At 12:55 AM 11/30/05, Greg Smith wrote:
>"I read your response with regard to applying silicone sealant to the spoke nipples, but I'm not so sure of its longevity and integrity. Do you have any experience with this?"

Yes. The wheel has to be VERY CLEAN for the silicone to adhere well. This is no problem with new wheels, but old rusty wheels would be a problem. When in doubt, have the inside of the rim abrasive blasted to strip it down to bare metal.

If you read the fine print in the instructions for silicone sealant, they sometimes mention a primer solution. This works best on bare metal, not so well over paint. If properly applied on bare metal with the right primer, the sealant is as good as vulcanized rubber (or maybe even better). If you put the silicone over dirty paint or rust, all bets are off.

You can ask British Wire Wheel for advice if you like. They will supply new Dayton Wire Wheels in tubless form with the rims sealed in this manner.

If I was using wire wheels, I would definitely clean them, seal them, and run tubless. The advantages of running tubless are numerous, not to mention the cost and bother of tubes. The last (and only) car I owned with tubes in the tires was a wire wheel MGA in 1968-1969. I know lots of people running tubeless on wire wheels, and have never heard a single complaint about leaks.