elusive tire leak

fixerupper · Dec 31, 2017

I have an elusive tire leak on my Chev Colorado that I just can't find. It leaks ten pounds every two weeks, maybe three weeks. The stem doesn't leak, or at least it doesn't leak when the wheel is off the pickup and on the shop floor and the bead doesn't seem to leak. I know some of you guys were or are still in the tire business, what are your tricks? What soap makes the best bubbles? What else should I be looking for? Thanks

flying belgian · Dec 31, 2017

Do you have a tank or are you just using the soap? Put 100# in and dunk it in a tank.

chadsd · Dec 31, 2017

if it has an alunimum rim, the rim is corroded where the bead is seated.

jeffcat · Dec 31, 2017

Had a trailer tire that started going bad.was leaking through the side
wall. As other post said you need to dunk it in a kidde pool or
something. Even a stream or pond will do. Will show very tiny
bubbles. Almost like the fizzy bubbles in a glaass of cola. Had a
screw in a tire and it only would leak when rolling down the road as
the tire would flex. I finnaly heard it hissing when the truck was
parked at just the right position of rotation. Also had a core with
crud in it.

Fufu602 · Dec 31, 2017

I kept airing up a tire on our gooseneck trailer this summer and fall until I got time to check it out better in early December. I use soapy water on
it finally decided to check the wheel. It was the wheel,two tiny cracks in the steel wheel.

Dune Country · Dec 31, 2017

we use dawn soap in the quad shop

hd6gtom · Dec 31, 2017

Fixer-- buy some leak detector from NAPA or ORIELLYS or someplace like that. It comes in gallon jugs, put it
in a 1 or 2 or 3 gallon sprayer full strength. Spray the tire and rim, don't spare it. Soap isn't good
enough. Take it slow. You may need to soak it down 2 or 3 times especially this time of year. The stuff
will freeze quickly. We wound up doing this with most tires. Best way we found for tough to find leaks in
the 22+ years I was in business. Good luck, some can be real stinkers especially is it has had fix a flat in
it.

Michael Soldan · Dec 31, 2017

Well, I don't run a tire shop but did a lot of tires when I worked in an auto shop. If you have aluminum rims they corrode and when you pop
the tire off you will see white powdery substance that is oxidated aluminum off the rim, Clean the rim with a wire wheel,slap on some bead
seal and you should be good to go. As for finding leaks I buy bottles of childrens bubble maker, cut it with some water and squirt it around
the vale stem, then bead, then other bead, then tread, it will fizz up and you will find you leak. I have my own tire machine and do my own
tires, I will tell you aluminum needs cleaning and bead seal about every two to three years. For bead lube I use Alberto V05, that's right, a
hair care product..lubes the tire well and helps to slip them onto the rim..my shop Motto is..Alberto V05 , when you got to get your rubber
on in a hurry !

Southern Ray · Dec 31, 2017

Maybe add more air when you check for leaks.
I had slow leaks in my mower wheels.
When I took out the inner tube and checked for the spot it didn't show up until I aired it up more.

Mike(NEOhio) · Dec 31, 2017

I have heard of cast aluminum wheels being porous. Never had one myself, just something I heard.

donjr · Dec 31, 2017

I put a new set of tires on a few years ago, and one started getting low after a couple of weeks. No noticeable leak. Took the tire off and found a small corroded spot on the aluminum rim.
burnished it off with a wire brush and smeared some sealant on the spot and no more leak. It looked like the old wheel weight had been there

Russ from MN · Dec 31, 2017

Unless it's really cold where you live I would put some slime in it, it's amazing how well it works.

DoubleO7 · Dec 31, 2017

if it is leaking via the bead area on an aluminum or steel rim, corroded or not it will still make bubbles when trying to find it.

Been offroad cutting firewood?
You might have a sliver of wood or other debris jambed in between bead and rim. And only leaks when the offending item is down in the 6pm position.

IowaJohn · Dec 31, 2017

I had 1 on the Grand Cherokee a week
ago. Finally after a good hour saw a
few bubbles around 1 of the weights.
Took it off pried down on the tire to
stick some tire lube in between aired
it back up and stuck the weight back
on it seems to be fine now

Greg K · Dec 31, 2017

There are cases where the aluminum rim has
a cracked or defect and it leaks through
rim. Probably the bead like others have
said. I have one on my pickup that does the
same thing but I've been too lazy to look
at it.

Ray · Dec 31, 2017

I put some dish washing liquid in a squirt bottle and spray the tire down.It
makes some big bubbles at the leak.My truck usually has a small nail in the
tire.Twice this year after going to the dump.

gab · Dec 31, 2017

I just spray them with some purple power, aluminum wheels leak around the bead after a few years, valve stems leak in the rim.

notjustair · Dec 31, 2017

Stock tank.

fixerupper · Dec 31, 2017

Wow, lots of good suggestions. Thanks. It does have aluminum rims and I do have a tire changer. Sounds like it's time to go to work and check out the rim soon as the shop is available. When it's -20 F like it is now the shop is always occupied by a thawing out truck. It was mentioned something might be in the bead if I have been off roading. I have punched soybean stubble through a side walljust above the tread in the past so I stay out of the bean stubble with this pickup but I did sneak into the bean field once last fall when we had some combine trouble. Could be a little piece of bean straw has worked through. I would have seen bubbles from the leak but maybe not. I only checked the tire, not the rim. The cattle tank I can use is the horse tank across the road but at -20F, well, soap sounds better. LOL

LarrySTN · Dec 31, 2017

Yes, purple power will reveal leaks that soapy water will not. I only use purple power now.

Roger Tomfohrde · Jan 1, 2018

We had aluminum rims that would leak at the rim. The last shop used a silicone based tire lube that seals the bead before balancing. Never leaked when cold again.

Dan Richardson · Jan 1, 2018

Quit messing around with it. Put a bottle of Slime in it and be done.

Rex Simpkins · Jan 1, 2018

Take it off the vehicle fill it with air and put it in an old bathtub full of water, when you see air bubbles you found your leak

rustyfarmall · Jan 1, 2018

For what it's worth. I had the same elusive leak on one of my dually rear tires. Tires were not even old, and rims are not aluminum. Took the truck to my favorite, local tire place. It took the guy awhile to find it, but finally he did. It was the valve stem, but not the core itself. The slow leak was coming from where the stem went through the rim. Installed a new stem and 2 years later all is well.

GarryinNC · Jan 1, 2018

A leak that slow with about half and half water/dish soap will likely show up as real small,fine, foamy bubbles and may take a little time to show. Try wetting around the bead first on one side then the other giving each a few minutes to sit. Most every tire supply or decent auto parts will have brush on bead sealer, if that is the problem. I have used it several times. I always clean the rim first.

If the leak is not at beads, I always check tread with soap and then sidewalls. The leak will still look foamy. Just what works for me.

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