OT: Question on Air Leaks from Aluminum Wheels?

[Old No7]

WAY off topic, yes, I know... But I know this group will have something to say on this topic...

My wife's 2001 Camry has sporty aluminum wheels, and -- knock on wood -- I've never had any issues keeping air in the tires.

My 2005 4Runner, on the other hand, had a recurring problem with a soft passenger-side front tire. I checked it twice and never could find a nail or anything, so I had my shop take a look at it. They blamed the leak on corrosion from the aluminum wheels around the bead. I had them repair that tire (clean off the corrosion and then apply sealant) and then also do the other 3 tires/wheels as a precaution.

Since the Camry or older GMC Jimmy (which preceded the 4Runner) never had this problem, I have to admit this was news to me...

Any feedback on how common an issue this is with aluminum wheels? And is the sealant really "good for the life of the tires" like I was told? Or will I eventually have to replace the expensive (think multiple leverguns!!! ) aluminum wheels?

Thanks!

Old No7

[Pitchy]

Not sure about aluminum wheels but dunk the whole wheel and tire in a tub of water and see where it leaks for sure. Just went through the same thing with my neighbors tire and found it was leaking around the valve stem ever so slightly. Replaced valve stem problem fixed.

[stretch]

Funny you should mention it - I just fixed the same problem
on an old motorcycle of mine. The previous owner had
obviously had the problem, too, as he had put a sealant
in the tire - what an unholy mess to clean up!!

To fix, I scraped, and scrubbed the old sealant off the rim,
wet sanded the bead areas with 600 grit, polished with metal
polish, and then mounted the new tire. A 30 minute job lasted
all afternoon, used several weeks' worth of cuss words
and a couple of bottles of beer. And as you can imagine, I'm not
a big fan of the sealants!!


-Stretch

[adirondakjack]

Yep. 2000 Focus has always had a time holding air. Two different sets of tires, had em cleaned and gooped, still chronic on two particular wheels. Every now and then, aluminum wheels can be a problem.

[KirkD]

I have a 97 Suburban I've owned since new. It has aluminum wheels. Fourteen years later and after 255,000 miles, and plenty of exposure to road salt, I have never had this problem.

[Derailed]

Us offroaders use a homebrew of antifreeze and alumiseal radiator stop leak for our notoriously leaking beadlock wheels. It doesnt hurt the aluminum wheels and cleanup is a breeze.

[Nath]

Then there are tyres and tyres! Not all tyre beads tollerate a rough wheel!

Sanding and painting the bead should help. I often wonder what the affect of all that soap they daub on at change time does to the ally!

N.

[Griff]

1.768 million miles and I finally replaced my two front wheels on my truck. New tires and balancing was problematic. Both tires wanted more weight than allowed... after trying 4 more tires and still no go, we checked the wheels. Run-out was off about .003" on both. It was not even visible to the naked eye. Had to use the tool used to remove the tire and hold it up close to wheel as it spun at speed, touched then skipped... new wheels and presto, perfectly balanced wheel/tires.

If the tire doesn't have good rubber on bead area, it will allow dirt and debris between the tire and wheel... constant flexing will allow this to migrate into the area where that really does the sealing and will ultimately allow leaks. Without that dirt and debris, there isn't anything between the rubber and aluminum that would "corrode". If, however, your tires don't have good rubber over the bead, it could, I suppose, begin "dissimilar metal" electrolysis, which will eventually eat thru the aluminum.

[adirondakjack]

Another culprit with Aluminum wheels CAN (did say "will") be the coating they most often have on em to keep em shiny. If, in the process of mounting a tire, If the mounting machine mashes that laquer or sprayed on plastic, ya might could introduce a situation where ya get a leak. We used to see it with late 80s vintage Fords all the time. Sometimes they'd lose enough air to have a flat when we got em off the truck from the factory.
Did I mention I HATE aluminum wheels. My safari van has simple steel wheels, has 175K on it, and in a year and 35,000 miles, none of the tires lost more than a pound of air. The wife's car with aluminum wheels is forever riding around with a soft tire. MY Dakota pickup had aluminum wheels, and they were forever losing air.

[bj94]

Sometimes a little clear spray on the inside of the wheel will seal up defects.

If your wheels are chrome plated, the chrome can flake off and leave gaps where air can leak out.

[Hungarian]

A guy I worked with had a pontiac that needed all four rims replaced due to corrossion about 3 years ago. It happens.