Which Brand of Tubeless Tape

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FIJIGabe
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by FIJIGabe

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Tue Feb 28, 2023 11:19 am
3M 8992 or green powder coat masking tape. In the US you can buy generic in 1/8” increments from EPSI. Better silicone adhesive than Tesa’s rubber adhesive, better elongation and plenty of tensile strength.

As for pressing down the tape. I just run the end of a Pedro’s tire lever over the edges of the tape.
Just picked up an 18 yard roll of 1" tape from Grainger for less than $12. Great price. Thanks for the tip.

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pushpush
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by pushpush

DaveS wrote:
Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:09 pm
Zipp hookless wheels are taped at the factory. The tape covers the entire rim bed but does not extend onto the vertical hookless wall. That's what I'll do if retaping. My 303s wheels are over a year old now. I hope the tape lasts for a second year.
This is also the coverage provided by the tape that Enve supplies with their wheelsets.

Frost751
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Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2023 6:21 am

by Frost751

pushpush wrote:
Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:32 am
TobinHatesYou wrote:
Tue Feb 28, 2023 8:23 am

Ask yourself this. Why would you want your tire to make direct contact with a rougher surface for the purposes of sealing? The more taped around the bead, the less likely it will shift when you pop the bead out.

Also just head up the tip of an awl with a lighter and poke a hole through the valve hole. That way there won't any risk of the criss-cuts tearing under tension or forces from the rubber bung.
Given how securely I've seen tires bond after some sealant dries, It has always struck me that should the tire ever roll over due to low pressure it could lift the tape and create a leak if the tire was seated on the tape at the edges rather than bonded directly to the wheel. Your point about smoothness of the tape surface is a good one. I have no argument against that! Good tip on the hot poker. I'll do that next time.
I can say that your observation about the potential for the tire to lift the tape and create a leak due to low pressure is a valid concern. It is important to ensure that the tire is seated properly on the tape and bonded directly to the wheel to prevent this from happening.

I agree that the smoothness of the tape surface is important in achieving a secure bond between the tire and the wheel. And I'm glad to hear that you found the tip about using a hot poker helpful. It's always good to learn new tricks and techniques to improve the performance and safety of our vehicles.

BigBoyND
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by BigBoyND

Do Tesa 4289 and 3M 8992 require two layers for road pressures?

Schwalbe says their blue tape only required one layer for road applications. This is WW, after all, and I'd like to know which is lightest. If Schwalbe can be used with one layer, I assume that could be the lightest option.

CampagYOLO
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by CampagYOLO

BigBoyND wrote:
Tue Jan 02, 2024 3:57 pm
Do Tesa 4289 and 3M 8992 require two layers for road pressures?

Schwalbe says their blue tape only required one layer for road applications. This is WW, after all, and I'd like to know which is lightest. If Schwalbe can be used with one layer, I assume that could be the lightest option.
Amount of layers of tape needed is entirely dependent on how tight the tyre is. All decent tubeless tape will work fine with 1 layer if the tyre is fairly tight and hence fairly easy to seat.

Two layers makes it easier to seat loose tyres.

BigBoyND
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by BigBoyND

Tapes are also different thicknesses and in any case, it doesn't seem to be a common issue that a tire will or won't seat due to 1 layer of tape.

I'm more wondering whether 1 layer of the common tapes will burst at the spoke holes at road pressures when you hit a pothole.

js
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by js

I can confirm that TESA 4288 / 4092 needs two layers of tape to avoid failures at the spoke holes at road pressures.

Having said that, I find it to be an outstanding tape for tubeless set-up, as it conforms very easily to the rim bed. One of my favourite benefits of this tape is something I never would have thought could be so important, but when wrapping the second layer, it manages to let any air bubbles move out (just dragging a thumb nail along them) so that the layers of tape rest perfectly against each other and the end result is a perfectly smooth, strong tape job.

I am now curious to weigh two layers of Tesa vs one of the old HED tape or other single-layer tapes. My guess is there's no meaningful weight savings or height savings to be gained with single-layer set-ups, as they'd just be thicker per layer. Just a guess for now though...

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wheelbuilder
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by wheelbuilder

Steve Curtis wrote:Once taped, put on a tyre and inner tube and inflate to really push the tape to the rim.
Leave for a few hours or overnight, and it will be fully adhered all over so it won't allow any sealant to seep under the layers.

I first started using tubeless 20 years ago with mtb, and surprised it still isn't a fully developed foolproof system.
100 percent this. It is an extra step, but very worthwhile. We learned over the years that this was critical to tape adherence with no chance of edge lifting. Started setting up tubeless wheels (for customers) in 2012. Also agree with Tobin about sidewall taping. Not sure about hookless and have no opinion or theories.
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DaveS
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by DaveS

I buy wheels that don't need tape. I have two sets of BTLOS wheels with no spoke access holes. I've had no problem seating tires on hookless rims.

bmrk
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by bmrk

The best I have used is the schwalbe, single layer and seems to last forever.


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ViperFFM
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by ViperFFM

Polyimide tape from amazon at 5USD
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Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:23 am
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