My tire wont hold air..

[dtruax]

I recently purchased new nitto terra grapplers (285/60/18) and the rear left tire slowly is leaking. Now ive noticed this since i bought them, but it seems after each time i "re-fill" the tire with air, it leaks out faster, like over a couple weeks or so. Whats interesting, is i had the same problem in the same wheel on my previous set of tires. If the wheel is cracked or the chrome is peeling, is there any way to fix that, besides buying a whole new wheel itself? Has this happend to anyone else? Opinions, tips, and any suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance

[crager34]

You have a leak. Get it fixed.










hehehe... been drinking.... sorta a smarty tonight.... :p

[pbkid]

your rim could have a defect and be letting out a little air....could also be a bad valve stem...

i would try the valve stem first..

[rowhard]

take it to a dunk tank

[Riff Raff]

More than likely, it's either a bad valve "core" or a bad-seated valve "stem". Flaking chrome is not going to cause a leak in the wheel, as chrome is only a plating over the original metal surface. In the rare event you had a piece of flaked chrome or other debris caught inbetween the tire bead and wheel lip, then that would cause a slow leak as well. A "submerged water dunk tank" test will find it.

Take your VX over to your local:

LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTER
2602 GEER ROAD
TURLOCK, CA 95382
TEL: (209) 634-3115

Les Schwab Tire has top-notch tire service.

[circmand]

I had the same problem with one of my OEM wheels. The chrome cracked and started to peel and the tire began to lose air so that I carried an air tank with me. I t was slow but would lose 10psi over a week if I did not constantly refill.

BTW I have an Isuzu wheel cap in good condition from that wheel for sale and the other wheels for sale. PM if interested.

[tom4bren]

I had a wheel on my Eclipse that wouldn't set a bead no matter how many times they tried. My final solution was some of that green slime stuff from WalMart (sorry, can't remember the name). It does seal leaks. It doesn't throw off balance. It may make your tire puncture proof (never got to test that). It will make the next tech to remove the tire really pissed off (very messy on the inside:))

[nfpgasmask]

I believe it has been said all along that there are issues with the stock rims, both with chrome peeling and bad seals as a result of the chrome peeling or something along those lines.

I would get the basic stuff checked first, but if it is a rim, it may be time to consider some new wheels. You could probably locate a used stock wheel for not too much money via eBay or salvage yards. Or, you could spend a little more and get some cool after market rims that look better than stock anyway!!!

;) Bart

[circmand]

I had a wheel on my Eclipse that wouldn't set a bead no matter how many times they tried. My final solution was some of that green slime stuff from WalMart (sorry, can't remember the name). It does seal leaks. It doesn't throw off balance. It may make your tire puncture proof (never got to test that). It will make the next tech to remove the tire really pissed off (very messy on the inside:))


SLIME

[tom4bren]

"SLIME"

Thanks ever so much for that:)

[etlsport]

very messy indeed.. i had one of our techs come out of the shop the other day ready to kill a customer cause when he broke the bead on the tire, that stuff spewed all over everything

[CrnCnn]

Les Schwab Tire has top-notch tire service.

Not really, they are the ones who broke my tie rod, claimed it was a "wear" part and refused to pay. The Dip**** who broke it left after breaking it and did not tell his boss.

NEVER going back.

Back on task,

I had a slow leak from a front right rim, but mine was cracked due to a dog/ice/curb issue. I am sure if you were to find the source of the leak someone could weld it.

[ScottinMA]

So what is the protocol for having your tire services after it has been injected with SLIME or some other tire sealing product? I thought the stuff dried inside the tire creating a film to prevent leaks. Does it come out wet?

[circmand]

"SLIME"

Thanks ever so much for that:)

Anytime I can be of very little help, a smart *** and do very little actual work I am there

[tom4bren]

Scott,

Slime ain't as bad as fix-a-flat. It's just messy. It might get gummy but certainly doesn't doesn't get 'dry'. As long as you forwarn them, they are usually pretty good about it.

Fix-a-flat on the other hand is flammable. If you don't do it yourself, you should warn them to deflate the tire outside. If you deflate it yourself prior to taking it in for repair/replacement, remove the needle valve (don't just press in on the valve - it'll get gummed up & never work right again).

Best bet - tell them "my buddy Larry borrowed my VX & got a flat - he put some of that Slime stuff in ..."

[IndianaVX]

for the air leaks caused by peeling chrome, this is what i did.
First buy or dust off your resporator, a good one, not like the dust mask/
swine flu preventer....lol
what i did was got a die grinder with a good wire brush, and got all that loose chrome off the inside of the wheel. (I too have put fix a flat in my wheel, and ill tell you, its corrosive also.) after that, i got an angle grinder with a 80 grit sanding disk, and feathered all the loose chrome back to good "still sticking" chrome. paying special attention to the sealing lip, getting it really smooth, and still not getting into the "face" of the wheel.
after this, i prepped the wheel with paint prep, i went and got some GOOD
primer/filler. i used AeroPRO 5976 high build primer/filler from NAPA.
i procedded to spray the whole interior of the wheel, sanding between coats till really smooth. this primer is great, and only took 2 coats.
ta-da shouldnt have leaks anymore.
what i found was that as the tire is being mounted to the wheel, the tire bead scrapes the loose chrome and gets caught between the sealing surfaces, the lip of the wheel, and the bead of the tire, allowing air to escape as a result. also, i made sure the tire guy used a nice bead of that thin rubber bead sealer.
you never see any of this work, unless the tire is off the rim, but it stops or slows the "cancer" of the peeling chrome/fix a flat corosion, and fixed my slow tire leaks.
i still have one tire to do, i will try to do a write up with pictures sometime.
i AM still alive, just dont have a computer anymore.
good luck with the tires!
hope all are well
David
IndianaVX