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Tire Question


Joe Flanagan

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I have a tire that kept going flat if my car sat for long periods. I took it down to the tire shop and they repaired it, saying that it was leaking around the rim. It was fine for a few days but then it went flat on the highway on my recent trip to Massachusetts. I changed to the spare and reinflated the flat. It has kept pressure for over a week now while sitting in the trunk. Any ideas what's going on with it.?

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Firt off since there is no real pressure and I mean pressure from the weight of the car pushing down on the tire then the spare would not leak as fast. Do you have a tube in your tire that is leaking? Did you checkthe vale stem to make sure the inner core is in real tight. Do you have valve extention on your value stems. Is there any thing that might make the vale stemm move and then have a small leak.

I would put it back on the car and then take a sprayer and wet the tire around the rim and also around the stem to see if you have any air bubbles showing. With having the weight on the tire this is causing something to help push the air out of the tire. Do you have rim protector on the inner most circle of the rim to protect the tube from getting chaffed just like you have on a bicucle rim to protect the tube from being cut buy the spokes. The could be a small piece of metal cutting into the tube if installed.

Just some thought for your Joe.

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

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Yes I have radials on the original rims. I was wondering if there was some dynamic at work while at highway speed that I was unaware of. The weight of the car alone will not cause the tire to leak. I plan to put it back on the car and check it with soapy water. I suppose the hubcap could have started moving again and bent the valve stem over but I have inserts (or whatever they are called) that normally prevent that from happening.

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Joe - One other possibility is simple rust through on the inside of the rim.  Has happened to me on my '55, although I don't know if that wheel leaked worse when mounted than when not mounted.  My spare wheel is so bent out of true that it's for decoration only.  Friend brazed up the wheel so it' usable for short trips but I'm not planning any big adventures like you just had.

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I've read these questions for sometime here and I feel the need to tap out my $.02.

I ran radial tires on my factory 1954 Ford Customline Fordor for 5 years without issue. I did thoroughly clean and repaint my rims prior to mounting my Pep Boys radials.

Second, my close friend has run a set of radials on his stock 1948 Plymouth P-15 2 door coupe for 10 years without issue. He also cleaned and painted the rims prior to mounting his Michelin's.

So, in closing, if your rims are not excessively corroded and are clean and painted, mount 'em up.

Soapy water will find leaks.

Again, my $.02

Jim

Edited by ACJCF2
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