 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I have a set of Hunt 4 season rims and the front wheel has started leaking air at the valve.
I have replaced the valve and sealant, that didn't work so I then replaced the rim tape and it's still not fixed it leaking air around the valve... Any ideas as I am at a loss.
All my bikes are set up tubeless by me and have been for years so I don't think it's operator error.... Or is it? 😀
hmmm... I had the same issue with a WTB wheel and it was a nick in the tape half way around the wheel at spoke hole. Air was getting under the rim bed and path or least resistance to freedom was at the valve.
Like you I had tried valve, sealant. But it was the rim tape. Miles away from the valve. Worth double checking it before your launch the wheel across the garage.
Rim tape first culprit but I sometimes poke the valve through a square of self-amalgamating tape when installing to seal round it better.
As mccraque, it's almost certainly not the valve, it's just that that's the only hole in the hollow part of the rim that isn't sealed by a spoke nipple.
Does the tape cover the full width of the rim bed, from wall to wall?
I have some self amalgamating tape so might try that.
Seriously close to bouncing it off the garage wall last week!
The tape covers the whole rim and even goes ever so slightly up each wall, it was then carefully rubbed down to make sure there was a good seal....
I built up some wheels a few weeks ago and taped one so badly that I even had sealant coming out through most of the nipples. Probably because I used an old rim that had residue on. Took off tape, cleaned rim properly and re-taped and still a small leak through valve but the sealant seals it and tyre have stayed up ever since.
I've had 3 sets of Hunt wheels and none have had the tape applied properly. In each case to stop air pouring out I've had to remove, clean properly and retape.
On advice from the internet in general I used TESA tape but found it has no stretch and DT Swiss tape is well worth the extra cost.
I had this recently with my bonty wheels and muc off valves. Turns out i had that the seal much off suggested for my wheel interior shape didnt sit well at all, so changed for a cone shaped inner seal and its been fine since
As Danmac. Like the self amalgamating tape. I always put a little Vaseline around the seals on the valve after I had similar.
I had this issue with some hope rims. After changing tape and valves tried going OTT with sealant (double) and it worked and not an issue in the last 6 months
I has air leaking past the valve on some old narrow Stans rims, where the bed was quite round. Doing the valve up tighter just tore the rubber off the valve. I successfully used blu-tac and silicone seal to get a seal.
On other wheels it has been leaking past the tape as others have suggested.