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Is there slime in my tubeless tires?

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Is there slime in my tubeless tires?

Old 01-01-20, 07:02 PM
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Jicafold
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Is there slime in my tubeless tires?

I picked up a set of used Shimano Ultegra 6700 tubeless wheels with Maxxis Padrone. This is my first set of tubeless wheels. Probably a silly question, but how do I know if there is sealant already in the tires? Do I have to take the tires off?

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Old 01-01-20, 09:10 PM
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rosefarts
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Rotate the wheel so the valve stem is at 6 o'clock. Give it a minute or two then let a couple psi out of the tire. If something comes out, it's sealant.

Can't much help you with how much or what brand though.
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Old 01-02-20, 11:52 AM
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ironwood
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If the tire is still holding air, there is probably sealant, but if it has been sitting for a while the sealant might pool in the bottom, or dry out.
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Old 01-02-20, 12:00 PM
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Caliper
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Originally Posted by rosefarts
Rotate the wheel so the valve stem is at 6 o'clock. Give it a minute or two then let a couple psi out of the tire. If something comes out, it's sealant.
I'm confused: with the valve at 6:00, it would be pointing up and the sealant will drain away from it. This is exactly what I do to make sure that sealant DOESN'T spray out...


If I were to try and check, I would use a long toothpick or something as a dipstick. But, if it is set up tubeless and is holding pressure, my experience says that it has had sealant put in. Out of eight tubeless tires I've worked with, only one has held rideable pressure overnight without sealant. The dipstick will also tell you how much you have in case you ride in an area where you need the sealant on a regular basis.
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Old 01-02-20, 12:13 PM
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Jicafold
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well, they are both holding air. SO I guess I'm good. Can I put more in if I want to?
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Old 01-02-20, 02:03 PM
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ironwood
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Originally Posted by Jicafold
well, they are both holding air. SO I guess I'm good. Can I put more in if I want to?
I don't know what happens if you mix different brands of sealants. One thing I do is to hold the tire almost horizontlly and slowly rotate it so the liqid sealant gets distributed all over the tire; then flip the tire and do the same to the other side. I think there are a number of threads about tubeless tires on the bicycle mechanics forum.
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