Tire invisible leak

Hi - I have a tire that is constantly loosing air, sometimes as much as 10 psi a day. I made two carefull inspection with soapy water and it's still impossible to detect. Did somebody saw something like this ? is there a possibility of rim crack that could leak only with some kind of traction applied ?

Thanks.

Reply to
Syl
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I suspect most of us have seen this sort of thing from time to time. The most common culprit is the valve stem. Another common problem is a leak caused by poor condition of the tire beak or the rim surface against which it is supposed to seal. Occasionally you will get a puncture that will leak more at some times or positions than at others. You could have a pinhole leak or crack in the rim itself, but I have never had this happen.

Have you been able to take the wheel off and immerse it in a tank of water? This will usually point you to the problem. If it is the tire bead/ rim condition problem, it will often leak much less when the tire is fully inflated, and gets worse and worse as the pressure inside the tire drops.

Reply to
hls

Possibly.

Take the wheel off and submerge it. You'll find the leak.

Reply to
Mark Olson

What I see lots when looking for slow leaks is the looker pumps up the tire mistakenly thinking this will force air out faster. In fact this usually seals rim or valve stem base leaks.....

I even had to get the service manager involved last time I had a rim leak because the tech insisted the tire was solid. He put 45 PSI in it at room temp then water tanked it. Tire empties out overnight with 30 psi in it at -30....

I just told the service manager to please take my money and clean the rim for me. He found that hard to argue with....

You also could have a nail in it that leaks more when it is on the edge of the ground or something. Some are hard to spot without a tank or even a puddle of water or bath tub to sit it in.

And yes, the rim could be cracked, but that should be a more consistent leak.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile... Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06
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Reply to
Mike Romain

Stop-Leak, or the equiv, from Strauss et al. It offends a lot of people/purists, but it has saved me a fortune. Don't need much, either. Contrary to directions, one can is good for 5-10 tires. Drive immediately after putting in, to distribute the stuff. Easier to put in when tire is low on pressure. Also might be usable as emergency air (whole can).

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

That stuff don't work for shit on a rim leak though...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > Stop-Leak, or the equiv, from Strauss et al.
Reply to
Mike Romain

Hey, Syl, submerge it (probably can only do a portion at the time, and then spin for next portion) in your wife's bath tub. First, ensure she's gone and won't be back for awhile. Her bubble soap may even help, but do NOT slosh it around; instead, slowly stir it around--it bubbles so profusely it would be hard to see the leak's bubbles. Hide the bath towel until it dries completely and then sneak it into the dirty clothes basket, way down deep. IMPORTANT: Romain is correct about using only 30 psi for the test. If you ever find the valve core leaking at the stem, remove core, clean it, and wipe some oil on it, re-insert, and it should hold air until you get to W-mart to buy a new one. Please note: only some of this is bull-s***; remainder is useful fact. s

Reply to
sdlomi2

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