I've bought a second-hand wheelset for my build, complete with tyres etc. The tyres have been ridden for ca. 500 km. After inflating them I noticed drops of sealant all over the sidewall and wet spots on the thread of the rear tyre. What could be the issue? Both front and rear tyres and rims are identical (WTB Ranger 27,5×3,0") and are Tubeless ready. I topped up the sealant, but it didn't help. The tyre is slowly loosing pressure over days as well. The front one is absolutely without problems though.
by Janchi
11 Comments
All I could think of is, someone poked needles on it since I cannot see signs of expired rubber.
I would replace it. If it’s tight enough to hold pressure over a ride, you can keep pumping and riding.
Most likely some type of issue with the tire and not the rim.
I have that regularly, pretty normal if you use more pressure than most people with light tires.
I’d take the rear wheel off set the wheel on a bucket/trash can/something that will let it set level on it’s side so the sidewall can sit with sealant on it for awhile and then flip to the other side and repeat till it stops seeping so much.
But some tires just do that. The rear tire on my full squish has been on the bike since 2017 and still has some wet spots on the treads. I’ve had some thin sidewall tires push goo through the sides too but not that bad.
What sealant are you using?
What pressure are you running?
Does it explicitly say “TLR” or “Tubeless Ready” etc. on the tyre?
I recently bought some Continental tyres from Tredz which were found under the TLR filter on their website and categorically stated that they were tubeless ready in the description.
When they came, it said nowhere on the tyre that they were TLR and they seeped sealant through the tyre similarly to yours. Turned out they weren’t Tubeless ready whatsoever.
Conversely, I had two sets of Panaracer Gravelkings and three of the four tyres seeped sealant through the sidewall (but not as much as the ones pictured), despite them saying they were TLR. To be honest, I just don’t rate Gravelkings after that experience.
https://preview.redd.it/jvro9hozge6e1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1b98c2452ec0fa13f858428e7f500c8bb2522ee8
I’ve owned 2 sets of WTB tires and both were more prone to “weeping” sealant when initially set up. I’ve found them to also be more sensitive to what sealant is used: the weeping and pressure loss never stopped with Finish Line sealant, but Effetto Mariposa and Silca eventually created an inner barrier and held air well.
FWIW I haven’t had the same issues with tires from Continental, Maxxis, Teravail, Vittoria.
Had the same tire. Did the same thing. Add more sealant until it stops. Then be thankful when they wear out fast and you can buy nicer tires.
Lots of good suggestions here. Mine have done that when the sealant is old and needs to be replaced.
Some tires do that from new and requires a lot of sealant and agitation to coat the inside of the tire and eventually stop the weeping. 3.0 is a big tire, you can try adding lots of sealant, taking the wheel off the bike, and aggressively spinning and agitating it.
However it’s also true that as the tire is ridden, flex and abrasion to the sidewall creates micro perforations between the threads of the casing. The lighter the tire casing and/or the more wear and use the tire sees, the more quickly this happens.
Personally I don’t find it an issue to top off air pressure every day or two but if it’s worse than that and additional sealant doesn’t help, it might be time for a new tire.