No, not entirely. Most Tubeless or Tubeless Ready tires use a casing that is not completely airtight and rely on some kind of liquid sealant to seal tiny imperfections and pores before being used. Only 'UST' labelled tires are designed to be run without sealant. UST tires use a butyl layer in their construction which makes a bit heavier than Tubeless Ready tires, but also more airtight.
Although tire sealants are generally pretty safe, we find that when switching between different sealants it's best to clean out the tire just to be safe. Rinsing the tire out with some cold water should do the trick.
So, if there is a a small leak in the rim tape, shouldn't the sealant seal it?
so how do you fix slow leaks on the bead? telling us to spray water on the wheel and not how to fix the problem is not a troubleshooting tip.
Hey Shayne! Reach out to us at tech@notubes.com and we can help you troubleshoot!
Is it reasonable to expect a tubeless tire set up to be airtight even without any liquid sealant installed?
No, not entirely. Most Tubeless or Tubeless Ready tires use a casing that is not completely airtight and rely on some kind of liquid sealant to seal tiny imperfections and pores before being used. Only 'UST' labelled tires are designed to be run without sealant. UST tires use a butyl layer in their construction which makes a bit heavier than Tubeless Ready tires, but also more airtight.
Appreciate your informed reply.
I have new tubless tires with unknown sealant. Could I add Stans sealant of top of it?
Although tire sealants are generally pretty safe, we find that when switching between different sealants it's best to clean out the tire just to be safe. Rinsing the tire out with some cold water should do the trick.
Mavic recommends 2 layers for my Cosmete pro sl ust rims. Can I just follow that instruction?
We would also recommend 2 layers of tubeless tape for any high pressure (45+ psi) tubeless applications.