Leaking tire beads

Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
4,099
Location
Kentucky
Been having issues with leaking beads on my '07 Pacifica. They've been on there for a couple years now, but I've been plagued by a slow leak in one that need topping up every 2-3 weeks. Finally discovered it was the bead leaking, so I took it in to have it remounted. Tire place applied some bead sealer and I can confidently say that one is leak free now.

While I had the car there, I had them change one of the TPMS sensors (dead battery) on a different tire. Today was a good cold morning so I checked pressures on all four and discovered the one they installed the sensor on was about 10 PSI low. Now its bead is leaking, where it wasn't before, the only thing they did was install that sensor. I also noticed I have a slight bead leak on another one of the tires, but it must be leaking so slow that I've never noticed it.

What gives? Is this a tire problem, wheel problem, or installer problem? Tires are Cooper CS5 Ultras, installer seems reputable enough, and I can't fathom 3 wheels being bad on the car. Is the solution just to take the car back and have them remount with bead sealer? Curious why these might be giving me so much trouble. I install my mower tires by hand on rims that are far from perfect with no bead sealer whatsoever and they come out leak free every time.

Rim that had new sensor installed:
t1.jpg


Rim that [evidently] has been leaking 2 years and I've never noticed.
t2.jpg
 
Likely an installer problem. However, there could be some corrosion on the rims. The tires will have to be dismounted to inspect the rims.
Where might the installer be going wrong? Is bead sealer used on all tires, with every mount dismount? Perhaps they are not using any when they should be.
 
Where might the installer be going wrong? Is bead sealer used on all tires, with every mount dismount? Perhaps they are not using any when they should be.
The tire installer should notice if the rim beads are dirty/rusty and advise the owner. They then clean the rim and apply a bead sealer if needed. This is how I did it at my uncles tire store and full service gas station back in the 80's.
 
I had one leaky tire bead on the LF tire of the Frontier. it had been on the same rim for over three years and just recently started leaking when the first cold snap hit.

It happens.
 
Been having issues with leaking beads on my '07 Pacifica. They've been on there for a couple years now, but I've been plagued by a slow leak in one that need topping up every 2-3 weeks. Finally discovered it was the bead leaking, so I took it in to have it remounted. Tire place applied some bead sealer and I can confidently say that one is leak free now.
Is deicer used on the roads where you live? If so, you probably have wheel corrosion at the bead mating surface.
 
It's corrosion on the rim. Your car is the right age for this.

The tire installers sometimes only do the briefest of rust removal/ polishing. They're paid flat rate to put tires on and send the cars out-- leaks can be dealt with later under warranty. If the mechanic mentions rim problems before the tires go on the sale might not happen.

Bead sealer works sometimes but it's a hack. And what if you dismount and remount summer/ snow tires, now you have that dried up goo on the beads and rims. And it's about as effective as painting over body rust-- the rust pokes through again with time.

You had problems after the new TPMS valve because the bead had taken a "lucky set" around the rust which was disturbed.
 
Thanks for the feedback fellas. I'll take it back to the shop and have them remount the two leakers. Whatever they did to the first tire seemed to cure it. By the amount of sealer slathered on the sidewall, they must have used a lot of it.

I have no reason to believe the wheels are that corroded. Very little exposure to deicer during the life of this car. The pictures make the wheels look terrible, but they're actually in great condition other than the PO (or possibly wife, but she'd never admit it) scuffing the lips on curbs.
Highly likely! I see some corrosion and bubbling underneath the chrome.

You're seeing something else, perhaps the dirt that the soapy water has spread all over the place. I know this because plastic doesn't corrode ;)
These are Chrysler's "chrome clad aluminum" wheels, which is basically a chromed plastic cover (non-removable hubcap if you will), over top of a cast aluminum wheel.

But I digress, anything is possible. I'll make it a point to give the sealing surface a good look when they pop the tire off.
 
Aluminum does corrode, it’s just not the same as rust.
 
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Maybe, @CapriRacer can chime in for more help.
My experience is of little value here. I've experienced but both the installer not using enough mounting lube (I prefer the liquid variety), and corrosion on the wheel. However, the fix to the corrosion problem is not something I have had much success with.
 
Those alloy rims can get pretty bad corrosion on the sealing surface over time. I had a few set of rims with the same problem so I wire brushed the bead sealing area myself. Even with a pneumatic brush tool, it takes some time to properly clean off each wheel. I can see why the tire shops never do it, just they slap on some bead sealer and call it a day.
 
^^^ I've been dealing with leaking tire beads for almost 20 years, and I have seen many tire shops slobber bead sealer all over brand new wheels that even Discount tire has worked on, and many other shops. The only temp cure is to buff the wheel beads down clean, and if on a use tire those bead seat need to be cleaned too. And then use only bead sealer on clean rubber, and NOT on the wheel. Installers always put it on the wheel which is not correct. I've seen shops put so much sealer on it created a leak all balled up. It does not stick to the wheel. The best fix would be to coat the bead seat area with epoxy, but no one wants to spend the money for the time that would take! You would think that if bead sealer was a good idea they would come that way from the factory, but they don't.
 
The problem with taking a wire wheel or even brush to bead seat corrosion is it takes any clear coat off the rim and just makes the issue worse in the long run. I always ask tire shops to be gentle cleaning and to apply bead sealer if I don't do it myself, but once the corrosion starts without sanding and reclearing it will just get worse in time...
 
cast rims can have pinholes + leak!! my aftermarket knockoffs on a 64 corvette always leaked until i shellaced the inside of the wheels!!
 
Been having issues with leaking beads on my '07 Pacifica. They've been on there for a couple years now, but I've been plagued by a slow leak in one that need topping up every 2-3 weeks. Finally discovered it was the bead leaking, so I took it in to have it remounted. Tire place applied some bead sealer and I can confidently say that one is leak free now.

While I had the car there, I had them change one of the TPMS sensors (dead battery) on a different tire. Today was a good cold morning so I checked pressures on all four and discovered the one they installed the sensor on was about 10 PSI low. Now its bead is leaking, where it wasn't before, the only thing they did was install that sensor. I also noticed I have a slight bead leak on another one of the tires, but it must be leaking so slow that I've never noticed it.

What gives? Is this a tire problem, wheel problem, or installer problem? Tires are Cooper CS5 Ultras, installer seems reputable enough, and I can't fathom 3 wheels being bad on the car. Is the solution just to take the car back and have them remount with bead sealer? Curious why these might be giving me so much trouble. I install my mower tires by hand on rims that are far from perfect with no bead sealer whatsoever and they come out leak free every time.

Rim that had new sensor installed:
View attachment 44525

Rim that [evidently] has been leaking 2 years and I've never noticed.
View attachment 44526
It could be the tire. If you do a search on Cooper CS5, you'll find complaints about slow leaks. I'm dealing with this issue on my Toyota Sienna. I thought it was a rim issue as well but it's happening to 2 tires. I need new tires and will try a different tire this time.
 
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