Here's the problem, I have 5 7''x16'' ag tires on 7''x 16'' street rim's. All are new, and all 5 have slow air leek's. At 30 psi the tire's hold air, at 16 psi they leak slowly around the bead. The tire's seem to seat tight [ a good pop when they seat on the rim.] I tried bead sealer and soaped the rims up, no air leak's but after one ride setting in the shed they will go flat in two day's. I don't want to use tube's, [ I like plug's for trail repair's ] so that is not an option. The hunt's are coming up and I don't want to be airing up tires every day. Not to mention looking at 4 flat's when it's setting in the shed all week. Any tip's ?????
Remove the tire from wheel and get some sand paper and go around the seat area of wheel inner and outer.
Look at where the rubber seats against the wheel. It will have high and low spots from the old tire or little bits of rubber still on wheel. Could be some rust build up as well. Any grit will work. Clean it up as best you can so it will be smooth all the way around the inner and outer seat area.
I will try it. The wheel's & tire's are new. but I have dismounted them several times. These thing's have been like this from day one. I just know why all 5 are leaking air. The bead's are new and seem to be tite on the wheel. SO what's up !?!?!?!?
You might also check around the valve stem. I've seen improperly mounted or faulty valve stems cause slow leaks at low tire pressure too...
Find tub big enough to put the tire and wheel in. Large plastic storage tubs work good. Fill it about half full of water and hold the tire in and rotate looking for bubbles. Mark any trouble spots and dismount the tire to see if there's a little debris or rust there. Also if the tires are asian imports they may just be leaky. I've seen lots of small import tires that just will not hold air over time.
I have used soapy water on them and it is the bead's that are leaking. I am starting to think it's a tire problem like you say. It just doesn't make sense to me that all 5 leak. I do not want to use tube's but I think that's the only fix. I have got to find another way. This braking down tires by hand is getting old fast.
Listen, you could krazy glue the beads on to eliminate the leak, but that, and any other bead sealing technique is just going to cause you more problems in the future. Why the leak? Different base bead type. Put some tubes in them. No, you won't be able to use your "plug repair kit" while out and about, but you've got five anyway, right?
Ya you are right. When I used the bead sealer I knew the mess it would be when diss mounting the tires. I like plug's for quick repairs, and carry a spare for the real problem's, but I know the only real fix are using tube's. I haven't looked yet but I think it's the width of the bead on the tire's are smaller than the seat on the wheel's.
Stupid Tire's Well got off my butt and went round 3 with these tire's. I just have a hard time not trying to fix this without tubes. Thought I would post some pix of what I found. Spaner, You were right about the bead sealer, PAIN in the butt to clean off!! Thanks to the handyman jack I was able to get these things off the wheel's. Ya they were glued on good ! I can't see how they could leak at all. I checked the bead width, tire & wheel, it looked close but not tight. But I did see a lot of the molding seams. [pix] I used an 80 grit flap disk and a tube buffer to clean up the bead's. I don't know if this was the problem but it was one of the places that was leaking. Braking down tires by hand sucks, but it is some thing I can do without spending money. I have never seen tire bead's this rough!! Spaner you will be proud of me, I just could not resist the sealer one more time, I know the tires are NOT going to spin on the wheel's at low air presser. I only did two tires for know, if tubes are needed, this work is a wast of time. I will have to take it out once and see if they start to leak, if so the tubes are the next and final action.
Hey, I can respect that. I know that you're just as stuborn as I am. One way or another, It'll get done. I still think that the rim bead vs tire bead are not the same. I think that you can put a street tire on an ag rim, but you can't put an ag tire on a street rim. Can't...not easilly, anyway. Not sure how I know that...I think that back when I was a kid, dad used ag tires and tubes, cuz there was no such thing as an ATV tire.
Ya I never give up with out a goooood try! i have been told that ag tires wont work too, I kinda forgot when I got these tire's. The tire's fit tight on the wheel's but the bead width I think is too small. we will see, tube's are the next step. Thanks for your help, I will let ya know after I get it out and see if it holds air.
