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Stan's rim strips failing
I've been running the standard Stans kit to convert my non-ust rims & tyres to tubeless lately but I've had 2 of the rims strips fail in the last couple of months. Somehow the valve has come away from the rubber rim strip & it no longer holds air. The liquid doesn't seem to be able to seal it & I have to buy a whole new rim strip. When the first one failed I thought, ok just one of those things, but after the second one failed in exactly the same way it made me concerned. Has anybody else had this happen? Or am I doing something wrong?
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one of the two rim strips I got came like that out of the box, or plastic packet as the case was. Was sent a replacement rim strip.
You can use an inner tube. Cut it all the way around the outside edge so that you now have a flat rubber strip in a complete circle with a valve still attached in the middle of it, width wise. Put the valve through the hole in the rim, when you fit the tyre make sure the tube hangs out either side of the rim / tyre and trim it back when you are done. Off course you will have to use a tube with a removable core.
wrap the rim in some refrigeration tape or electric tape over the top of the stans to get a seal should work ive been using it for years..or buy some ust rims there cheap as spend about $500-2*** depending on what you want xt rims are pretty good & cheap
Yes, I've seen other posts around about cutting down an old inner tube to make a rim strip, but seeing as how the purpose built ones from Stan's cost $$$, I'd have thought that they'd be more reliable. If I get the same problem a third time then sorry Stan's but its 3 strikes & you're out - I'll see how I go with an old inner tube.
I'm still curious whether anyone else has had their rim strip fail, though.
I have had one of the Stan's rim strips fail the same way that yours did, essentially the valve just came away. It wasn't brand new but at the same time it wasn't that old and I would have thought that I'd have gotten more kms out of it than I did. It actually failed going down the Luge at Stromlo in this year's Capital Punishment which caused the tyre to come off the rim and sent me sliding on my knees and forearms. I still enjoyed Stromlo though!
I have some on my new 29er but if another fails then that's it for me. I know that hawkeye has mentioned the Bontrager kit with praise so perhaps worth giving them a go.
I've never had an issue with a rim strip. I'm running them for 2+ years on 2 different bikes no issues. Initially had some sealing problems, but I had the wrong size strip, so double check you've got the right one for your rims.
I'd also leave the valve nut on. Cool kids like to take them off because they think they don't do much. But they do! They hold the valve in firmly in place and limit the amount of wear at the base of the stem.
Good luck,
Ken.
recently i had a Stans rim strip failure - i inflated the tyre to around 60psi for a blat with some roadies - all good, but when i took some pressure out for a ride off road - the pressure just kept on emptying till nothing was left. No amount of pumping or more sealent would fix it. Apparently the max inflation pressure is 40psi... so i guess i have myself to blame..
No need for the rim strips. Just use outdoor electrical tape from bunnings. I go around twice. Just buy a bunch of valves, and some sealant. Works on every tyre & wheels combo I have, including my DH wheels. I haven't tried using a valve cut from an old tube, but I may try with a rubber washer on the inside and the valve nut on the outside to see if that works.
and valves, should only need one lap of taped. Have a look at some of the videos o the website.
Been using the fancy clear Stan's tape on standard rims with tubeless valves. Works a treat plus you get a weightweenie bonus too.
Don't really see the need for the rimstrip. One layer of tape will do. Just make sure the rim is squeaky clean and dry before you put it on. On my first try I had some soapy water coming out of a spoke hole ruining everything.
There are other brands on the market such as FRM (sponsor plug) who provide the strip & valve as separate pieces. The advantage in my opinion over the one piece setup of Stan's is if you get a puncture on the trail and need to whack a tube in then you don't need to take out the whole strip. You just remove the valve then insert your tube.
Been using the Stans yellow tape with both Mavic and Stans universal valves on Mavic, Stans, DT and Velocity (pinned) rims with 100% success. [Disclaimer] The tape method is only recommended for rims with a UST safety bead. If no bead, then the rim strip may be required to increase the bead to rim bed security and/or prevent burping. [/Disclaimer]
After fighting for days with a Bonty rim strip, which was recommended by an expert, I realised that the rim bed profile over the strip was too tall when stretched over the already UST compatible rim. I've pondered if the Stans rim strip gets overly stretched sideways when used in rims where the locking bead is present.
The expected failure point would be the valve interface, as that is the point in the strip with the least resilience.
If you've had a failure like that mentioned, has inflation been assisted by generous application of dishwashing liquid mix, or any alternative lubricant? It may just be a case of dry sticktion (and we all know how painful that can be) tearing the strip away from the valve on initial inflation?
Is the FRM system supposed to work with non-ust rims & tyres? It sounds interesting with a separate rim strip & valve. It would eliminate the weak point in the Stan's system that I've been having. I might have to track one down & give it a go, and maybe compare it to an old inner tube, too.
The only thing that I can think of that may have exacerbated my Stan's rim strips failing is that I tend to fiddle about with the pressures a lot. I use a hand pump that I have to hold onto the valve whilst pumping & it jiggles the valve about a fair bit. However, I would've thought that this is typical usage for which the valve/rim strips are engineered to cope with.
Yes it's similar to the Stan's system. You can buy a kit to convert the non ust that includes tape, rim strip, valve & sealant. You can probably buy them all separately too. If you get stuck pm me with your details and I'll find out where you can get them in your area.
Your problem with Stan's sounds strange. They are very good products and I don't think your hand pumping is the issue as the top of the presta valve would be the most likely thing to break if you are wobbly with your pumping.