How to Put New Sealant Into Tubeless Tires

Mountain bikes often use tubeless tires.

Many high-end mountain bikes come equipped tubeless tires, which are resistant to pinch flats and can be ridden at lower pressure than tires that use inner tubes. But like most tires, they are still susceptible to punctures from sharp objects, such as nails or thorns. Tire sealant can prevent these punctures, but many sealants will degrade over time. The solution to degraded sealant is to open up the tire and pour in some new sealant, which will ward off new punctures for some time.

Things You'll Need

• Tire levers
• Air compressor
• Tire sealant
• Rag

Instructions

1. Remove the wheel from the bike by opening the quick release lever, then deflate the tire. Almost all tubeless tires use a presta valve, which is deflated by unscrewing the locknut on the valve's rod and pressing down on it until all the air is released.

2. Slide the blunt end of your tire levers under the bead of your tire and wrench them upward to remove the tire bead from the rim. Do this around the whole tire until one half tire is off the rim. Use two or three tire levers at a time if necessary. You can hook the tire levers around spokes to keep one part of the bead lifted off the tire.

3. Use a rag to grab any clumps of sealant within the tire. Some latex-based sealants tend to clump together into rubbery balls that add weight to the tire but do nothing to seal the tire.

4. Pour in the appropriate amount of tire sealant. This is usually written on the side of the tire sealant bottle. Keep in mind that if there is still sealant in the tire, you will not need to pour in the full recommended amount.

5. Push the bead back over the rim with your hands until the tire is fully on the rim. You can use your tire levers to close the bead up as it gets tighter around the rim. Inflate the tire using the air compressor.

Tips & Warnings

• While inflating the tire, you will need to ensure the bead is even around the rim. Spin the wheel and watch the bead. If it moves up and down, deflate the tire and inflate until you hear a snapping noise, indicating the tire's bead has seated on the rim.

References

• Bike Manual: Tubeless Tire Installation