rek Posted February 13, 2004 Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 Yesterday I was at a tire shop to have the "Leaky Rims" taken care of. Dismount the tires, and clean all the white crud off that prevented an air-tight mating, put on some rim sealer(Rubber glue). This is the second set of aluminum rims (two cars) that I have had leak. The shop says it is NOT a brand specific situation. Sooner or later, he said, they all start to leak. The fix will last about 2 years. The corrosion varies from side to side(Chassis side vs lug nut side). The fronts had more funk on the lug nut side, on one car. the chassis side had more funk on the other car.Slime (Green stuff) won't stop or prevent the rim leaks. I'm going to take off the tires, lay them down, and put some flowable silicone sealer (made for windshield leaks) around the rims, on both sides, to see if that will stop the process from starting. Has anyone found a cure for this problem? rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CadiKing Posted February 13, 2004 Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 rek, I found that the only way to avoid rim leaks is to keep my nineteen year old son out of my STS and 300m. Sure the residue from oxidation is apparent on the rims, but I've had rim leaks the next day after glueing down the tires! Try not accellerating so hard out of the hole... just a thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 13, 2004 Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 Sooner or later, he said, they all start to leak. Hogwash. You'll always loose some residual amount of air out of any tire over time, but if you're talking about loosing 10 psi over a period of a month or something, that's not right. Sooner or later, any TIRE will start to leak (and we're talking YEARS) because the rubber breaks down and the valve stem breaks down, etc. So yeah, if the tire you have on there is 8 years old or something like that...you may have more trouble keeping air in it. But the rim has nothing to do with it. I had aluminum rims from the 1981 model year (OEM) on my '84 Cutlass and they were aired up all the time...never had any problems with them. If this guy can't seal your tires correctly or find the problem (bad bead on the tire, bend in the rim lip, etc), take the car to another shop. Unless the wheel or tire is damaged and the tire is of a reasonable age, you can have it leak free. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek Posted February 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 The rims I had worked on yesterday were on the Wifemobile (Riviera, OEM rims, Michelin-X tires). For 5 years they had been "Leak-Free". I'd check them often, and at most they would only need a couple of psi to make them right. They are about 7 years old, but in that 7 years only 12K miles of use. The other car was my Eldo.for 2 years, basically the same as the Riviera, a couple of psi here and there to make them right. A family friend has had the same thing happen with her 3 different Devilles. 93, 95, and 98. Same thing, bunches of white crud between the rim and tire. She had hers "Fixed" at three different places. Maybe all the tire guys in Ohio smoke the same shift, or maybe the Ohio winter road enhancing additives are finding a way in to interupt the seal. That's why I thought a bead of silicone would stop the slop, or tire cleaner, or whatever is going on, from going on. I have to press the pedal to hear one of my favorite songs, it's called the Northstar Roar. rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 13, 2004 Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 I guess the only thing I can suggest is a good tire scrubbing with a stiff-haired brush. Do it often, especially in winter. That should keep the corrosion down. When I rotate my tires, I also clean and wash the backsides. Not only does it keep the brake dust down on the inside of the wheel, but I get to check out the sidewall on the inboard side...for knicks or scrapes, etc. This would also be a good time to hit it with that stuff brush to knock off that corrosion. Good luck! Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek Posted February 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2004 I'm there already with the tire scrubbing. I rotate them all once a year, whether they need it or not, and clean the backside as well. I use 303 or Meguiar's #40 to dress them. Since I changed over to QS brake pads, the brake dust factor is nil, the tires/wheels clean up with a brush and regular car wash(Gold Class). rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg P. Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 I've had plenty of aluminum rims over the years but i dont really any of them ever getting leaky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 Losing some air through chrome-plated 14-spoke steel wheels. Tire shop said the plating was flaking off a bit inside. Sounds reasonable, but they did not suggest any cure. Don't try the tire inflate in a can! Yow! talk about balance problems at speed. Good idea about the rubber-cement leak stop. Thanks to the forum...again Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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