Alloys

Jaynee · #1 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 03:15 AM

My car has alloy wheels but the tyres keep going flat every 2 or 3 days. Someone said it's because they aren't sealed properly. So is this correct? What am I supposed to do about it? I am sick of getting the foot pump out all of the time.

ArellaEliora · #2 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 04:54 AM

It could be the valve stems, too. What you should do is take the tire off (have someone help you, of course) and drench the tire with water and spray the thing with soapy water to see if you see bubbles. Bubbles mean air is escaping. Or, if you can't take them off, try the soapy water on areas on the rim that you can see and, of course, the valve stems

Jaynee · #3 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 05:07 AM

And who says us women need a man.

ArellaEliora · #4 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 05:09 AM

Well, if it wasn't for my Hubby (who is a mechanic), I wouldn't really know much about cars.

Space_Cowby · #5 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArellaEliora

It could be the valve stems, too. What you should do is take the tire off (have someone help you, of course) and drench the tire with water and spray the thing with soapy water to see if you see bubbles. Bubbles mean air is escaping. Or, if you can't take them off, try the soapy water on areas on the rim that you can see and, of course, the valve stems

If you take the tyre off the rim there wont be any bubbles becasue there will be nothing holding the air in.

I would pop along to the local independant tyre garage and ask them to have a quick look see.

patriotcow · #6 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 03:40 PM

Wow dont ask me to get the tyre of, impossible its hard enough getting bike tyres of.

ArellaEliora · #7 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Space_Cowby

If you take the tyre off the rim there wont be any bubbles becasue there will be nothing holding the air in.

That statement doesn't even make sense, Space Cowby. Having a tire on a car holds the air in? Hardly.

Air will escape no matter where the tire is. My husband does this all the time to tires that he can't find the cause for the leak. He usually does it with the tire off. Sometimes he finds it is around the valve stem other times he finds it around the rim. I think once he found a slice that was so thin you couldn't see it with your eyes just looking at it.

Space_Cowby · #8 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 08:33 PM

Sorry,
but if you take the tyre off the wheel all you get is bascially a round piece of rubber. There is not a inner tuber or anything at all unlike a cycle wheel and tyre.

With the tyre off the rim you can not fill anythiting with air to spot the leaks.

ArellaEliora · #9 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 08:42 PM

The TIRE already has air in it. We are talking car tires here not bike tires. Most car tires, like the ones Jaynee is talking about do not have inner tubes. That is why the air is escaping in the first place. The rim of the tire needs to seat around the rim. If it doesn't do that it will leak.

Space_Cowby · #10 (**permalink**) 20-02-2005, 08:54 PM

i agree, but if you take the tyre off the rim how can you test it ?