ghetto stans (mr AG's (?) idea)

**focus** · 09-16-2005, 11:50 AM

tried it. works like a charm. saved me some $$ when my stans rubber tubey things broke (valve stem started tearing off).

thanks.

**mntlion** · 09-16-2005, 12:52 PM

me too, thanks

did people use 20 or 24" tubes for rimstrips?

20 for me

**phUnk** · 09-16-2005, 03:04 PM

Mr AG invented ghetto stan's, and I invented the 1.5 headtube. Stoked!

**Particle** · 09-16-2005, 05:50 PM

I'd like to do this for both of my bikes. Unfortunately, I'm not nearly motivated enough.

**focus** · 09-16-2005, 06:28 PM

dunno who invented it...

24" here.

and...it's was actually a lot easier to put together than i thought.

**Ski Monkey** · 09-17-2005, 03:37 PM

yentna and I just bought the sealant today. We're going to do our squish bikes first. Remind me again, how many psi did you put in the tires to seal the tire the first time?

**altagirl** · 09-17-2005, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ski Monkey

yentna and I just bought the sealant today. We're going to do our squish bikes first. Remind me again, how many psi did you put in the tires to seal the tire the first time?

You need an air compressor. Go to a gas station or something and just fill it til it's very firm - there's no pressure gauge on the one we use so I don't know exactly. A lot firmer than you'd ride on, let out the extra before you ride. Then spin it around to make sure the sealant gets spread around. Some tires seal right up, others you have to try a couple of times. But don't waste your time with a floor pump - the air needs to go in fast.

**mntlion** · 09-17-2005, 05:47 PM

also I have found inflate just a bit so (5-10 psi) and then roll the tire on the ground to get the stans into the rim/bead area. roll it as if you where riding on a flat tire. Then inflate as per AG.

It will make some really big bangs too when the bean sets into the rim.

**focus** · 09-18-2005, 09:52 AM

i used a razor blade to trim off the excess...i found that if you score it all the way around the rim (careful not to go all the way through to the tire), it'll pull off clean with a little bit of tugging.

spray the tire down w/ soapy water....if you find bubbles tilt the tire so the sealant inside the tire is directly on that area....swish it around.

i don't know if you'll need rim tape or not? i still have the stans stuff on my rims. you shouldn't need it for the actual seal.

these instructions should be applicable to ghetto stans too:

http://www.notubes.com/movies/kitins...31393eef4774d2

**m1e448** · 09-18-2005, 10:50 AM

Check out the maxxis tubeless rim strips. $5 a piece + sealant is cheap.

http://www.maxxis.com/products/bicyc...ail.asp?id=218

**Ski Monkey** · 09-18-2005, 05:35 PM

Ok, I did mine today, now how long do I need to wait for the sealant to cure before I deflate to ride psi and ride?

**mntlion** · 09-18-2005, 06:42 PM

long enought for you to read this.

**Ski Monkey** · 09-18-2005, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by mntlion

long enought for you to read this.

Shit, i've waited too long....

**phatfreeheeler** · 09-18-2005, 08:02 PM

Yeah, thanks Mr. AG, I probably wouldn't have tried this if I didn't see your setup first. I don't normally do the getto mods, but this one is a great idea and at $1.30 for the 20" BMX tube, uber cheap. I'm just testing it on the rear right now.

BTW - I didn't do the soap and water, used a regular pump (pumping very fast for 10 pumps), and went for a ride immediately. The IRC Trailbear(I had used with a tube prior so it had good shape) was holding pressure without Stans, but I put it in anyways. I used a ski skin trimmer and pulled on the tube to trim it. After the first side I had the technique down and the second side looks pretty clean (but you couldn't run rim breaks unless I trimmed it back farther).

I'm loving the 2.25 Trailbears, they grip like mad, but you gotta put the back tire on in reverse to get good traction. Hopefully that's the end of messing with that tire for the season.

**Mr. Altagirl** · 09-19-2005, 03:01 PM

Ghetto update after using them for a year now:
- I'm using very light 20" BMX tubes; work great and very cheap; be careful when pulling your tire on as it cold rip the tube at the rim.
- Replace the Stan's every so often. The only failures I have had were due to very old Stan's (almost a year without doing anything). You can just add more Stan’s but then you have these little balls of Stan's floating around inside your tire.
- The new Maxxis strips are pretty cool and not very expensive (they copied the ghetto routine). I will properly use them for DH next year.
- As MntLion said, add just a bit of pressure and then rotate for a while; it really helps with the initial seal and makes the process go a bit smoother.
- I probably won't run tubes again (but will always have one in my pack, just in case).
- I don't trim the excess tube as close to the rim as I used too; I keep enough so I can re-use the tube when I change tires. The Stan's / Ghetto tubless lasts way longer than a set of tires (especially on the DH rig).
- I haven’t invented anything of value, ever. phUnk on the other hand……..

**yentna** · 09-19-2005, 04:08 PM

I'm excited to do my tires this week, after seeing Ski Monkey's hold air. No more tubes, yipee! Then to try them out in Moab this weekend, UPS / LPS....whoever's up for a trip...

**Mr. Altagirl** · 09-19-2005, 06:10 PM

I'll be there Thursday -Sunday (working Thursday but will propably do Amasa Back after work). I would like to do Hazard -UPS Friday and Saturday at least.

**m1e448** · 09-19-2005, 06:56 PM

- The new Maxxis strips are pretty cool and not very expensive (they copied the ghetto routine). I will properly use them for DH next year.

When I ordered mine they came with the maxxis gift of the month- A free trucker hat, a patch kit and 2 cheesier tire levers. Not a bad value and they've been going strong.

**phUnk** · 09-20-2005, 09:25 AM

FYI: I've heard that Trail Bear single ply sidewalls are not a long-lasting solution for ghetto tubeless. Nothing definitive, just something to research possibly.

**Beaver** · 09-20-2005, 10:08 AM

I had ghetto tubeless on my front rim when I tacoed it. Even with the rim bent at 90 degrees it held air. Unfortunately when I put the rim on the ground and jumped on it to straighten it enough to roll through the fork it started leaking. That could have been due in part to the fact that the rim broke in 2 pieces. It was a long walk out. The tire bead got a kink in it so I don't know if it will still work tubeless. I'm going to try after I ride it tubed for a week or so.

i used a 20" tube for one and a 24" for the other. Both work well. I was able to inflate one with a floor pump, the other required an air compressor. I used latex mold builder for my sealant. I diluted it til it was the consistancy of creamo. I got enough for about 50 tires for less than $20cad. Ghetto tubless

**phatfreeheeler** · 09-20-2005, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by phUnk

FYI: I've heard that Trail Bear single ply sidewalls are not a long-lasting solution for ghetto tubeless. Nothing definitive, just something to research possibly.

Thanks, we'll see how they go. My puny 150lb weight is pretty easy on stuff. The IRC bead sure seated well, and is way more stiff than the panaracer it replaced.

**Free Range Lobster** · 09-20-2005, 11:10 AM

Questions on this.

-I'm going to assume straight off that using Stan's is the better choice than latex mould crap? Or does the latex mould crap work fine?

-Maxxis Hookworms... Yay or Nay?

-Sun Mammoth rims? Does having big burly wide rims affect the seating/how this works?

**Spats** · 09-20-2005, 11:56 AM

To me, the worrisome thing about Trail Bears is that the sidewall sticks out beyond the tread knobs, so it's easier to rip it open on rocks than with most tires (where the knobs stick out beyond the sidewall).

I haven't actually ridden them, though, so I can't say how much of a problem this is.

**Beaver** · 09-20-2005, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by likwid

Questions on this.

-I'm going to assume straight off that using Stan's is the better choice than latex mould crap? Or does the latex mould crap work fine?

-Maxxis Hookworms... Yay or Nay?

-Sun Mammoth rims? Does having big burly wide rims affect the seating/how this works?

I don't know how well Stan's would hold up with a severly tacoed rim but the "crap" worked great. I've never seen Stan's but I'll becha it's the same as "crap" that has been watered down, repackaged and marked up for the bike crowd.