FattyStripper Installation Instructions
1) Rim preparation – make sure you have your rims reasonably clean and solvent free. A weak dish soap solution and a rag seems to work the best.
2) Install the inner rimstrip. This can be the plain, ugly, vinyl rimstrip that comes with your rim or one of our gorgeous 3M BlingStrips. Something is required to reinforce the rim at the cutouts since the FattyStripper is meant just to seal your rim and is not structural.
3) If installing the BlingStrip, trim the width of the BlingStrip to fit snugly between the “shoulders” of the rim. It should sit flat on the center channel, completely covering the cutouts. If you have <1/4” of material on the outside of the cutouts, add the tape in step 5 to keep the edge of the strip out of the cutout once the tire is inflated. If you have cutouts going up the ramp to the bead shelf, you may need to cut some relief cuts between those side cutouts to allow the BlingStrip to sit flat on the center channel, but still cover the side holes adequately. If flat on the bottom and pulled tight around the center, wrinkles should not form.
4) If installing the BlingStrip, only peel back enough of the adhesive backing to secure the overlapped section (3”). Don't remove the backing material beyond the contact overlap of the BlingStrip. Line up the inner exposed edge of the BlingStrip with the metal of the rim an inch or two from the valve hole so that the overlapped section will be where you put the valve hole. The DT Swiss/Specialized rims have thin perpendicular strips of metal. Put the 3M tape's seam “behind” the perpendicular metal not the slanted section.
5) If you know you will be rolling >8 psi OR you want a more robust structural rimstrip, add 2 wraps of clear, non-stretch packing tape around the BlingStrip. This should also cover the edges of the 3M tape & prevent any sharp edges from puncturing the thin latex when the tire is pressurized. It will only add 3g to the wheel.
6) Line up the reinforcing rimstrip's valve hole with your rim's valve hole. If using a BlingStrip, a hot nail going from the inside of the rim, through the valve hole, melts a nice clean hole through both layers of the BlingStrip's overlap. Don't inhale the puff of smoke... please.
7) Using a clean, damp rag, wipe the rim to make sure it is completely free of puncture causing debris.
8) Recommended optional step – Cut a 1/2” section of an old 700c road tube to use as a spacer/gasket for your tubeless valve stem. Most tubeless valve stems were made for standard double wall rims where the thickness from the inside of the rim to the outside is more than a few millimeters. Most fatbike rims have only one thickness of metal at the valve hole. A commonly overlooked problem with this is that the valve stem's rubber base pulls through the hole enough to cause the locking nut to run out of threads before it can adequately tighten the backing rubber to the hole. Gaps at the valve account for over 95% of leaks. Use a hot nail to burn a hole through both layers of the old bike tube. Again, please don't inhale the highly toxic puff of smoke... and preferably do this outside. Push the valve stem through the tube's hole.
9) IMPORTANT - Put the valve through the FattyStripper valve hole BEFORE putting the latex on the rim.
10) Install the valve through the rim's reinforcing strip and the rim's hole. Place the included nylon washer/spacer under the lock nut & tighten the lock nut while pushing on the back of the valve stem with your thumb.
11) Starting at the valve hole on the FattyStripper, put the damp FattyStripper around your rim. It should be evenly stretched over both beads without any wrinkles. A damp FattyStripper reduces slippage of the latex back into the center of the rim, especially on larger rims where less latex is wrapped over the rim's bead.
12) Be careful not to set the wheel down in such a way that the metal bead can slice the FattyStripper that is wrapped over its edge.
13) DO NOT use adhesive on your rim to secure the latex bands as has been shown in original installation videos. The latex bonds so strong with the tire's bead that it is too difficult to separate for re-use without damaging the latex band. It is recommended to leave the latex bonded to the tire's bead and remove the tire, valve and latex as a single sealed unit when changing to a different set of tires. You can inflate them after they are off the rim... that's part of the reason this system has such great anti-burp performance. Re-using the latex is simply not worth the time & effort vs a new set of $10 bands.
14) Using your finger, lube the FattyStripper bands with a thin coating on bead shoulder/shelf to allow the tire to easily slide up the shoulder and seat on the bead. Instead of Vaseline or standard bike grease, use liquid laundry soap or liquid dish soap as your lube. The soap works great as a lube but also will produce visible bubbles at any leaks (just spray wheel with water).
15) Place your tire onto your rim. After putting both sides of the tire onto the rim, a plastic tire bar may be necessary to open a slight gap for a clean squirt of 1 or 2 oz of sealant into the tire. I've NEVER needed more than 3 oz to seal up tire... and that was only because the tire itself had over a hundred pinholes up the sidewall.
16) Slowly spin the tire at a 45 deg angle to the left and to the right to put a coat of sealant around the tire. If a little spills out... that's OK, but usually its not more than a drip or two. This step will help you seat the bead.
17) Remove the valve stem's core. This is a MUST DO step to get the bead to seat.
18) Seating the bead can be a little tricky for loose tire & rim combinations. Most modern 120tpi tires and rims will seat up easily with a floor pump and some vigorous pumping. For those “challenging” combinations you may opt to use 1” webbing from a standard ratchet strap and wrapping it around the uninflated tire 2x. Separate each wrap around the tire by an inch or so to put pressure evenly near each tire bead. I do not use the ratchet. Just pull both ends tight with your hands and then hold it by hand. This allows the straps to be slowly released when the air pressure is building and expanding the tire. Using compressed air, “hit” the valve with a blast of air until the tire seats. Let the expansion of the tire push the webbing out slowly.
19) Inflate up to 10-15 psi. You should hear the tire “pop” out to the bead. You can visually inspect both sides of the tire to make sure the tire's bead is consistent looking all the way around. This will indicate that the tire is fully seated. If it is not, use your thumbs to “work” that section of the tire until it slides out and fully seats. Most rims are rated for 20 psi MAXIMUM. DO NOT EVER EXCEED 20 psi, EVER! This is extremely dangerous for you and will destroy your rim in a non-warranty-able way. If you cannot get the bead to seat, release the air pressure, carefully push the tire back from the bead where it isn't seating and smear some lube in there. Try re-inflating while working that section with your thumbs.
20) Spin and/or wobble the tire to ensure that the entire inside of the tire and rim gets coated with sealant. Mount the tire and go for a quick ride is also a great way to get it fully sealed.
21) Using a sharp exacto blade, utility knife or a clean pair of fabric scissors (open the tip of the scissors slightly to create a small, sharp “V”), trim the excess FattyStripper. Run the blade around the rim while pulling slightly on the FattyStripper to stretch it away from the tire some. This will allow you to trim the excess while having minimal excess visible.
Here is a link to the $1.29 Snap Blade razor I have been using from Ace Hardware.
22) Mount the tire and go ride.
23) New tires often take a few days to fully seal... due to the pinholes in the sidewalls inherent to the tire's manufacturing process. In my experience, the lighter the tire, the more pinholes there will be. Just re-inflate each day and do the “sealant wobble” to coat the inside of the tire with sealant.
