The mysterious deflating tire...

[Bonkers]

Talk about odd...

During the VA/MD cruise I had at least three people mention to me that I should watch the passenger rear tire because it may have taken more damage than thought in the fire. The rim itself has turned a sick gold colour from flame damage. I drove around for almost 1500 (spirited) miles with no pressure loss at all, but upon returning home from the event my fiance noticed that this tire was low.

I checked the pressure and it read 20psi. Since I had some more repairs planned in this tire well anyway I just brushed it off. Four hours later it was sitting on the rim and the Gauge read 7psi.

I took the tire off and looked over it - no obvious injuries. So I coated it with lite mix dish soap and inflated the tire to 50psi...... no bubbles... anywhere even the stem and metal. I deflated the tire back to 30psi and remounted it the way it came off (thinking that maybe there is a slice that holds pressure until its deformed.) Here I am 21 hours later and she's holding a perfect 30psi. I'm of for a run around the block now, but does anyone have any idea why/how this could happen?

 

[MichaelP]

I had a couple of cars that did the same thing happen. I think it is the rim but the leak is so slow bubbles usually wont show it.

I never found out exactly what was up. The cars were old junkers and ended up in the grave yard or were sold.

 

[dansauto]

yea, you got a slow leak. My Stealth had the same problem with all 4 tires. Cheap fix is get some green slime from Autozone. Deflate the tire and put about 2/3 the bottle in. Inflate and immidetaly drive the car. It worked for me.

 

[BigCarrot]

I had a forgeline rim that did this! It had a tiny tiny crack in the wheel.

 

[Bonkers]

The thing that bugs me though is that she dropped 10+psi in four hours. That betrays the slowleak theory - unless the rim was hot and expanded?..?...?...?

Here we are two days later and 29psi. Thanks for the info and I'm definitly going to have it checked out. Maybe I'll have Don check it out at the MD/VA Tire Tech session - I'm sure he has a better eye for these kinds of problems.

 

[ceieio]

Bonkers - had this trouble with a "mag" wheel on one of my late 60's muscle cars. We chased a slow leak for sometime. The eventual diagnosis was rim porosity, where the air actually leaks through the pores in the metal. Solution? Replaced the rim.

 

[Fast Freddy]

your wheel is leaking air from your valve stem. those fancy little valve caps that u tighten on with a wrench can be overtightened and this will cause a slow leak.

 

[Paul S Lacey]

Got to agree with Fast Freddy had the same thing with standard wheels one day a slow puncture pump the tyre up then its gone.

Can only be a sticking valve.

 

[Chris and Pam]

We had the same problem with our new Dakota. The wheel had a pinhole leak on the inside - had to replace it. The local tire shop found it right away - it took a little longer at the dealer.

Pam

 

[LETHAL GTS]

Neighbors kid??

 

[Toby]

Neighbors kid??

that is what I was thinking too.

 

[Mopar Steve]

Bonk When I looked at your wheel there is obviously a heat situation here (discoloring) The problem may well be a porosity problem exacerbated by heat. You told me you were doing some enthusiastic driving, and this will develop heat in the wheel. The porosity may not be evident cold, only when hot. This wheel may also have become brittle and crack when you least expect it. Rather that having that wheel re-chromed replace it.