Losing air around bead on car tire....

[Dave Weaver]

I went out this evening to replace bearings on front end of my '99 Interstate and noticed the rear tire was flat.  I am currently running a 205/60-16 Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread.  I aired the tire up to 44 psi, placed the bike up on the lift, and spun the tire to look for anything in the tread.  I didn't see anything obvious, so I removed rear wheel from bike and sprayed water on the tire with a garden hose and found multiple places where air was bubbling out around the bead.  I have a video, but not sure how to upload it.  What are your suggestions?  My thought was to remove tire, clean beads with wire wheel and remount to see if this corrects problem.  Please chime in with additional thoughts.

[X Ring]

You could use c clamps to unseat the bead and hold the tire off it while you clean the wheel's bead area.  Just move the clamps as you need.

Marty

[Fudd]

Is this a "new" installation?

[Skinhead]

Since you have the wheel off, take a hand sledge, lay the wheel horizontal with the leak facing up, and carefully (so as not to strike the rim) hit the tire side wall as close to the bead as possible with out hitting the rim where ever you see a leak, after a few good whacks. the leak sould stop,  if idoesn't, you'll have to break the bead and clean between the rim and bead.  

[vanagon40]

I would suggest breaking the bead and making sure everything is clean and smooth.  If it still leaks after that, you can purchase "bead sealer" that you brush on the rim and tire to help make a good seal.  I have had good success with it even with very rough rims.



Also, there is a guy in Greenwood, Indiana (only 4 miles off I-65) who has both a bead breaker and a can of bead seal.  I will be home most of this weekend (or tonight or tomorrow night).

Good Luck.

[Farther]

My thought was to remove tire, clean beads with wire wheel ...

I don't think a wire wheel on the aluminum wheel is a good idea.  I would suggest a synthetic pot scrubber for nonstick cookware and dishsoap and water.  Dish soap because it rinses cleaner.  Then use bead sealing liquid.

[Daniel Meyer]

Yeah, break it down and clean it up.

[Dave Weaver]

Got 'er fixed.  I took it to a buddy of mine that has a car tire shop and he removed the tire, cleaned the wheel and tire, applied bead sealant, and remounted.  I bought this wheel and tire already mounted earlier this spring and previous owner had installed using fix a flat, ride on, tire slime, or some other gunk and inside of wheel and tire was full of gunk.  Thanks guys.

[The Anvil]

Bead sealer? If the wheel and tire are in good shape you should never use that stuff. But what might be happening is that the bead is catching before fully seating. That's the usual cause of bead leakage that I see. We use diluted dish detergent as a lube to get tough beads to seat.

I would break the bead, clean the beads really well and then lube with dish detergent. Air up to seat (overpressurize if it's really stubborn but don't go over about 55lbs) and you should be good. If that doesn't work then you might have a problem wheel or tire.