Tire Air Leak, Anomaly?

[Schiefswret]

This may sound odd but I'll give it a try. We returned home from our last trip 11/10/20 and as usual parked the rig on the side of our back yard. Yard fully fenced, 6ft pvc with gates, etc, not sun exposure to the drivers side. While we are on the road I always check the tire pressure prior to departing each location. So we've been home a good four months now. Preparing for a short in-state trip, I discover that the drivers side front tire is reading 29lbs. I always run them between 61 and 65 cold. Hmm..... all the way home the TPMS system did not read or indicate any issues with either heat or psi on any of the tires. The rig has not moved the entire time we have been home. Is there any such thing as a tire experiencing an occurrence, while not moving, that could initiate a very slow leak, like the loss of 35 pounds in a little over 4 months?? Anyone have any experiences similar to this that would help me figure it out? I have brought the seemingly possessed tire back to 65 psi cold, waited 1 hour and it didn't show any loss. I'm suspecting that my test was not too scientific so I'll recheck tomorrow, giving it a full 24 hours before checking again. Any and all input much appreciated.

[Country Campers]

I have had this issue with plenty of tires. I have a tractor tire that will sit in the garage all year long and hold air , using to mow once a week or so. Then out of the blue the left front tire will be flat. Pump it back up and good to go for months again. A similar experience with a dump trailer tire. I would think that you might have a bad valve , a small puncture , or maybe even a cracked rim that could be the root of the problem. If you could remove the tire/wheel assembly from the trailer and fill to 70 or 80 psi and spray a water/dish soap mix all over the tire and wheel you may find the culprit.

Brian

[Schiefswret]

I have had this issue with plenty of tires. I have a tractor tire that will sit in the garage all year long and hold air , using to mow once a week or so. Then out of the blue the left front tire will be flat. Pump it back up and good to go for months again. A similar experience with a dump trailer tire. I would think that you might have a bad valve , a small puncture , or maybe even a cracked rim that could be the root of the problem. If you could remove the tire/wheel assembly from the trailer and fill to 70 or 80 psi and spray a water/dish soap mix all over the tire and wheel you may find the culprit.

Brian

Hey thanks Brian, great info and I'll put the procedure you mentioned on the top of my "to do" list. Hopefully others will chime in but your input sounds very logical to me. Tks again. PS; RU planning on being at the summer National Rally?

[TucsonJim]

I have had this issue with plenty of tires. I have a tractor tire that will sit in the garage all year long and hold air , using to mow once a week or so. Then out of the blue the left front tire will be flat. Pump it back up and good to go for months again. A similar experience with a dump trailer tire. I would think that you might have a bad valve , a small puncture , or maybe even a cracked rim that could be the root of the problem. If you could remove the tire/wheel assembly from the trailer and fill to 70 or 80 psi and spray a water/dish soap mix all over the tire and wheel you may find the culprit.

Brian

When doing the soap thingy, make sure you remove the tire valve cover and spray the valve core. Also, grab the valve and move it around while spraying it. This will help you spot any valve issues.
When I check my tires, I actually submerge them in my swimming pool. Any little leaks show up very quickly.

Jim

[Schiefswret]

When doing the soap thingy, make sure you remove the tire valve cover and spray the valve core. Also, grab the valve and move it around while spraying it. This will help you spot any valve issues.
When I check my tires, I actually submerge them in my swimming pool. Any little leaks show up very quickly.

Jim

ok, will do, good stuff thanks Jim, as usual.

[Canyonlight]

When I check my tires, I actually submerge them in my swimming pool.

Jim

Jim - do you have ramps to drive into your pool or do you just let er rip and run off the edge of your pool ? Would love to see the videos.

Dan

[TucsonJim]

Jim - do you have ramps to drive into your pool or do you just let er rip and run off the edge of your pool ? Would love to see the videos.

Dan

A few IPAs and I'm up for anything.

[Jlawles2]

So I fought bead sealing issues for a long time on my SXS. Sometimes it would hold air for 6 months, some times 6 hrs In the end I threw in the towel and put in tubes. You may have a slightly imperfect rim that is leaking on the bead. If it has not moved since you parked it and now its low, start with shooting the bead front and rear. From there you may need to pull the wheel and look for anything. I had another tire pick up a staple in the siping groove. Fought that one for about 2 years before I accidentally found the air bubble when spraying it the unknownth time.

[Schiefswret]

So I fought bead sealing issues for a long time on my SXS. Sometimes it would hold air for 6 months, some times 6 hrs In the end I threw in the towel and put in tubes. You may have a slightly imperfect rim that is leaking on the bead. If it has not moved since you parked it and now its low, start with shooting the bead front and rear. From there you may need to pull the wheel and look for anything. I had another tire pick up a staple in the siping groove. Fought that one for about 2 years before I accidentally found the air bubble when spraying it the unknownth time.

Got it, tks Jlaw

[Jlawles2]

Schiefswret does that mean you found the leak?

[NoPeeking]

Might help... I had a similar issue with two tires slowly losing pressure. I found the valve cores were passing. I purchased a core tool (and a whack of stem cores) on-line for about $10. I tightened the stem cores and problem solved. My trailer was prone to vibration-related oddities so I made a habit of checking the valve cores as part of the pre-trip routine. (p.s. after having my wheels balanced the cores remained tight and my other vibration issues abated.)

[Schiefswret]

Schiefswret does that mean you found the leak?

No, just means that I understand what you are saying.

[Yoda]

No, just means that I understand what you are saying.

You know you could be on to something. I fought a very slow leak on my F350 for years until a smart kid at Discount Tire decided to use the water bath after spraying the entire rim with a soap glycerin mixture and over inflating the tire. Turns out I had a very very slow rim leak. They had to polish up the aluminum rim to remove corrosion and use a sealing solution to fix it. Been good for a year now.
Hope this helps

[howson]

I fought a very slow leak on my F350 for years until a smart kid at Discount Tire decided to use the water bath after spraying the entire rim with a soap glycerin mixture...

When I check my tires, I actually submerge them in my swimming pool. - TucsonJim

I still think Jim's method of immersing his 297RSTS is the most accurate way of looking for an air leak. (Sorry, jim, I couldn't resist!)

Guest -- is it true you took this picture of Jim checking for an air leak on his 297RSTS at the rally?





Yes, I've had a nip or two of an adult beverage tonight...time for bed!

Howard

[Yoda]

Here is the link to the soap/glycerin solution for checking leaks https://www.hunker.com/13417536/how-...detection-soap

• Fill a quart jar with clean water.
• Measure and add 3 tablespoons of dish detergent. Dawn makes the biggest bubbles per my kids way back when.
• Add 2 teaspoons of liquid glycerin to make the bubbles last longer, which makes them easier to detect.
• The solution becomes more effective if you leave it overnight in an open container. In fact, the longer you leave it, the better the bubbles it produces.

Hope this helps
Keith