rim band or duct tape?

Or other.. what you guys use/recommend?

(Fitting my new shiny wheels w Morad-Akront rims...).

+ can I mount the tyres on an alloy rim using levers or I'd better have this done by a tyre fitter?

Horrible Korean tubes SPLIT . ' pop ' . opps , you get the picture .
Once we had real very RUBBER tubes , which were porous , so needed topping up pnematically Ea week or Two .
But were much sturdier and didnt BLOW OUT like CHEAP ones .

Same'd go for the Tape . Good Sturdy RUBBER rim tape (loop).

If you dont mind mauling your rims , go ahead . Unfortunately some fitters dont mind mauling them either .

The occasional decadent capitalist has a elaborate tyre fitting machine , AND knows how to use it .

Plenty of SOAP and temp over 30 Deg , 25 minimum , so theyre not harder than the rims . :shock:

Ya gotta gettem WELL down in the WELL , getting the last foot over .

Good smooth levers with NO burrs or sharp edges , nice big ones .THREE (minimum)Not Toy Ones .

p.s. Race Tyre fitters arnt usually totally useless .More tirade . In the old days some carcasses were soft and stretchy , piiece of proverbial to flip on.
SOME Race Carcasses were hard as nails .As they had to take enormous forces and loads .So took a skilled and competant fitter,A PRACTISED one .


So , if theyre High Speed Stiff tyres ( carcasses ) if its over 40 Deg. and youve left them in the sun a few hours , they should slip on O.K.

ONE has to be sure not to butcher the beads , if a deal of force ( Leverage ) is necesarry .Theres PROPER Lube also .Soap rots steel , & alloy ?

Orsonoce said:

+ can I mount the tyres on an alloy rim using levers or I'd better have this done by a tyre fitter?

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Get some rim protectors. I always use them on chrome or alloy wheels. Use proper tyre fitting lubricant (or use liquid hand soap, rather than washing up liquid) and the job is easy.

if you can get a rim band i would use it, but I would not use duct tape. Old duct tape is a pain to cleanup. Electrical tape is a much better substitute IMO. Wrap it around several times to get a good thickness and offset it enough to get it a little wider. It will stick to itself for the most part, and not leave the gummy nasty mess that duct tapes leaves when you need to take it off.

FWIW Harley dealers carry quality Dunlop rim bands and tubes that fit Commandos, am using them on my bike and they work well

Duct tape makes a mess. I have been using "Gorrilla Tape" for the last few years. That stuff works great and stays put. Jim

I prefer sticky tape (vinyl or duct or Gorilla or whatever is handy) to a rim band on the theory that any puncture or blowout will leak out a bit slower if all of the spoke holes are sealed somewhat by the duct tape, giving me a moment more to sense and react to the slower loss of air pressure.

Here's a tire changer made from stuff that you might have laying around.

It is made from a 14" or 15" automobile wheel, a piece of threaded all rod with a wing nut and washer, a split piece of 1/2" heater hose to cushion the spokes against the wheel, two half inch bolts with wing nuts to bolt it to your bench.

I often find it necessary, in order to get the beads into the "drop center," to use a large C clamp to compress and hold the two beads together on the far side from where I am working the tire irons.

http://s814.photobucket.com/albums/zz67 ... 20Changer/

Electrical PVC insulation tape any colour. Keep it warm, stretch it on the opposite direction to the wheel rotation and finish at the valve hole.

I reckon you could run the tyre tubeless but too scared to try.

Cash

thanks folks, think I'll go for electric tape and try insulate the rims. sounds like a great idea to avoid big trouble in case of a puncture...

When I had my Akronts drilled and wheels built at Buchanans a couple of months ago, I offered to send them bands. They said that they use duct tape.
If Buchanans uses duct tape then I can't see why not to use it.

JD

Duct tape is a pain in the ass to remove after years of being on a wheel. I hate changing a customers tire and finding that stuff.

Rim bands are $1, why are we eaven discussing this. Tape is not the correct item to use, it will work but not properly. With the rim band the rubber will be pushed into the nipples, keeping water out of the rim.

I agree 100% with wolfie - rim bands. Electrical tape does get messy and slides around. This is 3M good tape too.

it's amazing. there are always at least 3 different opinions. one the opposite of another. on whatever argument ;-) it makes my life more complicated but somehow fun. So now got to decide what position to take:

-Duct tape -it works / it's messy / will seal the rim
-Electric tape -it works / cleaner than duct tape / it's still a bit messy /will seal the rim
-Rim bands -done on purpose + cheap. / will not seal the rim / will keep the water out.

and we're talking about rim bands!

If the rims were steel I would lay down rust paint in silver first. Then rim tape. Blunt spoke ends too = check. Plus check for any that may protrude = chafing /puncturing. Rim locks are a disaster waiting to happen IMO.Double thick tape up that hole. Only talking steel here.

Orsonoce said:

it's amazing. there are always at least 3 different opinions. one the opposite of another. on whatever argument ;-) it makes my life more complicated but somehow fun.

Click to expand...

Which should lead you to the conclusion that it doesn't really make any difference which way you do it! (However I always use rubber rim tapes :wink:
(US = rim bands) http://www.carrotcycles.co.uk/tyres-tub ... t_156.html

Just an obnoxious clarification - Only function of band or tape is to protect the tube from the raw spoke nipple ends. It takes much more than mere tape wraps, to keep nipple ends air tight, for long. Don'taskmeorotherswhywesayso. Brush up Phos acid to paint then install till next brush up phos acid paint and ...

and every time ya do think of me simply cable cutting fat race tires off or tedious but low strain inching skinny tires on and off with a Tubliss shoe horn and 3 gasket chisels, while I wonder what I'm missing out w/o a tire stand rotary lever changer...
I almost bought one of those till I found out can't be used with Tubliss system on Peel which is meant to trash tires and change tires from turnpike cruisers to sand dune paddle tires then back again to return. I've done enough tube type on road sides or in hot fields to appreciate not having a tube inside.

So, is the OEM selection of rubber rim bands a function of "their better because . . . . .. " or a function of "we're not in the tape business, we're in the rubber business, and we make rubber bands, so that's what we're gonna use . . ."

You can buy silicon based self fusing tape that should work very well for this. Armet guideline tape is good stuff. It is thicker in the centre so when doing spiral wraps it forms an even thickness. It bonds to itself leaving no residue upon removal. It is about 1/64" thick on the edges and 1/32" in the centre. 1" wide tape has 1/4" thin outer edges and 1/2" wide double thick strip going down the centre. It's main use is for electrical insulating and cable management.
These people sell it but their website sucks"
http://www.freudenberg-nok.com/products/ssp.htm

F4 tape is a close copy of this tape and is available on line here:

http://www.f4tape.com/triangular-guidel ... hwodg0uJqQ

Then I just found this on the web which is real consumer grade. It seems thinner, more like regular electrical tape but otherwise a very similar product. They have an informative video on the stuff you will see.

http://www.pocketrubber.com/

For other uses of tape without the sticky mess duct tape leaves, get yourself some Gaffers Tape used in the film industry. Traditionally it is a cloth backed tape but it is available also in plastic back like normal duct tape. Cloth gaffers tape is about $20.00 a roll and you can tear it into any shape like a piece of cloth. The plastic backed stuff is $8.00 or so per roll. Real gaffers tape uses acid free glue, you can tape lighting gear to a wall with it and then remove it without pulling the paint off the wall or leaving any residue. Unfortunately some duct tape companies are now using the term "Gaffers Tape" for their regular glue products. Some good suppliers are Able Cine and Rose Brand Theatrical Supplies.

I got some 19" rim bands from MikesXS on my last order, they were cheap and appear good quality. Duct tape leaves a mess as others have noted, rim bands are not expensive so why not use them...spokes expand and contract a bit with heat cycles, rubber is the best material to use to protect the tube.