Has anyone heard of, or done a seal-job on spoked rims to allow for the use of tubeless tires? It seems like an idea worth considering for those of us who like the look of laced wheels, but would like the simplicity/convenience/ease of rolling tubeless. Aren't tubeless tires easier to patch? Do tirescare whether they're wearing an internal condom, or are they designed for either/or?Are radial tires only for use on mag rims? Thinking out loud, and looking for caveats or confirmations.

 

Most companies you buy spoked wheels from will seal them for you. I have never done it myself though. It does work. This has been done for a long long time. It's even done by a lot of lowrider enthusiasts that run spokes.

 

The only trouble that I see with sealing late model HD spokes is that the spokes are prone to stretch. Once you seal the wheel, I doubt if you can turn the spokes to tighten the spokes without breaking the seal.

 

I'll give you my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth...

If there was a reliable way to run spoked wheels that way, they would be run that way. I've heard of doing what you are asking about but I, personally, have no interest in trying it. You have no way to keep a check on the integrity of the seals on a regular basis and could be asking for trouble and, with my luck, it would happen in the middle of nowhere.

 

Actually, my understanding is that sealed spoke wheels are safer. When a tube gets a leak they tend to pop which leads to a blowout. When a sealed rim getsa leak it tends to be slow not leading to a blowout. I have no proof of this though. I plan on running sealed front and rear spokes.

 

i'm running tubeless radial sport tires with nitrogen & dynabeads on my spoked wheels and they perform quite well.

 

As Meanbite said, this has been done for years. There are aftermarket wheel manufacturers selling tubless spoke rims for both motorcycles and cars all the time. They use a thick, very even, band of silicone around the inside of the rim. Adjusting the spokes isn't a problem since the silicone is thick enough to allow the spoke nipple to turn without causing a leak.

If you try to do it yourself pay close attention to how even you make the sealant. Too much in one area can cause serious balancing problems that may not be fixable with weights... then you get to start all over! [:@]

 

the metal - You have the best avatar EVER!

 

the metal (+1 on the avatar!);
How were yours sealed? Do yourself or factory done? Notice a big handling feel with the radials? Thanks all...

 

interesting thought, coming from years of mountain biking and seeing the transition from tubed to tubless in the bicycle industry seems a logical progression. there is a product called "stan's" tubless sealent, combined with a rim strip over the spoke nipples that d0es a great job. may be worth investigating ...... you can still tru the wheel, and has a natural tendecy to self seal...you could then also use plugs, would add some weight to the rotating mass maybe..