Have one tire that has slow leak, where I have to put air in every 3-4 days. Have taken off rim, tire is fine, no nails / no bad stem, looked at alum. rim, no dents, place tire back on rim, still leaks.
OK, what gives? Do I buy that insty flat fixer? Does that effect balance and wear on tire? Any suggestions please.
It’s been said that alloy wheels are air held together with some aluminum - and that isn’t far from the truth. It is common for alloy wheels to leak THROGH the metal. That is, they are porous.
So have someone spend some time figuring out where the leak is. A kiddy pool works well for this. Just remember that even a tire on a wheel floats so you have to weigh it down.
Do I buy that insty flat fixer?
NO!
The stuff is only good for a very temporary fix when you are planing to throw away the tyre and wheel when you get were you are going.
It was a joke. Did it once, drove it to shop and it cost me more to repair. lol.
You can use the bathtub to check for leaks. But you’ll probably have to clean it (the bathtub) afterwards. If the tire has ever been plugged, check the plug. And also the valve stem and Schraeder valve itself. I actually had one that leaked once. If immersing the whole wheel is a problem, you can check most of the stuff that is likely to leak with a bowl of water generously laced with detergent. A three to four day leak should bubble quite nicely.
Temporarily inflate the tire to 45-50 psi and submerge it in a tub of water. You WILL find the leak. But first, spray some soapy water around the valve stem…
Did that first. Nothing. Then took tire off rim, examined the rim and inner tire. Nothing. Maybe its the seal, tire to rim, that isn’t sealing right. If so, can I apply some type of clear caulking?
You must FIND THE LEAK before you attempt to fix it. Tire shops slop on a “bead lubricant” when mounting tires…This also acts as a bead sealer.
Submerge the inflated tire in a tub of water and look carefully…
You could PAINT the inside of the wheel with the proper aluminum adhesive paints.
If you dunk the tire under water and look carefully, as was said, you will find the leak. Use a good light and also try bending the valve stem outward to simulate centrifugal force if you have long stems. If you don’t find the leak, you are not being careful and patient about looking. I can find a three week leak with this method. For these, look for a bubble forming on a surface and wipe it away. If it comes back that may be the leak you are searching for in the case of a very slow leak.
Make sure too, that you have all of your valve stem caps.