Flat tyre - sealing problem?

[LazerBrain]

I swapped my rear wheels over last night, in preparation for the ReHaB Welsh Blat, for a set with newer tyres on (pre-owned 14 inch A048 185/60) purchased from a fellow BlatChatter who didn't like them.) I had them fitted to my spare Minator wheels a few months ago (by a tyre fitting place used by myself and several BlatChatters for years), and they've been sitting in the garage, inflated to about 28psi since then.

 

Once on the car, I dropped the pressure to about 16psi and set off for the ReHaB meeting. I travelled about 5 miles, warming everything up, at up to 55mph before I started to notice the car didn't feel right, then I heard a slapping noise from the rear right tyre. When I could safely pull over (motorway roundabout leading onto multi lane A road is not the best place to park) the tyre was pretty flat.

 

I crawled 300m to a garage and used the airline to overinflate (in Caterham terms) the tyre to 26psi. It seemed ok, but when I pushed on one specific part of the sidewall close to the rim, it leaked air. I headed back home on side roads and got over half way back before the tyre deflated too much. Without earplugs, I could hear the hiss on each revolution as (apparently) that one section of the tyre was at the bottom. I then crawled the last section home at 10-15mph to change the wheel.

 

So, some potentially noddy questions from me as I've never had this problem before.

 

* Should I bin that tyre? (On the grounds that it got pretty warm and was squished for the last couple of miles.)

 

* What would cause the tyre to not seal at just one point of the rim? (How much is the sealing related to the gunk they use?)

 

* Am I likely to have damaged the wheel by driving with a flat tyre for a couple of miles?

[Jonathan Kay]

Glad you're OK.

 

I would guess it's the valve or the sealing around the valve.

 

1 It sat there in storage at high pressure with no problems, then you let it down, then it started leaking. What was the last thing you did... opened the valve.

 

2 That hissing at one point of rotation could be due to the valve being wobbled. Was that near where you pushed? Was it at the bottom when it hissed?

 

Unlikely to have damaged the wheel but you might have. You need to get the tyre off and inspect whatever the probability or what we guess.

 

Where are you going to take it?

 

Jonathan

 

Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 15 May 2014 18:33:08

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Any paint damage or corrosion inside the rim outer edge will potentially leak air. They normally wire brush it to remove old sealant any any crud, then use a wax based sealant before refitting the tyre.

 

On a light well-balanced car like this? the tyre and rim 'should' be ok .... visual inspection to verify.

[LazerBrain]

Thanks

 

It isn't the valve - which was the first thing I checked as it was the last thing I touched. There was a definite point further round the rim where pushing on the sidewall caused air to escape and I believe I felt the air passing my fingers. I will have a closer inspection of that when I get a chance.

 

I'll get the tyre removed next week by the same tyre place, so I can visually inspect it - and will ask them to take a look and offer their opinion.

 

I don't recall seeing any obvious corrosion on the inside of the rim - but these might be ones which had tyres whipped off and new ones immediately fitted.

[Anton]

Just suffered with this on my offside rear tyre - one of a pair of new Toyos. Took it back to the place that fitted them and a bubble test indicated the rim had not seated properly. So they cleaned up the inside of the rim again and refitted it.

 

Held 16psi for a week then started to go down. I found it pretty flat at the office (6psi) and re-inflated it with a can of tyre weld. It has maintained 16psi now for three weeks...............