tires leaking?

[DP]

I've got a 98 Outback and I'm having a continual problem with the tires
having a slow leak. It's all 4 of them and they do it at random times.
I've had the wheels cleaned, valve stems replaced (that seemed to stop the
problem for about a month) but I can't stop them from losing air from time
to time and for no apparent reason. Any insight?
Thanks,
Drew

 

[Jim Stewart]

I've got a 98 Outback and I'm having a continual problem with the tires
having a slow leak. It's all 4 of them and they do it at random times.
I've had the wheels cleaned, valve stems replaced (that seemed to stop the
problem for about a month) but I can't stop them from losing air from time
to time and for no apparent reason. Any insight?
Thanks,

1. How old are they? If they are factory
original, it's time to get some new ones.

2. Check the valve stem. Just put some
soapy water in the stem and around where
it mates with the wheel.

3. Take them off and dunk them. Any good
tire shop can do this. This will tell
you if it's the bead seal or a nail
causing a slow leak.

Others have posted about corrosion and scale
causing the tire to leak at the bead. I've
not seen this, but my car doesn't have to
deal with salted roads either.

 

[Wayne Farmer]

I've got a 98 Outback and I'm having a continual problem with the tires
having a slow leak. It's all 4 of them and they do it at random times.
I've had the wheels cleaned, valve stems replaced (that seemed to stop the
problem for about a month) but I can't stop them from losing air from time
to time and for no apparent reason. Any insight?
Thanks,
Drew

It's always possible that some prankster is periodically letting the air out
of your tires, just to jerk your chain.

 

[DP]

1. How old are they? If they are factory
original, it's time to get some new ones.

Not original equip. Car is approaching 100,000.

2. Check the valve stem. Just put some
soapy water in the stem and around where
it mates with the wheel.

Valve stems have been replaced. Not sure that test would work because
they'll go for days and sometimes a week or two without any apparent
leakage.

3. Take them off and dunk them. Any good
tire shop can do this. This will tell
you if it's the bead seal or a nail
causing a slow leak.

Same...

Others have posted about corrosion and scale
causing the tire to leak at the bead. I've
not seen this, but my car doesn't have to
deal with salted roads either.

Car was my father's originally, he was in Michigan and he thinks its
corrosion from salt.
He's suggested inner tubes or maybe even putting some of that flat tire
repair stuff in them to seal them up.

 

[Edward Hayes]

NEVER put an inner tube in a tubeless tire for safety reasons as friction
between the two will cause over heating and blowout. My Michelin,Yokohama
and BFG tires will lose about 1 pound of air per month. All four tires loose
about the same amount of air in that time. In addition: tires will gain or
loose about 1 psi for ever 10 degree change in temperature so they should
always be checked cold with a good digital or other type gage. As
recommended by tire manufactures I check my tires cold at least once a month
or before any extended highway driving. ed

 

[Jim Stewart]

NEVER put an inner tube in a tubeless tire for safety reasons as friction
between the two will cause over heating and blowout.

I've been wondering about that for a long time.
I searched several major tire company websites and
could not find a warning. Where did you find out
about it?

 

[Edward Hayes]

The inner tube in a tubeless tire info is quite old, probly about the time
radial tires got popular in the US. The radial tire with the more flexible
sidewall was what was causing problems. The old bias ply tires did not seem
to have as much of a problem. If your really realty interested you might
contact any of the major tire manufactures. ed

 

[Al]

The inner tube in a tubeless tire info is quite old, probly about the time
radial tires got popular in the US. The radial tire with the more flexible
sidewall was what was causing problems. The old bias ply tires did not seem
to have as much of a problem. If your really realty interested you might
contact any of the major tire manufactures. ed

In my Subie, the cause was corrosion on the rim. New England salt on the
roads, you know. The tire dealer turns down the rims a bit, replaces the
tires and the leak is gone....until more corrosion. Took about 4 yrs for
it to show up.

Al

 

[DP]

In my Subie, the cause was corrosion on the rim. New England salt on the
roads, you know. The tire dealer turns down the rims a bit, replaces the
tires and the leak is gone....until more corrosion. Took about 4 yrs for
it to show up.

Al

What do you mean...turns down?

 

[George Adams]

From: "DP" (e-mail address removed)

What do you mean...turns down?

I would guess they mount the rim on a lathe and take a skim cut to remove the
corrosion and form a smooth surface.


George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of
youth that doth not grow stale with age."
---- J.W Muller