I'm about to smash my wheels and sell my bike. For the life of me I cannot get my new tires to seat. Tried a tube and the tube got a hole. Tried a ratchet strap...nope. Soapy water. Air compressor. Damn things just won't even try to take air. Tires are GravelKing SK Plus on WTB Frequency Team i23 rims. The tires that I'm replacing are the same thing as the new ones but they went on super easy.
It sounds like you already tried everything. For loose tires I inflate with a tube until the beads lock. Then I break the bead on one side to get the tube out and reinflate. Another trick that sometimes works is to add another layer of tape to the rim so the bead fits tighter.
Yeah...that's actually how I do it. I ordered a couple new tubes. I'll try that way one more time before I give up and I guess try different tires. I just really really don't want to run tubes on a gravel bike but I hate to waste these brand new tires. Maybe Amazon will take them back as defective...lol
I understand. I've spend lots of frustrating time mounting tubless tires.
Here is what I do (in addition to what you mentioned). Sometimes I will mount them with a tube if I think they are going to have a problem seating - and ride it that way for a week.
Any time I've had trouble getting a tire to seal, I put a skinny stripper in there (latex rim strip). THat just always makes it super easy to air up a tire with my floor pump. Almost foolproof.
Definately - take the core of the valve out to get the bead to seat the first time.
I figured if I ever got desparate - I would get one of those presta to schrader adapters, and go down to the local gas station that has compressed air. Never had to do that one yet, but if that didn't do it, nothing would.
I tend to get holes it tubes trying to get the darn bead on the rim. ugh. Often it is easier for me just to mount without a tube.
You should be able to take the tires to Kohls for a return.
Last year, I had the same problem with the same tires. I mounted them with a tube, and left it in for a day or two. After removing the tube, the bead popped in place. I just installed a new gravelking sk, and it sealed the first try. Go figure!
I had a similar experience recently and it turned out to be the "dimpled" rim tape allowing air to escape on inflation. Adding a second layer of tape on this rim is not a good idea but if you have deep dimples in the tape re-taping it might do the trick.
Tubes should work. As other said, ride it for a few days and then, unseat one side, pull tube out and then blast it.
Your first tube puncture was probably careless and you pinch flatted between the bead and the rim strip...did it myself before. I feel the GK and WTB rim aren't the best combo...GK tend to fit loose on those.
I've got those same rims and have been able to seat Teravail Cannonballs and Donnelly MSOs. Kinda tight to go on. I think I was able to get the MSOs to seat with just an air pump, but the Cannonballs needed a compressor (sealed really well after I got them attached).
smoothmoose wrote:Tubes should work. As other said, ride it for a few days and then, unseat one side, pull tube out and then blast it.
Your first tube puncture was probably careless and you pinch flatted between the bead and the rim strip...did it myself before. I feel the GK and WTB rim aren't the best combo...GK tend to fit loose on those.
Yeah...I don't doubt the first tube was my fault. As far as the GK's...the tires I'm replacing are GK's and they went on without a hitch. I don't remember if i used a pump or compressor, but I do know they didn't give me any issues during the install or in the 2500+ miles I rode them. Great tires! I just hope I can get these new ones on so I can hopefully experience another 2500 miles of great riding.
Wow, this thread is very timely... I just went through this battle in trying to convert my wife's MTB to tubeless (Maxxis Recon with the higher and thread count 120 tpi tire).
All the previous MTB and gravel tires mounted and sealed just fine (Panaracer, Donnolly, Maxxis) but I simply couldn't get this one to work.
Solution: Took it to the LBS and they got it first try.
Possible (emphasis on speculating here) reason...
1. Not enough air flow: My compressor setup does not have a presta head so I've cobbled together a kludge where I thread a screw-on $2 presta to schrader adapter onto the tube and the compressor's schrader head.
The problems is that the screw-on adapter is threaded to the valve core, not to the larger diameter stem which gets the lock washer. So to get more air through the tiny valve core I removed the inner part of the core which would seal. The goal is only to get the tire bead to seat into the rim at which time I'll add the sealant.
This however means the hole for the air to flow through is much smaller than if I had a presta head which grabbed onto the valve stem and there was no core at all.
The shop was using a Park tool with a presta head that grabbed the valve stem so they were able to inflate with the core removed.
FWIW, my compressor has a very large tank and at high pressure it can deliver a lot of air which is why I believe the key is in having the proper connection to the tube's valve.
2. I didn't have the tire horizontal. The mechanic set the wheel on a 5 gal. bucket and when it didn't seal initially he shook it gently up and down which got the beads to move outward enough to grab.
3. The bead shelf on the rim, while designed for tubeless, did not make for a solid mount. The beads easily pushed inside the rim which allowed air to escape while attempting to mount.
+1 for the idea to have additional tape to help get the tire to seat, but I had two layers of a heavier tape.
4. The 120 tpi sidewalls are very light weight and flexible which should make the tires fast. Yay! Lower tpi tires have heavier and stiffer sidewalls hold shape better and make mounting tires easier.
One other technique I attempted which other claim helps (it didn't work for me though): - Get an inner tube which is a smaller diameter (ex. a 26" tube when mounting a 700c tire) - After the tubeless tire is mounted on the rim, stretch the 26" tube around the tire and center the tube in the middle of the tire. A 24" tire should work even better. - The goal is to use the smaller tube to push the sidewalls out and against the rim's bead so enough air can get trapped.
Just a quick update... I mounted a new Maxis tire on the other MTB rim. It was a similar model but 60 tpi instead of 120 tpi. The stiffer sidewalls held their shape much better and my compressor setup worked fine - no issues in airing up the tire.
Next project, get an old Silca pump head, some air hose and figure out how to connect it to the compressor. I suppose I could spend $135 and get the Park Air Inflator, but I think I can do this for under $10 with the stuff I have... https://www.parktool.com/product/shop-inflator-inf-2
NoCoGreg wrote:Just a quick update... I mounted a new Maxis tire on the other MTB rim. It was a similar model but 60 tpi instead of 120 tpi. The stiffer sidewalls held their shape much better and my compressor setup worked fine - no issues in airing up the tire.
Next project, get an old Silca pump head, some air hose and figure out how to connect it to the compressor. I suppose I could spend $135 and get the Park Air Inflator, but I think I can do this for under $10 with the stuff I have... https://www.parktool.com/product/shop-inflator-inf-2
