Why The heck is my tire going flat!

[FirstTimer]

So I have 30x10.5R15 Goodyear Wrangler GSAs on my 02 TJ.  And I have had three flat tires in the last month! To me nothing seems out of place as the tires are fine all week while driving to work (on deerfoot), then I leave it parked all weekend and I come out Monday morning and the tire is flat.  The first time it was the rear passenger and the last two times the front passenger.  Now I haven't ruled out foul play, but it is possible that due to the extreme changes in weather, 10 degrees one day and -15 the next, is it possible that the rim is expanding and shrinking so much that I get a slow leak and then lose complete tire pressure? Another question is if the rim was slightly bent, from wheeling at Maclean, would this cause lose of tire pressure in varying weather? Lastly, is it more likely that the bead is contaminated with dirt that it is not sealing properly?

Thanks

[vantagetes]

All of those are very likely possibilities. Are they on the ground flat or just low air? It's possible if you haven't checked your tires lately that they were just low but with the warm weather sitting high enough you didn't notice.

Also if you're this guys neighbor he's probably trying to tell you to park somewhere else http://forum.calgaryjeep.com/index.php?topic=20855.0

[FirstTimer]

HAHA! Not that guys neighbour, but my neighbours are crazys! When is the best time to check the tire pressure? When its cold or warm out?  Cuz the last time I did it was warmish, that might have been my problem...

Thanks

[vantagetes]

The best time is before you drive the jeep, tires heat up while you drive (even when it's cold out) an the heat will increase your tire pressure. It's also possible last time you checked it was after you drove for a while which would give you an incorrect reading.

If it's cold for a while I'll adjust tire pressure a bit to bring it back up, but normally you want a little more bulge when it's cold for more traction anyways (think poor traction conditions).

Getting your tires bang on "correct" pressure is not as important as keeping them reletive to one another. Lets say you want to be at 30psi. Well having all 4 tires at 23psi is much better than having 3 at 30 and one at 25. Just look at what your tire should be and figure out a range you're ok with for temperature flucuations. 30psi at +10* and say 25psi at -10*. As long as all the tires are the same (and you're not over the max rated tire pressure) then you're ok.

The lower the pressure the more sidewall bulge you will get and thus the more the tire will heat up (the rubber flexing causes internal friction) but it will also afford you more traction. Are we confused yet?

[AV.NINE]

My vote is on bad valve stems. I'd swap em out.

[specialk]

or you some junk stuck in between the bead and the rubber.  You should be able to hear and feel that kind of leak when the tire is full.  

[w squared]

A bottle of "snoop" could help you find it if you're having issues detecting a rim or valve based leak. Or winshield washer fluid mixed with dish soap.

[FirstTimer]

A bottle of "snoop" could help you find it if you're having issues detecting a rim or valve based leak. Or winshield washer fluid mixed with dish soap.

How do I go about doing what you mentioned above?

[vantagetes]

Dump a liquid (adding soap will give you nice big easy to spot bubbles) that wont instantly freeze on the suspected area. If there is air leaking you'll see the bubbles and be able to pinpoint the leak.

If you're checking valve stems make sure you use the non instafreeze liquid or have a way to thaw it out after...

[FirstTimer]

Cool, Thanks I will try that as soon as I get the tire back on the bead!  I attempeted to drive the two blocks to the Shell to inflate the tire, this time with no success.  I got no further then a block and off came the tire...GRRR I HATE WINTER! Now, I have to wait 4-5 hours for AMA to either tow or change the tire.  

If anyone knows someone who has a tire mounting machine that can help me out I would be eternally grateful if I could use it sometime. They wont even have to lift a finger as I know how to use one! Or if someone in the SW by Chinook and is feeling really generous or board and has a jack-all that would be amazing too!  Stupid factory jack just sinks into the snow and slips on the ice. Did I mention I hate WINTER!!

[vantagetes]

Have jack all, floor jack, spare tire and access to a tire machine! Course ether is much more fun but we could always ratchet strap it too...

I'll pm you my number.

[w squared]

How do I go about doing what you mentioned above?

It's not worth buying Snoop if you don't have to go find leaks on a regular basis...so here's the cheap way of doing it. Put some -40 washer fluid in a spray bottle, and then add some regular dish soap. Spray the area that might be leaking, and then watch for bubbles.

[Zombie]

if the bead has come off the rim, check the bead and see if there is corrosion on it, that is a common one that we see.

with the way the weather is going, we see alot of mystery leaks that usually turn out to be snow getting into the valve, melts, people check  pressures and it gets stuck in the valve and when it gets cold again it will freeze, expand and cause the valve to leak again and will usually continue for a while.

I would say stay away from any tire sealants as they are usually toxic, can peel coatings off wheels, damage tires, and cause the tire to become out of balance if not used properly, I am guessing you do not have tpms sensors, but if you did, it would also mess them up and they are not a cheap fix.


if you can get the tire in a warm garage, spray it with dish soap and see what you find(when the wheel is nice and warm as the cold will let the water freeze and may not bubble. if nothing is found, make sure the stem is snug and dry(even let a little air out to clear it) and hopefully you will be ok.

good luck

steve

[vantagetes]

We got it back on the bead after swearing at it just right, turns out his valve stems leaking.

Hey did you know it's illegal to make a u-turn on an advance green? Ask us how we know...  

[Zombie]

around it, or just from the valve core itself?

sucks about the u-turn thing