New tires-slow leak
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,547
Likes: 210
From: Huntersville, NC
New tires-slow leak
Just bought a new set of Michelin A/P's and one of them leaks around the rim. The tire dealer says the cause is cracking and peeling chrome at the bead.
I thought the wheels were polished and clear-coated, not chrome plated. The tire dealer insists they are chrome plated.
Anyone know how the wheels are made?
I thought the wheels were polished and clear-coated, not chrome plated. The tire dealer insists they are chrome plated.
Anyone know how the wheels are made?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,493
Likes: 1,178
From: Dyer, IN
Just bought a new set of Michelin A/P's and one of them leaks around the rim. The tire dealer says the cause is cracking and peeling chrome at the bead.
I thought the wheels were polished and clear-coated, not chrome plated. The tire dealer insists they are chrome plated.
Anyone know how the wheels are made?
I thought the wheels were polished and clear-coated, not chrome plated. The tire dealer insists they are chrome plated.
Anyone know how the wheels are made?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,736
Likes: 7
From: Redding CA
Just bought a new set of Michelin A/P's and one of them leaks around the rim. The tire dealer says the cause is cracking and peeling chrome at the bead.
I thought the wheels were polished and clear-coated, not chrome plated. The tire dealer insists they are chrome plated.
Anyone know how the wheels are made?
I thought the wheels were polished and clear-coated, not chrome plated. The tire dealer insists they are chrome plated.
Anyone know how the wheels are made?
Then just go around it real good where the tire seats into the bead. After that, ANY tire shop should have some stuff called "bead locker" or "bead sealant". One wipe around the tire bead right before you air it up with the tire back on the rim, then air it up and dunk it in water.
your leak should be gone
If your wheel is BENT by chance bad enough, it will not seal but if it's due to dirt or "chrome"...you can just grind off the rough area
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,736
Likes: 7
From: Redding CA
isn't 78 percent enough? does the extra 22 percent really seal that much better?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_t...that_of_oxygen " A molecule of oxygen (O2) ought to be just a shade smaller 4 X 73pm or 292pm. So an oxygen molecule is a little less than 3% smaller than a nitrogen molecule. "
http://www.getnitrogen.org/pdf/graham.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_t...that_of_oxygen " A molecule of oxygen (O2) ought to be just a shade smaller 4 X 73pm or 292pm. So an oxygen molecule is a little less than 3% smaller than a nitrogen molecule. "
http://www.getnitrogen.org/pdf/graham.pdf
Last edited by 00Corvette; Sep 14, 2010 at 11:30 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,237
Likes: 11
From: Lacombe Louisiana
You will pay for the mostly useless nitrogen,only to see it leak out.Take it to a better tire center,have them dismount the tire(after marking the leaking area) and have them clean/buff the bead seat.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
From: Glen Cove New York
I had the same thing happen to one wheel when I had Michelin AS/ZPs installed. Brought the car back and said I did not have a leak before they installed the new tires. They cleaned up the bead seat and used a sealant. All OK now for two years.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
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St. Jude Donor '17
Do you know for certain that it is leaking around the rim at the bead?
Take a bottle of soapy water and spray some around the valve stems an or else where that you think it is leaking.
Most likely they either put the wrong seals on the sensors or need to change them to a larger o ring seal.
I had a discount tire give me the same line that it was due to corrosion and chrome.
I had to educate them on my stock polished forged rims and how they were not leaking until they touched them.
The culprit was their install and replacement of the seals as mentioned above.
Take a bottle of soapy water and spray some around the valve stems an or else where that you think it is leaking.
Most likely they either put the wrong seals on the sensors or need to change them to a larger o ring seal.
I had a discount tire give me the same line that it was due to corrosion and chrome.
I had to educate them on my stock polished forged rims and how they were not leaking until they touched them.
The culprit was their install and replacement of the seals as mentioned above.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 877
Likes: 4
From: Nouvelle Ecosse
Nitrogen is snake oil people....
To OP, Most tire shops have a black liquid bead sealing substance that can cure this issue, do not be alarmed if they use an angle grinder with a wire wheel to clean the bead seat area of the wheel before re-mounting your tire. Michelin tires do produce more bead area oxidation than most tires. I do not know why, but they do.
Cheers,
JC
To OP, Most tire shops have a black liquid bead sealing substance that can cure this issue, do not be alarmed if they use an angle grinder with a wire wheel to clean the bead seat area of the wheel before re-mounting your tire. Michelin tires do produce more bead area oxidation than most tires. I do not know why, but they do.
Cheers,
JC
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,736
Likes: 7
From: Redding CA
Nitrogen is snake oil people....
To OP, Most tire shops have a black liquid bead sealing substance that can cure this issue, do not be alarmed if they use an angle grinder with a wire wheel to clean the bead seat area of the wheel before re-mounting your tire. Michelin tires do produce more bead area oxidation than most tires. I do not know why, but they do.
Cheers,
JC
To OP, Most tire shops have a black liquid bead sealing substance that can cure this issue, do not be alarmed if they use an angle grinder with a wire wheel to clean the bead seat area of the wheel before re-mounting your tire. Michelin tires do produce more bead area oxidation than most tires. I do not know why, but they do.
Cheers,
JC
The op said he just had the tires put on...
clean the bead seat, use bead sealant. your fine
Michelin tires are the best, period. There's a reason that they were the only company for awhile that were making tires rated OVER 186 mph for street cars.
They are also the only company that has a street tire rated to 270 mph.
They are also the best balanced tires for their high end stuff. i've mounted and balanced thousands(maybe 10's of thousands) of varying tires.
A set of pilot sports, ps AS, ps2's, etc...rarely take more than ONE QUARTER ounce per tire. this is excellent and very smooth at speed
AMG, Bugatti, Dodge Viper, Koenigsegg, Lingenfelter, hennessey...the list goes on but when you get into the 200 mph plus club....just about everyone is running Michelins if they're not sponsored and still trying to remain street legal.
Now what is bead area oxidation and what is the difference in the Michelin rubber compound that causes this "issue"?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 877
Likes: 4
From: Nouvelle Ecosse
bead area oxidation?
The op said he just had the tires put on...
clean the bead seat, use bead sealant. your fine
Michelin tires are the best, period. There's a reason that they were the only company for awhile that were making tires rated OVER 186 mph for street cars.
They are also the only company that has a street tire rated to 270 mph.
They are also the best balanced tires for their high end stuff. i've mounted and balanced thousands(maybe 10's of thousands) of varying tires.
A set of pilot sports, ps AS, ps2's, etc...rarely take more than ONE QUARTER ounce per tire. this is excellent and very smooth at speed
AMG, Bugatti, Dodge Viper, Koenigsegg, Lingenfelter, hennessey...the list goes on but when you get into the 200 mph plus club....just about everyone is running Michelins if they're not sponsored and still trying to remain street legal.
Now what is bead area oxidation and what is the difference in the Michelin rubber compound that causes this "issue"?
The op said he just had the tires put on...
clean the bead seat, use bead sealant. your fine
Michelin tires are the best, period. There's a reason that they were the only company for awhile that were making tires rated OVER 186 mph for street cars.
They are also the only company that has a street tire rated to 270 mph.
They are also the best balanced tires for their high end stuff. i've mounted and balanced thousands(maybe 10's of thousands) of varying tires.
A set of pilot sports, ps AS, ps2's, etc...rarely take more than ONE QUARTER ounce per tire. this is excellent and very smooth at speed
AMG, Bugatti, Dodge Viper, Koenigsegg, Lingenfelter, hennessey...the list goes on but when you get into the 200 mph plus club....just about everyone is running Michelins if they're not sponsored and still trying to remain street legal.
Now what is bead area oxidation and what is the difference in the Michelin rubber compound that causes this "issue"?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,736
Likes: 7
From: Redding CA
Clip on = hammer on
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,488
Likes: 1,743
From: Knoxville Tn
Our supporting dealership does nitrogen free for club members. I run it in all three vehicles and my bicycle. It keeps a more constant temperture than tire pressure from the air we breath. The NASCAR teams run it too.
Does it really make much difference in a street car? Likely not much, but all one has to do is monitor the tire pressure when cold and then again when warm. I have observed very little difference after 10 miles driving. do that with atmospheic air and the pressure will vary up to 5 lbs.
Snake oil? Is a better breathing air filter snake oil?
BTW Nitrogen will leak just as easily as regular 'air'.
Does it really make much difference in a street car? Likely not much, but all one has to do is monitor the tire pressure when cold and then again when warm. I have observed very little difference after 10 miles driving. do that with atmospheic air and the pressure will vary up to 5 lbs.
Snake oil? Is a better breathing air filter snake oil?
BTW Nitrogen will leak just as easily as regular 'air'.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,493
Likes: 1,178
From: Dyer, IN
Our supporting dealership does nitrogen free for club members. I run it in all three vehicles and my bicycle. It keeps a more constant temperture than tire pressure from the air we breath. The NASCAR teams run it too.
Does it really make much difference in a street car? Likely not much, but all one has to do is monitor the tire pressure when cold and then again when warm. I have observed very little difference after 10 miles driving. do that with atmospheic air and the pressure will vary up to 5 lbs.
Snake oil? Is a better breathing air filter snake oil?
BTW Nitrogen will leak just as easily as regular 'air'.
Does it really make much difference in a street car? Likely not much, but all one has to do is monitor the tire pressure when cold and then again when warm. I have observed very little difference after 10 miles driving. do that with atmospheic air and the pressure will vary up to 5 lbs.
Snake oil? Is a better breathing air filter snake oil?
BTW Nitrogen will leak just as easily as regular 'air'.
Air is ~78% nitrogen already. So what do you get with nitrogen?, larger molecules that will take longer work through rubber...and better asked, what don't you get with nitrogen? Nitrogen eliminates moisture, and is non-combustible(two reasons why nitrogen is used on aircraft tires).
So the real additional variance in using a non-dried air source, is the moisture content, which nitrogen does not have.
And yes, nitrogen does increase and decrease with temperature, just like air.