear that noise the first time you mounted the tire, chances are that is the issue.
After running through the checks above, try soaping the tire again and checking the same spot to see if the fix was a success.
In my experience a leaky valve is often the cause of air pressure losses over time. If the soapy water reveals bubbles at the valve, it’s time to investigate further.
Tubeless valve parts with a valve core remover tool (red, right).First, check the easy stuff: Is the core screwed in tightly? Is the inlet screw loose or bent? A dedicated valve core tool is helpful for proper tightening, and if your fingers aren’t getting the inlet plunger tight enough, needle nose pliers can do the job. Just make sure you don’t over tighten and break the valve, or get it so tight you can’t add air later.
If any part of the valve is bent or broken, don’t try to fix it; it’s time to replace it.
If soapy bubbles are forming around the base of the valve, it may not be attached to the rim properly. Most valves have a nut at the base that tightens the valve to the rim. Get this as tight as possible with your fingers, and if necessary give it a slight turn with a wrench. Just be sure to avoid tightening too much because you could damage your rim, especially if it’s carbon fiber, and you may need to be able to remove the nut on the trail in the case of a puncture.
Check the gasket at the base of the valve to ensure that it’s properly seated, and that it sits flush in the rim channel. Add a bit of plumber’s/PTFE tape to seal things if the gasket is particularly troublesome.Next, investigate the valve from the other end, which means taking the tire off the rim. Most valves have a soft rubber gasket that forms a seal around the valve hole in the rim, so check to make sure the valve is seated properly in the rim channel.
You can also add a bit of teflon tape around the base of the valve to seal things up.
Sometimes sealant can fill in small gaps around the valve. If you notice air leaking while on the trail, try rotating and shaking the tire so the liquid sealant can get to the valve.
If bubbles form around the spoke nipples, the good news is you’ve found your leak! The bad news is, there isn’t a quick fix. This generally means the rim needs to be re-taped, or at the very least the tape needs to be patched over. If the tape appears wrinkled, ripped, or punctured that’s probably what’s causing the leak. Tire levers can often puncture the tape while installing the bead, causing the tape to leak air through the rim.
There are many tutorials online for taping a tubeless rim, but in general, the idea is to get the rim as clean and as dry as possible before taping all the way around in one go. Be mindful of any gaps where air might be able to leak, keeping the tape flat and taut to avoid blisters or pockets.
Sometimes, tires can be sneaky leakers. Pump them up and they’ll stay rock solid in the garage for weeks, but as soon as you roll in the parking lot, or take a turn, they go soft. You soap ’em up, and there’s not a bubble in sight. In fact, this has happened to me a couple times in just the past few months.
This is usually due to a small cut that only opens up when there’s weight on the tire, or if the tire is pumped up to a higher pressure. In your garage, you can try to simulate the effect of riding by adding pressure above what you normally ride, or by deforming the tire with your hands and looking for air bubbles as the tire squirms.
Gerow notes, “Some tires need to be ridden immediately after setup in order to hold air properly. A new tire that won’t hold air in the garage might be good to go after a short romp on the trail.”
Once you find the sneaky leak, getting sealant to the right spot can do the trick, though a plug may work even better.
Ultimately, tubeless mountain bike tire systems are pretty straightforward and there are only so many spots where air can escape. Imagine that you’re the air inside the tire, and you’re looking for a way out. How would you do it? That’s exactly the mindset you need to solve this mystery.
Singletracks may receive compensation for purchases made through any affiliate links in this article.
A leaky tubeless value is one of the most annoying things that can happen to a cyclist. It can be a tricky fix to stop air leaking out, and diagnosing the problem can additionally be tedious. Of course, some say it’s easy and can simply be fixed with a quick bit of tape.
However, without knowing what to look for, it’s challenging to identify the root cause of the problem. That means you need to remove the tire and take a proper look at the issue. And, of course, that makes the whole operation a lot more complicated.
This post might contain affiliate links for which we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase. Learn more.
Even if you’re experienced in fixing a leaking tubeless valve stem, it can still be a tricky fix. Here are the reasons why it happens and some top tips to fix it.
Why does it happen?A leaking tubeless valve stem is mainly caused by two issues – a damaged or incorrectly installed tape, or a value that is not set up properly.
If the tape around the tubeless value stem is in any way compromised, then air will leak into the rim, which in turn will usually be released through the valve stem hole. This air leakage can occur because the valve stem isn’t sealed tightly so it’s the logical option for the air to escape.
If you can hear the air pressurising out of the valve stem, the first step is to make sure the valve stem is set up correctly. If the valve stem is installed correctly and is tight, but the air is still leaking, the cause will be damaged or poorly installed tape.
Being tubeless, there is no inner tube to hold the air inside your bike tire. Instead, the tire is sealed by an airtight fit between the rim and the tire, preventing air from leaking out.
For that to be successful, there needs to be a layer of rim tape that closes the rim spoke holes and helps seal the air in. Hence one of the main causes of air leakage being damaged tape. Because the rim spoke holes are quite large and sharp, the tape is normally pretty rugged and durable.
The tubeless valve is an additional part that is normally sealed with rubber close to the valve hole on the rim. The valve stem is tightened by a locknut, which can be seen on the outer side of the rim.
The tubeless tapeTires need to be ‘tubeless ready’, so normal bike tires can’t be used on a tubeless set up. This is because tubeless tyres have stronger side walls so they don’t leak air without an inner tube.
Tubeless tires hold the air much the same as an inner tube does, with the tire’s bead sticking to the rim and rim tape to seal the air in completely.
If there are any gaps, tubeless tyres typically have a sticky sealant poured inside the tire to plug the holes effectively. That helps if you get a puncture as the sealant works to close the damage.
Some riders use double layers of rim tape to create a stronger seal inside the tire, however, it can add extra weight to the wheels and is also harder to replace. To perform properly, tubeless rim tape must be sticky.
If the rim tape isn’t sticky enough or is made of poor quality, it’ll leave air bubbles and gaps between the tape and rim, causing air leakage. It also needs to mix well with the sealant inside the tire.
Additionally, tubeless rim strips are made specifically for certain rims, with a fitting for a tubeless valve. However, that can be a problem as they need to accommodate the valve and properly fit the rim they are on.
Because of the incompatibility with different rims and tubeless valves, tubeless rim strips aren’t particularly common anymore.
The tubeless valveAs mentioned, the tubeless valve is usually sealed by rubber. This is pretty effective at keeping air in, but can be damaged. For instance, if the whole valve twists, then the rubber block sealing it will get damaged and create a leakage gap. So they need to be treated carefully.
The other sealant options are a metal block with a rubber seal and a cone-shaped rubber seal. The metal block with rubber has issues with compatibility, so it’s often seen on modern bikes, but the cone-shaped rubber seal is a more popular option today.
How to fix valve stem leakage?If the sealant is a cone-shaped valve, then the first thing to check is if the rim tape valve hole is completely opened. Make sure there is no extra room there by pushing in the valve and increase the tension with the locknut to try and seal all the gaps.
If the tubeless valve stem is still leaking, it’ll likely be a tape issue. It could be there are gaps in the tape installation, or there may be damage to the tape near the valve hole. If that’s the case, you can add tape to a small part of the damaged rim tape to form a patch and close any gaps.
If the problem is the valve stem itself, you can either change the valve stem or attempt to seal the gaps another way. That’d be a DIY option but you could use an old tube or rubber to create o-rings.
This isn’t advisable, however, as they are usually too thick and difficult to morph into the shape needed to plug the gap. Adding patches to the rim tape is another option, especially if the rim shape isn’t smooth.
The added thickness of the additional rim tape can help squeeze the gaps and seal the valve better. You could also add more sealant into the tire and spin the wheel once the valve is back on to try and create another inner layer of the goo.
Rim tape leakage caused by damaged tape is just as likely as leakage from the valve stem.
If it’s because the rim tape isn’t sticky enough, then the only proper option is re-installing rim tape with a stronger and more robust option.
For cuts or splits in the tape, a patch of new tape will do the job. Split tape is unfortunately pretty common as the rim edges can be sharp.
Remember, never tighten a valve stem with pliers. It’ll damage the stem and cause further problems. If the valve stem is seated properly and tight, but the air is still leaking, you’ll have a breached tape.
If you’re trying to pump air into the tire, be careful not to force air through in case the tire blows off the rim. Additionally, if sealant is leaking out of the rim, particularly at the valve stem hole, you need to remove the tire and thoroughly re-visit the taping.
Check the tape, fix it if required, and ensure the valve stem isn’t faulty and is seated firmly in the rim hole.
Putting your air leakage problem behind youAir leakage in tubeless wheels, unfortunately, happen.
The good news, however, the problem doesn’t need to be an end-of-the-world event.
In order to prevent the problem from happening, ensure the rim tape being used is a well-recommended, good quality option, and take care when installing it, and use proper tubeless tyre sealant to help seal the tyre and the rim. This should be replaced at least once a year.
Chris Smith
Founder of Vivi Nation, the cycling, running and active living brand. Chris is a sports enthusiast, occasional triathlete and experienced cyclist, having led multiple cycle tours across Europe.
Modern passenger cars are equipped with tubeless tires. Tires with rubber chambers inside are extremely rare today, only on super-budget vehicle options. Car owners have long appreciated all the convenience and benefits that tubeless tires have. Unlike chambered rubber, they keep air in the wheels by being sealed to the rim. The tightness of tubeless tires is ensured by a two-millimeter layer of rubber applied to the tire from the inside.
It is he who prevents the passage of air. The coating of soft rubber layer provides tightness at the junction of the tire with the rim of the rim. The tire bead sits on the so-called rim shelf, which is equipped with a special rounded ledge. Thanks to him, the tire is securely connected to the wheel rim, and complete tightness of the joint is achieved. A tubeless tire is filled with air through a valve installed on the rim, on its rim.
Why did tubeless tires become so popular that they gradually replaced tubed tires? First, tubeless tires are much lighter. This is a very important and great advantage, because heavy weight enhances the inertial movement of the wheel when driving on, to put it mildly, imperfect road surfaces, which we still have much more than smooth autobahns. As a result, this affects the condition of the chassis, accelerates its wear. In addition, tubeless tires do not heat up during driving in the same way that chamber rubber heated up, in which the inner cylinder rubbed against the tire while driving.
Such friction led to its rapid wear, and also increased the likelihood of tire rupture during movement. When a tube is punctured, the tube tire loses air very quickly, since it escapes not only from the puncture site, but also through leaky tire beads that do not fit snugly against the rim flange. In addition, if such a tire is punctured, you will not be able to stop the car immediately, it will travel more than a dozen meters by inertia until it comes to a complete stop. During this time, the tube and the tire can be damaged more thoroughly, the rubber of the inner cylinder will “chew”. With tubeless tires, this option is excluded. Even if a puncture occurs, thanks to the tightness of the chamber and its periodic pumping, you can get to the tire service.
Tubeless and tube tires also differ in how they are mounted / dismantled. If chambered rubber can be freely disassembled or, conversely, installed at home, then such a number will not work with a tubeless one - the risk of damaging the side flanges is too high, damage to which will lead to depressurization of the tire.
Due to the peculiarities of installation and dismantling, many motorists find it impossible to repair a tubeless tire with their own hands, especially on the road, not in a comfortable garage, but on the side of the road. And in vain. Of course, it will not be possible to completely eliminate the problem at a professional level without special equipment. But to make sure that the damaged tire still travels, and sometimes not only reaches the tire fitting center, but goes more than one hundred kilometers after an impromptu repair, is quite realistic.
To do this, use special tire repair kits, which can be purchased everywhere today by going to any car shop. Better yet, buy everything you need to repair a tubeless wheel yourself separately and always have it ready. By doing this, you will save some money, which is always nice. The fact is that manufacturers of ready-made repair kits, in an effort to make their kits more expensive and solid in appearance, include in them both really useful tools and materials, as well as those that you can easily do without.
Using repair kits or separately purchased harnesses and tools, you can repair tubeless tires not only for cars, but also for trucks. This can also be regarded as one of the advantages of tubeless tires over tube tires. It is much more difficult to repair it with a puncture. It is necessary to disassemble the wheel, remove the chamber, find the puncture site, and then degrease the working area, cut out the patch, and seal the rubber balloon. After drying, the camera is installed in place, and the wheel is beaded. With a tubeless tire, everything is much easier.
RUNWAY Tubeless Tire Repair Kit, 7-Piece
If you find that your car's tubeless tire wheel is damaged, first assess the severity of the situation. If, in your opinion, you can do without repair, having reached a reliable tire service on periodic pumping of the wheel, then it’s better to do so. Tubeless tires were designed to hold air even with foreign objects sticking out of the cord.
But do not forget that riding with a nail or other object in the tire causes the puncture to gradually expand and the tire around the damaged area begins to gradually collapse.
But, if it so happens that the damage to the wheel received on the road is too extensive, the chamber does not hold air and it will not be possible to complete the journey while inflating the tire, you need to choose the best method of temporary repair and start it immediately. A tubeless tire is repaired in the following ways:
When choosing a repair using a tourniquet, you need to decide what type of material will be used. The harness can be cord or rubber. Let's consider both of these options.
Wheel repair kit, 6 pieces
Cord harness has found wide distribution as a repair material for tubeless tires. With this harness, you can carry out repairs in any conditions: on a city street or on the side of a country road.
It is a strip of high-strength nylon, which is richly impregnated with high-quality rubber-based adhesive. Such harnesses are supplied to the domestic market by many manufacturers, they have certain differences in technical characteristics and cost. But all cord harnesses are installed according to the same type of scheme:
First of all, they find the place of damage and mark it with wax crayon or another marker.
Remove the item that damaged the tire if it is stuck in the cord.
Then you should check the tire pressure, it should not fall below 0.5 atmospheres.
Take a spiral awl and use it to determine at what angle the tire is damaged.
Apply vulcanizing glue to the awl.
Using the awl inserted into the puncture, coat the puncture site with glue in the most thorough way, for which you need to rotate the tool lubricated with it clockwise.
Perform this action three times - lubricate the awl and insert it into the puncture, then leave the tool in the cord for the time being.
In the meantime, select the desired harness and carefully remove the protective film from it.
Insert the tourniquet into a special needle, focusing on the center.
On both sides, cover the surface of the tourniquet with vulcanizing glue.
Remove the helical awl from the tire where you left it at the puncture site.
Install a pen with a needle and a tourniquet placed inside into the puncture.
By pressing the handle, install the needle with the tourniquet into the puncture, advancing to the stop at a given angle.
Remove the pen with the needle from the puncture site without rotating it.
Carefully cut off the parts of the tourniquet sticking out on the surface.
Then you need to determine how tight the tire is repaired. This can be done with the help of a special liquid, which is used to determine the puncture site. If, after applying such a liquid, no air bubbles appear, then the tire is temporarily repaired and can be used further. If air bubbles appear, try installing an additional tourniquet in the place of damage to the tire.
This method of temporary repair is inexpensive, but it has proven its effectiveness more than once. A tire repaired in this way without repair will serve you for a long time - up to 6 months.
A rubber harness costs more than cord, but it is also more reliable. They install it in much the same way as the cord one, but there are still some differences. For example, when installing a rubber band, do not use an awl in the form of a rasp, since it can damage the rubber band during installation. In addition, the rubber band must be attached to the adhesive specified by the manufacturer in the instructions for the repair kit.
Raw rubber band for RUNWAY tubeless tire repair, 5 pcs
In this case, an anchor is a special type of bundle, one end of which ends with a small patch. The anchor is installed in the same way as other types of harnesses, but in addition, it glues the puncture site with an internal patch. To do this, the tourniquet is pushed inward, and then pulled a little in the opposite direction. Anchor can only be installed using a special cutter with a diameter of 6 mm. It is purchased separately from the set. But your efforts will surely be crowned with success, because the anchor is considered the most reliable option for repairing a tubeless tire with a harness. But with the help of harnesses, you can not repair side punctures. And in any case, even if the repair is successful, it is necessary in the coming days to choose the time to visit the tire service. Remember that prolonged use of the harness will cause irreversible damage to the tubeless tire.
And until the problem is fixed, constantly monitor tire pressure.
The second option for repairing tubeless tires involves the use of sealant. This option cannot be called optimal, but it has become widespread, since tire repair in this way is carried out very quickly, literally in a matter of minutes. And the result of its implementation is guaranteed to allow you to get to the intended purpose of the trip, without first stopping by the tire service you met along the way.
The sealant is very easy to apply. In this case, it is not necessary to remove a nail or other object from the cord, due to which the tire was damaged. Simply attach a bottle filled with sealant to the valve on the rim of the wheel and see that the contents of the bottle are pumped into the wheel. Keep in mind that repairing a tire with sealant will significantly disrupt the balance, so choose a moderate speed. But on the other hand, repairs with the help of a sealant are easy, simple and very fast.
You can use it even while standing in a traffic jam.
Today, you can easily buy different types of sealants. The most widely used gel, liquid, aerosol formulations. Gel ones are good because they can be used all-season, both in the summer heat and in the cold season. But at the same time, they significantly worsen the balance of the wheel. Liquid sealants are highly reliable, but they are not very convenient to use. Aerosol compositions make it possible to restore the performance of the wheel without a jack and a pump. But in the cold winter period, they will not work. If we compare the restoration of a tubeless tire, carried out with the help of sealants and harnesses, cord or rubber, then the latter are considered the preferred option, since they provide a fairly high quality of the repair performed with their help.
As you can see, do-it-yourself tubeless tire repair is possible, albeit temporary. You just need to stock up on funds for its implementation, without delaying the purchase of harnesses or sealant, because a lot of trouble awaits us on the roads.
Meet them fully armed and quickly solve the problem. For guaranteed success, you must strictly follow the recommendations given by the manufacturer of repair materials in the instructions for use.
B Most tires used on today's vehicles are tubeless. There are many reasons for this, for example, the reliability and comfort of driving on such tires, but one of the main ones, perhaps, is the peculiarities of repairing such tires on the road. Tire damage on the road can happen quite unexpectedly, and tubeless tires are, of course, much easier to repair than tube tires. In fact, a serious repair of car tires should be carried out in specially equipped car services. But there are situations when it is not possible to quickly get to the service, and repairs are needed here and now.
Not every motorist can make minor repairs to a tubeless tire on their own, although this, in principle, is not so difficult. But there are a number of rules, just by reading which, you can cope with this task quickly and without any particular problems.
Below we will take a closer look at several ways in a situation where your tires have suffered on the road, and tell you how to fix this annoying situation.
Car service specialists strongly advise car owners to carry a special kit in the trunk with them, designed for quick repair of tubeless tires. It includes: harnesses, special glue, awl. Thanks to this set, you can quickly and efficiently eliminate a puncture without outside help. But there are exceptions. They are a strong side cut and a "hernia" on the wheel. In this case, you will need to replace the wheel, and repair it in the workshop.
Before you start repairing a tire, it is necessary to remove air from it by about half, this will help to avoid damage to the cord base of the tire during repair.
Find the puncture site. If a foreign object remains in the hole, which caused the puncture, then it must be removed.
Next, you should take the awl that is included in the kit, prepare the surface of the tire, clean it of debris and dirt. You must also take glue from the kit and apply it to the awl.
With rotational movements in a circle, smoothly insert the awl into the puncture hole.
Please note that the awl usually enters the puncture hole with difficulty, and this requires some effort.
After the awl has passed the tire to its entire thickness, it should be pulled out. It is also necessary to pull out the tool in a circular motion.
You need to insert and pull out the tool several times. This is necessary so that the glue with which the puncture will be sealed wraps the tire well inside it.
Before installing the tourniquet, leave the tool at the puncture site so that the adhesive can be well fixed.
Remove the film from the tourniquet, as much as you need the tourniquet for this situation.
Put the end of the tourniquet on the awl. The end should be short, about 30 mm. Apply glue to the tourniquet and awl, as much as necessary for fastening.
Next, in a circular motion, you should pull the tool out of the puncture, pay attention to the fact that the walls should not close together. With a sharp movement, insert a tourniquet smeared with glue into it. Do not let the ends of the rope fall into the hole. The edges should remain approximately at the level of the tread, but not deeper, otherwise the seal will be broken, and your work will be in vain.
With a sharp movement, it is necessary to pull out the tool from the repaired place. Carefully inspect the result, check whether the tightness has been broken. To do this, you need to pump up the wheel. If everything is in order, cut off the end of the tourniquet that sticks out of the sealed puncture, but so that about 3 mm is left above the tread.
Step by step video from YouTube service: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=gp8jmzjRdfw
A repair kit for repairing tubeless tires is inexpensive and is sold at any auto shop. It can come in handy at the most inopportune moment, for example, on a country road where there are no tire shops nearby. It looks something like this:
In order to repair a tire with a side cut, a more advanced kit is required than that used to repair conventional punctures. It includes: glue, patches, chemicals used to treat tire surfaces, an awl. If there is a hopeless situation, this kit will help fix the problem, but temporarily, you need to go to the workshop for a better repair as soon as possible.
Remember that a relatively small cut in an emergency can be repaired without the use of patches, using only tourniquets and glue. But for a complete repair of the wheel, it is necessary to remove the rubber. The edges of the damaged area should be cut off. Then, with a special machine, you need to clean the surface and process it with cement intended for tire repair.
So, we clean the surfaces with a specialized machine. It is necessary to cut raw rubber into strips and stretch it. You need to cut thinly. Put the rubber inside the injured area of the tire and fuse it. Then you need to vulcanize. After curing, make a marking on the place where the patch will be installed. This place must be thoroughly cleaned and degreased. Take automotive cement from the kit. After the cement dries, apply a reinforced patch that is smeared with glue. Carefully seal the edges of the patch with sealant, then put it in the problem area. The patch must be clamped with a vise and kept under pressure for about two hours.
If the tire after such a repair passed the test at low speed, this does not mean at all that the repair was successful. In this case, verification is necessary, and this can be done directly at the car service. It also happens that nothing depends on the car service workers. Rubber just can't handle the amount of damage inflicted on it.
