Constant Tire Leak - Thru the Casting?

[Scorpion8]

I have the OEM 17" Ford cast aluminum wheels on my 2006 XLT. Over time, each wheel has been taken in for leaks as the edge of the rims seem to develop corrosion along the beads. The last one has had a 5-8 psi leak over 2-3 weeks now for awhile, enough to trip the pressure sensor once a month until I refill it. Took it to the shop the other day and they said they could not fix it, there was no true leak in the tire, but that it was leaking thru the casting along the rim in one section.

Anyone heard of this before? Wouldn't that indicate an unsafe rim if the casting was porous enough to leak air in one spot, especially along the bead?

 

[shucker1]

Never heard of that before but I'm not saying it's not possible.

If the casting has enough occlusions in it to leak air it many eventually just fail out with bad results.

 

[Charlie]

I used to work at a tire shop, and when I did I saw this several times, always with aluminum wheels. I'm sure there is a way to fix it, but I've never seen it done. Usually we just recommended replacing the wheel.

 

[Scorpion8]

Isn't there some sort of coating that could be applied internally?

 

[shucker1]

You could but it will only seal in the air.

You should be more worried about the structural integrity of the rim casting itself.

 

[Scorpion8]

You should be more worried about the structural integrity of the rim casting itself.

I am worried about both. The rim integrity has endured 104,x.. miles, so I think it is okay unless there's some corrosion/erosion of the rim near the bead going on. Otherwise, sealing in the air will help cushion the rim more than driving on an underinflated tire would.

 

[shucker1]

Understood.

However, remember the laws of physics cannot be changed. Kinetic and Potential energy forces imparted on the rim remain basically the same regardless of inflation. In theory more pressure could impart more physical stress on the rim bead due to the lack of tire deflection.

 

[ThreeJs]

An old trick taught to me by an old timer to seal the bead on aluminum rims with corrosion or nicks/scratches is to rub brake fluid into the tire bead. Has worked everytime for me.

 

[Icuff4cash]

If your worried about the rim take it to a shop that trues rims. Or take it to a machine shop and have it magnaflux for cracks. My new car looses air all the time I have a tpm and the dealer says constant change in temp those tires with nigtegin lose air. This may sound cheap flex seal. I used that spray stuff in a can and it works. My roof in Vegas was leaking like a sive durning monsoon season last year. Went and sprayed my clay tile roof no more leak all it going to cost is rim mount time. Or is it the tire leaking . The bead can become porios. Then you can slime it. I've don't that on my Harley on a 200 mile ride never took it out. You just pour it in an empty valve stem replace stem fill with air. Won't hurt tpm on truck

 

[Scorpion8]

If your worried about the rim take it to a shop that trues rims. ....

Ah, if only. Part of the penalty of living in paradise up here is that we have none of those shops. One major tire place (a Les Schwab Tire Center), no frame shops, no real automotive specialists besides mom n' pops. Basically you're on your own.

 

[Icuff4cash]

You have shops that magnaflux,it a common engine builders tool to check cracks in engine blocks. And cranks it's not that expensive have you dunked your own tire looking for cracks. I'm hopeing this post is readability is ok. I hate my iPhone spell checker is off but when you type something it looks good then when you post it it will reread and swap words according to Tex context the phone thinks the word should be.

 

[Tech By Trade]

Take it to a real tire shop. They will hook you up with some bead sealer. Just gotta give them the okay to remove the coating, that's probably trashed on the bead already if its corroding with a wire brush. Ran into this all the time back in the day. Also had to use the bead sealer on stems on occasion. Christ, most of these shops now days don't even have dunk tanks to see whats actually going on.

 

[shucker1]

I don't think magna flux will work on Aluminum.

Non magnetic.

 

[shucker1]

Dye Penetrant will though.

 

[High Mileage]

I have the OEM 17" Ford cast aluminum wheels on my 2006 XLT. Over time, each wheel has been taken in for leaks as the edge of the rims seem to develop corrosion along the beads. The last one has had a 5-8 psi leak over 2-3 weeks now for awhile, enough to trip the pressure sensor once a month until I refill it. Took it to the shop the other day and they said they could not fix it, there was no true leak in the tire, but that it was leaking thru the casting along the rim in one section.

Anyone heard of this before? Wouldn't that indicate an unsafe rim if the casting was porous enough to leak air in one spot, especially along the bead?

Same thing for my old rims, 16" OEM Ford cast aluminum. Had corrosion around the bead on all of them, my auto mechanic teacher told me to wire wheel them. Took a while for both sides on all 4 wheels, but totally fixed the slow leak. Just a wire cup wheel on a grinder did it for me.

 

[rwp50]

Going through this now on our ‘16 Limited with 70k on it. 3rd time in the last year. Right front.

I’ll take the bead sealer suggestion.

Thanks

 

[Turdle]

Going through this now on our ‘16 Limited with 70k on it. 3rd time in the last year. Right front.

I’ll take the bead sealer suggestion.

Thanks

Clean the bead.
I've beadblasted literally tons of wheels for powder coating. There is always a layer of old rubber and dirt embedded in the inner bead area. You get that cleaned out and I'll bet it seals.

You'll need to dismount the tire, and, scrub by hand with a good abrasive pad. Once you are going in you'll see.

If it won't clean smooth, it won't seal.

 

[rwp50]

Clean the bead.
I've beadblasted literally tons of wheels for powder coating. There is always a layer of old rubber and dirt embedded in the inner bead area. You get that cleaned out and I'll bet it seals.

You'll need to dismount the tire, and, scrub by hand with a good abrasive pad. Once you are going in you'll see.

If it won't clean smooth, it won't seal.

Thanks!

 

[410Fortune]

Try a different valve stem?

 

[rwp50]

Try a different valve stem?

They replaced that also last time.