Tubeless Conversion?

I got them from a local importer/wheel-builder here in Athens. The story is that DID is not actually building the tubeless version, but they supply with rims an Italian company (not alpina, but i dont remember the name) who then CNC the tubeless conversion. I havent got pics at the moment, but will go back to the shop to pick my old rims up next week and will get some. All in all, think of a standard rim with extra meat in the center part. Then a cnc mill shaves off most of it, but leaves little cubic blocks at the spoke locations. The nipples are conical in shape and they slide inside these blocks. Then a plastic cup with an o-ring bolts on top of each nipple. The system is totally airtight for life. Will post pics next week. I paid 370eu for the rear 17/5.0 which is plenty of wonga, but I am not looking back for a moment.

Follow-up time: My rear tire has been holding 40psi for a week or more. I just balanced it an am about to throw it back on the bike.
The front is almost done...I'll give that a week to dry then mount a tire, and give that a week to set. If the pressure is stable I'll balance it up and toss it on the bike, then check them both in a month or so. It's winter here, so I've been able to take my time.

I think I've got it licked this time. Careful prep has made all the difference.

What happens if the bead gets broken on the tubeless setup on the trail? What does it take to get the tire re-inflated?



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Considering the length you have to go to to actually break the bead it's not likely to be an issue. If it did happen you'd want to have some large CO2's to inflate it fast enough to get the bead to seat. Alternatively you could use a tie down or similar strap to squeeze the center of the tire enough to allow bead to seal.

Gregor

so did you follow my instructions using the gap filling super glue technique??? just curious
woody

sakurama gave ya some good advice....i suggest carrying a spare tube which IMHO is the simplest foolproof way of getting moving again...ie
1,,remove valve stem and
2,, insert tube
3,,air up and ride away...
the blessing of using the tube is that all the air you pump in doesn't get lost..

and here's a concurrent thread with good and wacko alternatives:eek1
like lighter-fluid/ fire-crackers/cherry-bombs,,,:huh

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=630209&page=2

OBTW..Murphys tire soap works great and much better than any other lube for getting seated easy,,,,slick stuff!!!

woody

Yes I did...Thanks!

Roughly, here's what I did: Wire wheeled the entire dish of the rim, cleaned with a liberal dosing of alcohol. Two applications with the gap filling Superglue (Loctite gel) at the nipple threads, allowing it to dry completely between applications. Two applications of marine grade Goop using the spot method, again allowing it to cure completely between applications...and it looks like we're in business!

Thanks for the tips, Woody...you rock! (but you probably knew that...)

i hope you not only used the gap filler in the nipple threads but also around/under the outer edge of the nipple /rim interface..ie so that it creates a virtual dam/back filler for the Goop...i hope i made that clear in my original post...

w

One of my goals was to be able to stop carrying tubes. But, you really need to have them just in case, no matter what.

I've seen the explosive bead seating on tractor tires. Not sure if I'm ready to try it on a 950.

I've always wondered what smart people used. Is this it:



BTW, thanks for sharing your trade secrets. It says a lot about who you are.



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well we ordered a pair for front and rear....essentially they use the same sealing principle as the sealing strip used by trials riders...

when looking at their little diagram embedded in the sealing strips it becomes apparent that they need to be used in a special rim that sports an extra ridge for the sealing strips to lock under.... we are going to try one on a regular excel today ..i am not optimistic that it will seal...

which leaves us needing to use the special rims from Behr/ktm in their 3.5x17 and 5.0x17 motard widths.
w

You did, but no, I only used it to fill the threaded center. In my previous attempts at this the only place I was getting leakage was through the threads (as seen when submerged in water).

well good luck,,,,i pointed those areas out because they are essentially the two interfaces where air wants to escape and push out the sealants,,especially when they are still soft from inadequate cure time or when they warm up,,,,the instantly cured gap filler simply does not budge.

FYI,,,one would think big holes would appear in the sealants,,,not so,,,i often need a magnifying glass to find the tiniest of pinholes that bored through the goop....but that's all it takes ,,kinda like having a nail or thorn go through your tires....

air pressure is an amazing power second only to H2O IMHO

Are the rims on a '10 990 R tubeless? I'm a bit confused, as they are spoked but still come with tubeless Scorpions.

I checked the schematics, and there seems to be some sort of strip covering the spoke nipples(it doesn't have a proper name in the picture). Is this a similar setup as with the 690 rims mentioned earlier? If so, do I have to take some special precautions when removing and installing a tyre?

FYI,,just like any of the tube-less sealing techniques you will want to take extra care that your tire-irons do NOT gouge the sealant or in this case the rubber sealing strip

FYI the strip even has a pictorial of correct and incorrect tire iron usage...
w

Thanks woody, good to know, especially before inserting anything between the rim and the tire

There seems to be some confusion here. You just have a normal rim strip covering the nipples so the spokes don't poke the tube. Whether you have tubeless Scorpions is completely irrelevant, you still need to use a tube unless you seal the rim using the methods described in this thread.

The special sealing strip is only used on the 690 SM, together with a special rim.

Thanks for clearing this up. I just got around to unpacking a set of new tires which I got and was horrified to discover that they sent me a tube type front. Now it doesn't matter.

Last update (I hope): They're done! They're freaking done! Both wheels have had 41 psi in 'em for a week now, and that's good enough for me. WooooHoooo!!!!!

w

just out of curiosity, what kind of tires are you running. my 908's seem to lose air after a couple of weeks. i think its the tires not my wheels. btw i fill them with nitrogen.