The wheels and tires on your car are far more important than many people recognize. Ideally, your tire pressure should remain fairly consistent. If your tires are repeatedly losing air, that's a sign of a problem that needs to be addressed. You may wonder how your tire could be losing air when there's no visible puncture or other physical damage to the tire. There are a few other common causes of air loss in your tires, and here are some that you should check.
Leak Around The Tire Bead
Where the tire meets the edge of the rim is the tire bead. It should be secure in order to seal the tire and keep the air inside. Unfortunately, sometimes that bead breaks loose, even if only in a tiny spot. Many things can cause this, from an impact on the side of the tire that breaks the bead loose to sand or dirt built up around the rim that wears the seal loose and causes pinhole leaks.
These types of leaks can be hard to detect without heavily treating the edges of the rim with a soapy solution. Make sure that the solution has significant soap concentration so that even the smallest air leaks can form bubbles.
You'll need to have the wheel cleaned for the tire to seal correctly again. Otherwise, you can invest in new wheels if the existing ones are heavily damaged.
Leaks Around The Valve Stem
The valve stem is the crucial component that allows you to add or release air from the tire. Sometimes, that valve stem can be the source of your air leak, though. Whether it's due to deterioration of the rubber at the base of the stem or caused by salt corrosion on the metal part of the stem, either case can lead to a leak at the valve stem itself. You'll have to replace the valve stem if this is the case.
Seeping From The Wheel Itself
Certain types of metal are more porous than others. For example, alloy wheels are particularly porous. As a result, they often seep air, leading to lost pressure in your tires. You may think that your tires are leaking when, in reality, it's your wheels causing the problem.
You can combat this one of two ways. You can invest in new wheels made from a different material if you prefer. However, you can keep your existing wheels if you want to have them sealed on the inside.
Whether you want to buy new wheels or otherwise troubleshoot the problems with your tires leaking, talk with a tire and wheel specialist near you. To learn more, contact a company that carries products such as ESR wheels.
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