Hey all!

I just bought new tires and they are all losing pressure. Not at the same rate but one will drop to about 15psi over night. They're aren't any holes that I can see and when I went back to the shop that mounted them, I was "informed" that my wheels were rusty. Imagine that, rusty aluminum.

Now, I know aluminum can corrode (not rust!) but my question is, can it do such a thing to the point of poor sealing at the bead and if so, can a wire brush and/or some silicon remedy that?

Thanks,

Scott

 

If they're losing that much air that fast, it shoule be quite easy to spot a leak.

Try some soapy water on the beads and the valve stems. Take them off and check their inner beads too.

 

The bead is most likely where you problem is. If they knew there was corrosion the guy that mounted them should have cleaned them before mounting them. I would take them back and have them done right. In most tire places it is common sense to clean the bead before mounting new tires steel and aluminum

 

Could be the rim/tire interface or the valve or the valve core. As stated above, use a soapy solution in a spray bottle, like Windex.

 

The problem is, the shop apparently doesn't want to. I was told about the rust (on aluminum) and that I should have the wheels taken to a machine shop.

Thanks for the input though.

I'll come back when all is said and done.

Scott

 

No need for a machine shop all they need is a wire brush. Done it too many times.

 

I agree on checking for leaks around the bead and the valve stem.The o-ring in the valve stem could also be bad.But what that shop is telling you is wrong.I would either go higher up,if it's a chain store,or just go to another shop.Some shops don't take as great care as thry should when mounting aluminum/custom wheels.It's common practice when,at most,a tire shop mounts tires to inspect/clean the bead seat area of the wheel.As you stated aluminum corrodes but it's more likely rubber residue buildup on the rims.Simple as wire brushing the bead area of the wheel.They are liable if a tire fails due to poor installation.

 

I had this happen on a non-thirdgen we recently inherited. One of the tires was slowly loosing air. On inspection I can see a nail near the transition from tread to sidewall. I took it to a shop and had the tire replaced. I'm thinking the problem is solved. Next day I notice the same tire is now deflated about halfway. I correctly diagnosed the problem without using any soapy water or removing the tire.

My Father-in-Law had installed those tire inflation indicators on all the valve stems. One of them was bad. I proved it by swapping it onto another tire. In about 40 minutes the other tire was visibly down a bit. I remove the tire inflation indicator and chucked it. Problem solved, but it had me scratching my head for a few minutes. I know this likely won't solve your problem. I just thought I'd share.

Lon