New Tire, slow air leak, ain't one thing....

[FutureVentures]

It's another.

 

Replaced my front tire the other day, it's now a Maxxis Classic WWW, looks beautiful.

 

However, it seems to be losing a bit of air pressure while sitting. Haven't ridden it more than a few miles since replacing.

 

I did install the Ride-on into the tire.

 

Is it common for a new tire to lose air until, I dunno, everything gets more set?

 

I checked the valve stem, it seems secure and I don't hear any air escaping.

 

thoughts?

[Condor]

Time to break out the spray bottle of soapy water. Wet the tire down completely, especially around the bead, and you'll see if you have any leaks.....

[V7Goose]

Absolutely not correct. You won't hear it from anywhere unless the leak is so fast you can feel the air blow on your hand. Use slightly soapy water to find it. A little on the open valve stem will verify if it is good. My bet is that the rim was not properly cleaned before mounting the new tire, so you want to carefully squirt a little at the edge of the rim as you rotate the wheel and let it run around. ANY hint of bubbling at all is a problem.

Goose

[SaltyDawg]

It's not uncommon for tires to leak some air. I have on occasion had tires that just wouldn't properly seal around the bead and they leaked 6-8 lbs a week. Usually it's the softer sidewall tires that do it. At least for me that is. If that is the type of leak, it might be hard to detect with the soapy water method. Ride On should have sealed it though.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Erich,

The reason I say that is over the years Jean has found more than one Motorcycle tire floating in the bathtub! Here's what you do, Remove tire and rim from bike, fill tub with enough water to submerge tire and rim by 3-4 ins. (a very small amount of dish soap makes the bubbles easier to see) Pump tire to 40 lbs. Lower tire/rim into water, wait a minute for air bubbles caught in tread to excape, roll tire/rim until you find the bad spot. This will check the rim seatment of tire, the valve stem, and if there is an actual hole in the tread itself. I have even found a casting flaw in the rim itself with this method!

One last note, If you have a kiddie pool, Cow Trough, or anything else that will hold enough water to check your tire, That would be my first choice.

Hope this helps,

Earl and Jean.

[MiCarl]

I'll bet it's at the bead too, and those buggers are hard to detect because they are usually slow and often along a wide area.

 

Wet the tire/wheel interface with slightly soapy water. Take a coffee break (don't have it in the sun). When you come back bead leaks will look like there is shaving cream on them.

[TEW47]

Try tighting up the valve stem. Alot of tire changers take the valve stem out and do not tighten it enough when putting it back in.

 

tew47

[FutureVentures]

Great tips, all!

 

However, I'm leaving tomorrow on long journey so, removing tire and giving it a bath isn't an option, though I've done that with bicycle tires.

 

I just recently tightened the valve stem a bit more, hope that's it.

 

Otherwise, I'll be keeping a close eye on that sucker and see how it does.

 

As always, THANKS! Great tips/advice.

 

Erich

[Guest TFD69]

Ride-On is only good for leaks within the contact patch of the tire. It will not do anything for leaks in the sidewall or along the rim of the tire.

 

Hope you find your leak.

[V7Goose]

It's not uncommon for tires to leak some air. I have on occasion had tires that just wouldn't properly seal around the bead and they leaked 6-8 lbs a week. Usually it's the softer sidewall tires that do it. At least for me that is. If that is the type of leak, it might be hard to detect with the soapy water method. Ride On should have sealed it though.

IMHO, there should never be any problem getting complete bead seal on any tire so long as the rim is properly cleaned and not damaged. I change my own tires, so I personally know the condition of my rims. I find that Every time I dismount one there is a residue of rough rubber gunk in places around the rim. Not chunks or anything, but not glass smooth either. I use course steel wool to scrub the rim edges clean before every new tire, then lube the tire bead up good to ensure a proper seat. You also need to carefully check the little lines in the tire around the rim to make sure they are all perfectly concentric. It is not uncommon at all for a tire to not completely seat, and that not only can cause slow leak, but it affects handling too. This is often a cause of why someone feels a new tire just doesn't feel right, but they never figure out what is worng. If it is just a hair off in one spot, you will never detect it unless you look directly at those little lines near the edge. But a small amount of dish soap mixed with water in an 8 oz squeeze bottle will show up even a tiny leak as long as you squeeze it on without making bubbles. I use an old squeeze bottle that had contact lens solution in it. Makes it real easy to aim a gentle stream of soapy water right on the edge of the rim and let it run around the tire.

 

As for the valve stem, just spit a little on the tip of your finger and wipe it on the top of the stem. If the core is leaking even the smallest amount you will see it bulge up and pop the film.

 

If you are gonna ride with a known leak, even a small one, be darn careful! Those things can get much worse faster than you think. Make sure you check the air at LEAST once a day!!

Goose