How To - Repair leaking spoke nipples

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In the real world what advantage do tubeless have over an innertube? Slighlty less wieght and the ability to plug a puncture?

GRiSO Capo Posts : 7687 Join date : 2013-05-29 Age : 64

Tubeless tyre's don't deflate as quickly in the event of a puncture unless it is catastrophic, they can be easily plugged on the side of the road and their temperature and performance is far more stable than a tubed tyre.

Your observation about weight is missing the fact that rotational mass increases the inertia exponentially so steering is affected especially as the weight is at the circumference of the wheel. Many of us do stuff like buying light brakes to reduce rotating mass because to us it makes a difference. And don't get us started on unsprung weight! Very Happy

Pete

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Thanks Pete. I think I'll stick with the cast alloys rather than the spoked wheels, which seem like a high maintenence solution.

Grignapoco Posts : 102 Join date : 2014-11-29 Age : 47

The outex kit arrived within a week.
Front wheel is done. Tomorrow I will go to the shop putting the tyre back on. And then cross the fingers...

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Karman, you may find your cast wheels are lighter than the spoke jobbies anyway.
Can you weigh each and report back.

I love the look of spoked wheels, but enjoy the carbon fibre ride a whole lot more.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 699 Join date : 2014-10-07 Age : 66

This may explain why my front tyre constantly defaults to 16 PSI

GRiSO Capo Posts : 929 Join date : 2014-01-08 Age : 65

Mine does too. I just pump it up again, but I may buy some of that Outex stuff and try it.

Guest

...and mine too - thinking of Outex or maybe just some RTV sealant around each nipple.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 8116 Join date : 2013-09-30

This is the best way to stop the leaks:

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beetle wrote:: This is the best way to stop the leaks:

Hahaha - that’s a fair point, but for a newbie like me to get a factory roller it only came with spokey dokeys and the look better IMO

GRiSO Capo Posts : 803 Join date : 2017-08-06 Age : 66

We used to seal our 2 piece bolt together drag race wheels by laying a bead of RTV, silicon sealer around the inside where they mated together so we could run tubeless tires, worked great. I would put a glob of silicon over each nipple on the inside and be done with it. Cheap and easy.

GRiSO Capo Posts : 8116 Join date : 2013-09-30

Robinson_Spike wrote:: Hahaha - that’s a fair point, but for a newbie like me to get a factory roller it only came with spokey dokeys and the look better IMO

It's got spokes! Three big fat ones! Very Happy

Guest

Game, set and match to Mr Beetle - I’ve had half a dozen stubbies, about to go to bed and he’s on his morning coffee!

Sfregiato Posts : 454 Join date : 2017-11-09

My 72 Eldorado is running tubeless courtesy of a $2 tube of general purpose silicone smeared around each spoke head. I had a little trouble at first due to using the wrong type of silicone but even so the tires never suffered a sudden deflation like you can get with a tube.
You would have to remove the tubeless valve to get a tube in, big step backwards.

Smear some into those nice dished nipple indents and they will never leak again.

BTW, looking for a water trough to check for leaks get one of those plastic planter boxes, real cheap at the plant store.

Grignapoco Posts : 155 Join date : 2018-02-09 Age : 66

Kiwi_Roy - You mentioned problems due to using the wrong type of silicone. What is the correct type of silicone?

Thanks,
Alden

Sfregiato Posts : 454 Join date : 2017-11-09

I have converted my V7 Special to tubeless.
A layer of Sikaflex Marine sealant over the top of the nipples.
A layer of crystal Clear Gorilla tape to protect the Sikaflex while importing the tire.
It's been 6 months or more.
My 72 Eldorado was also done a couple of years back, I used GE 100% Silicon for those.

The GRiSO spokeless wheels look good but all those "O" rings would make me nervous.

Sfregiato Posts : 454 Join date : 2017-11-09

I read through the post carefully, did you find the spokes were loose i.e. needed tightening?
Tapping on each spoke they should make a ringing noise.
I haven't seen this type of nipple with the "O" rings do you have any thoughts on why they should start leaking?
Perhaps just a layer of tape over the top of the nipples would provide a second line of defence, the nipples could turn under the tape.

I was taught how to make the wheels tubeless by a long time dirt track rider, I tried several different silicones that would be forced out through the thread before I found GE 100% silicone, my 72 Eldorado been over 4 years now.
My V7III has a layer of Sikaflex marine sealant over the nipples and a layer of gorilla tape over the top to protect the sealant, it's been almost a year now.
My 07 GRiSO has cast wheels of course.