My car tires have a slow leak where the wheel rim meets the tire. I had a tire shop take the tires off and clean the rims and put the tires back on with bead sealant but it doesn’t last very long and then the tires slowly lose air. While doing research to see about using Fix-A-Flat or Slime tire sealants as a permanent solution I found the following information.
From the people at Slime: “Our sealants are a temporary repair for punctures in the tread area of the tire. They are not meant for bead or valve leaks or sidewall punctures.”
And from the Fix-A-Flat website FAQ: "Can Fix-A-Flat® freeze? Yes, if the temperature falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit it will freeze. If the product is in the tire, and freezing weather is predicted, then immediately take the vehicle to a qualified tire professional for repair.
You provided your own answer for a question you didn’t ask. Your tire shop did not do a good job. When I have had to do this, I mark the tire at the bead location, take the tire off sand , prime and paint the bead area, let it dry a day and remount.
You would think steel wheels would corrode first but I have only had to do it on aluminum rims.
You’d think, but in reality many alloy wheels have problems with porosity. Aluminum casting is more prone to inclusions (foreign matter) and occlusions (air bubble voids). A good alloy cast in a well controlled reverse-gravity process pretty much eliminates these problems, and there are good coatings now to prevent surface attack from salt, but not all alloy wheels are done properly and not all wheels are coated.
I have had the wheel rims cleaned and sealed at places where the customer is not allowed to see the work that is being done, so I don’t know how good of a job they did sealing the rims. I made an appointment for next week at a small local independent shop. The told me they clean the rim and then, if necessary, they put epoxy (or whatever) on the rim and then sand that smooth and then use bead sealant. They didn’t exactly say they use epoxy, I asked if they use epoxy or silicone or something if the rim is corroded and he said, “that’s exactly what we do”. I’ll will watch what they do next week and report back.
I had this problem recently and tried some diy’er driveway repairs. Just to see if it is possible for a diy’er to fix without the aid of a shop. LIke if it happened and you were out in the boondocks or something. I’m not recommending any of what I discovered as a practical solution; paying a shop to do the job is the better approach. But if you are the scientific type, fyi here’s the thread about what I learned.
Fix-A-Flat and Slime are temporary solutions – Not Permanent
>>from the Fix-A-Flat website: Fix-A-Flat® is designed to provide a temporary emergency repair that will allow you to safely travel to a tire repair facility. It is not designed as a permanent solution. Visit a qualified tire professional at the earliest opportunity for a permanent repair.
>>from the Slime website:
A passenger vehicle tire treated with Slime should be taken to a tire repair shop at your earliest convenience for a permanent repair. Slime is not guaranteed to seal . . . bead leaks
I did it on my snowblower, but I don’t think I’d do it on my daily driver. I’d be afraid it would alter the handling characteristics and create an imbalance in the handling/braking. Understand that I’ve never tried it with a radial… and never gone 70mph with my snowblower.
If it was primary vehicle I would find the money to replace it. No sense getting in an accident or stranded over it. If it a vehicle that you only use occasionally and aren’t going very far or fast than temporary solutions might work. I would not recommend tire plugs though.
I’d be really hesitant to put a tube inside a modern radial even if I could find the right size.
Back to the OP, and Slime. If you ever use that stuff for a temporary repair, I’d suggest you tell your tire changer about the Slime before he starts. He’ll give you a bad look but he’ll be more angry if you surprised him with it. They HATE that stuff!
Jt, I owe you an explanation. My post made no sense. I was thinking of a different thread, the one wherein removing a tire by hand was discussed.
I was the TV on and was watching the inauguration and not concentrating on what I was doing. Now, if I can do something that dumb just while posting on a web forum and not concentrating on what I’m doing, imagine how dangerous not concentrating while driving is???
The original commenter asked about slime in car tires, and said Slime doesn’t dry out. Not true. Slime product labels say they begin to dry out after two years. Then they become a white-ish green powder. Also, Slime only fixes puncture holes, but not slashes.
