Is there a product that can be applied to the inside of a wheel to seal a suspected hairline crack? My 2000 Chrysler 300M has one wheel that loses 3-4 psi weekly. New tires, valve stems, etc. did not cure the issue. I am replacing tires soon, and I hope there is something out there that will save me the expense of a replacement chrome wheel.
a PROFESSIONAL tire place will clean and seat your new tires on the rims.
just curious; when did you notice the leaking tire? what happened?
how much will a new set of tires cost? Versus a new rim??
I bought the car off lease with just under 25,000 miles on it. Now, I have 170,000+. Noticed the issue in the first couple of months I had the car; I assumed it was a valve stem or seating issue with the OEM tires. Had the rims thoroughly cleaned when I replaced the OEM’s (yes, professional shop); new valve stems, etc. but the issue continued. I am to the point I believe there is a hairline flaw in the wheel itself. I have been adding a few psi every other week. Not just a steel wheel; this is the 17" spoked chrome wheel.
With the wheel off the vehicle, over-inflate the tire and pour water around the tire bead on both sides. Or over-inflate, drive home and remove the wheel. A short trip won’t harm anything.
If no leak there, put some (soapy, if you prefer) water in a spray bottle and spray all of the rim itself and check for air bubbles.
An improperly made or installed counter-weight can cause the tire bead to leak.
This chrome rim is NOT bent to any degree?
Even a slightly bent rim will allow air to escape during the driving time as the tire flexes.
I would be very reluctant to try repair a hairline crack in a wheel. I assume this is a cast aluminum wheel. There are special welding shops that could probably do this, but the cost might be what the wheel is worth; then you still have a balancing problem in all likelihood. I would try to find a replacement wheel from a recycling yard first, before ordering a new one.
Thanks for everyone’s help - looks like I’m headed to the salvage yard-