Tar Info

[Acolyte]

Ok, this is me being stupid.

Having never used tar, I looked for tar(I've been told roofing tar) and seem to find tar in a more "wet" form. However, when I see people using it, they usually have a small hard block of it.

Do people just buy(or "find") roofing tar, take it out and let it dry?

It is probably that simple or I am really stupid.

Please inform me which of those two options(or both) I am.

[greyghost]

Go to a roofing place, they;ve got barrels and barrels of it. They can chip you off a chunk for free

You want the hard form. It seems to melt at 90-100deg. From what I remember at least, I haven't touched the stuff for years.

[trial_dude]

hellow,

i don't have a clue about the roofing tar ..

but here in belgium,and i think in your country too,thet also use tar to fill up holes in the street.

it's the black thing you see on the street,just take a screwdriver and take some out !

[bouncingbabyboy]

Go to the nearest auto parts store and buy a can of belt dressing. Works great, very clean, still squeeks like tar.

http://www.observedtrials.net/vb/showthread.php?t=22788&highlight=belt+dressing

[Acolyte]

I've played with belt dressing, never with tar. Just experimenting.

[Soapster887]

When my LBS was getting the roof retarred, i just went outside with an exacto knife and cut a big hunk off the cylinders of tar the guy had with the melter. It is quite possibly the best stuff i have ever had. I swear by it. Usually whenever its even damp outside tar goes to crap and if i was to ride through wet grass for 20 feet, bye bye breaks. I rub a TINY bit of this around the rim, and go riding in the pouring rain, and it still locks perfectly.

Mind you, I swear by tar. most people dont.

[Smaxx_Manimal]

i just grabbed a bucket of roofing tar from my garage and left big splotches of it on wax paper in my shop. takes about three days to fully dry or more.

only use a little, spin your wheel and gently touch the block to the rim, a little bit will help the brakes lock up like crazy... though noisy

[H2Omellon]

I could use some too.

[beastoftheeast]

i recently got some, it has helped my confidence a ton, and my riding too because now i can brake 1 finger, before i would do some mores with 1 finger, others with 2 fingers hahaha.

[toyota200x]

I've played with belt dressing, never with tar. Just experimenting.

What did you think of the belt dressing? Does it work as good as a grind and is it easy to put on?

[Acolyte]

What did you think of the belt dressing? Does it work as good as a grind and is it easy to put on?

There was a noticable advantage on a smooth rim, and a slight boost on a grind. Not enough on a grind, though. If you're running a smooth rim, I would definately use it.

I bought some little $1 packets from Auto Zone, put a little on a paper towel and apply to the rim(spin the rim of course). Needs to dry, if you only use a little, I'd give it 10 mins or so, if you use a lot, it'll need more time.

Beware, not all belt dressing is the same. I've used some really horrible stuff, the Auto Zone Packets do quite well.

[Keith Courage]

tar kills if used properly and you maintain your rim.
you've got to clean your rim quite well once in a while and re-apply.
I noticed that when your tar begins to wear out, braking performance improves over just re-application, if you clean the braking surface first.

Also, if your brakes start slipping during an epic ride. How many of your friends will have an angle grinder in their camelback?

But I ran into the same problems when I was looking to get my first batch of the stuff. I found no roofing supply places and Home Depot/Lowes only had 5 gallon buckets of the liquid form which is an absurd idea for just trials riding.

I ended up buying some off Carnagr on the forums. One of the more prevalent Canadian posters. :dunno:

[hopsalot]

There is 75# of the stuff in the back corner trials area at RaysMTB. Maybe Giventofly can put stuff in the mail for all those in need. Remember a little big goes a long, long way.

[jaimer]

Just go on the roofs of some buildings, like a school you will be able to find good chunks of it up there.

[cbmedina33]

has anyone tried using the tar on the brake pads alone? i know that sounds like a weird question, but i was wondering if anyone has tried it and if it works or not.

[proformance cycle]

To all:

just went out and picked some off the Road. Works like Stink, Even Better! If you know how Stink Works!:bigthumb:

[H2Omellon]

I could use some too.


Wow!!! I got neg'd for this. After one post. I had know idea how sensitive people can be on this board.

[H2Omellon]

GOt neg'd again. Someone out there is a shit eatting fag.

[Acolyte]

Wow!!! I got neg'd for this. After one post. I had know idea how sensitive people can be on this board.

If you're looking for sensitivity, you're definately in the wrong place. Don't take anything here personally, it's not worth the effort. Whoever neg'd you probably thought your post didn't contribute to the thread in any way.

Anyway, for tar directly on the pads, I would think it would wear off quickly. Pads slowly wear down anyway, as does the rim, but metal vs brake pad is certainly not a debate.

I bet it would work, just not as well as you would hope.

[H2Omellon]

I still need tar.

[AgrAde]

don't you have roads?

[H2Omellon]

Only dirt and gravel. Does dirt or gravel help.

[Acolyte]

Only dirt and gravel. Does dirt or gravel help.

It does not. Send a PM to giventofly or eastside, either of those guys should be able to help you out.

[Acolyte]

Went on a long ride yesterday using tar.

I approve. Worked better than a smooth rim w/ belt dressing, though the smooth rim w/ dressing had consistency in wet. I haven't gotten the tar wet yet, but I've heard it's sub-par.

Again, I have a medium grind w/ zoo pads. Smooth rims could be better with other pads, and I hadn't used the zoo pads on a smooth rim.

[dkoppric]

. I haven't gotten the tar wet yet, but I've heard it's the god damn most dumb fucking idea in the world to try and ride with wet tar you might as well call the god damn ambulance before you even get on the bike because you are going to become a quadrapalegic from that retarted idea of riding in the wet with tar.

[Acolyte]

I paraphrased a little.

But yes, that's what I've heard.

[Acolyte]

On a side note, if I know I'm going to be in a wet environment, how do I clean it off effectively? Alcohol? Regrind?

[AgrAde]

turpentine

[jmkeck]

If you don't have tar, Mountain Dew works as well but you need to only put a little on and let it dry.

[Povi]

V/Redbull also works well as its not as sticky as other soft drinks

[dkoppric]

On a side note, if I know I'm going to be in a wet environment, how do I clean it off effectively? Alcohol? Regrind?

simple green > *, as far as anything to do with cleaning rims or rotors....

[multismith]

I use a PPG product called Acrylaclean. Works great for removing wax, tar, or any other kind of stick surface. I use it for bare metal prep cleaning prior to epoxy primer coat, welding steel or aluminum. May seem like overkill but little goes along way. I have it around the shop anyway so I use it to clean my light grind rims. You can find it ant any automotive coating / paint specialty retailer that sells PPG. I'm sure there are other products like it but I'v only ever used this.

[Matt]

Just now saw this thread

Call a roofing shop in your area and ask them if they have any "kettle tar". They'll say yes, you say "Thank you" and hang up.

Drive to their shop and go inside and ask if you can purchase some, they'll probably take you out back to where they keep it and you can break a chunk off and take it home for free. They aren't going to charge you.

[Soapster887]

I paraphrased a little.

But yes, that's what I've heard.

Well yes, But it depends on the tar. If you go down to the road with a screwdriver scrape a bit off, and rub it on... Then yes, the second it gets wet your brakes will go to shit. But I have found that if you can get unused tar, which when you hold it should nearly stick to your hand, it will still work in the wet. You have to try it to believe it. I was heading home because it started to rain, and then i realized after a bit.. "shit, my brakes still work the same" and i turned around and rode for another half an hour in the rain with not one slip.

So.. It all depends.

[AndyT]

NO tar works in the wet :eek3:

[carnagr]

NO tar works in the wet :eek3:

.

[literocola]

I got so much tar layin around, anyone can buy some if they want.. Ill ship 10 years worth if someone just pays shippen.

[Acolyte]

Another question.

Just finished off my rear rim, put on an old DX32 I had. Does tar work decently on a smooth rim, or should I immediately grind this sucker?

[eturt9]

yeah, smooth

[dkoppric]

Another question.

Just finished off my rear rim, put on an old DX32 I had. Does tar work decently on a smooth rim, or should I immediately grind this sucker?

didnt you used to ride ground rims? you are entering a world of pain.

tar is for people that refuse to grind their rims.

[netto]

tar is for lazy people

[Acolyte]

didnt you used to ride ground rims? you are entering a world of pain.

tar is for people that refuse to grind their rims.

I used to grind, still probably will after a bit. Every time I change my rim I get this idea that want to try using a smooth rim, and it usually works fine until I have to ride a demo in the rain or something.

I haven't paid attention a lot, but the people that showed me tar were all grinding their rims too.

[Matt]

I used to grind, still probably will after a bit. Every time I change my rim I get this idea that want to try using a smooth rim, and it usually works fine until I have to ride a demo in the rain or something.

I haven't paid attention a lot, but the people that showed me tar were all grinding their rims too.
Tar works fine on a ground or smooth rim, but as stated by others it won't work well "riding a demo in the rain".

[AndyT]

tar crew 4 ova 1 year :coold:

[Acolyte]

Tar works fine on a ground or smooth rim, but as stated by others it won't work well "riding a demo in the rain".

Yeah, I didn't sound like a complete douche saying that....:wuteva:

[studi]

Im geussing "great stuff" would do a good job if you smear it around a rim :P

[Project7]

hey, say if i were to go and get a chunk of tar off the road, how the hell am i supposed to get it onto the wheel?

do i melt it,
or just rub the solid stuff onto the rim.

Thanks.

[dengenerate]

having never used tar, i can definitively say it sucks.