Slime the tire?
02-14-2008 | 07:53 AM
#1
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From: redford michigan
Slime the tire?
I have a tire that goes low about every 3 days. The only leak we can find is on the rim. I took it to the local tire shop and they had the tire off the rim 4 times for me (over a couple of months) and each time they cleaned the rim and sealed it and it still leaks. I watched them do it and they did a great job. I checked the tire myself for leaks and they put it in a tank and the only leak was in the rim.
should I use that tire slime to try to stop the leak? I have never used it so I am not sure about it.
Btw, I bought these tires in alaska and they are not available here in Mi. I had to order one because of a blow out. They run a little less than $200. I hate to have to buy another. Thanks for your advice!
should I use that tire slime to try to stop the leak? I have never used it so I am not sure about it.
Btw, I bought these tires in alaska and they are not available here in Mi. I had to order one because of a blow out. They run a little less than $200. I hate to have to buy another. Thanks for your advice!
02-14-2008 | 08:48 AM
#2
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From: NC
Did the tire shop use the black bead sealer stuff??? I had the same thing happen to a buckshot mudder I had on my Z-71 and put slime in it I figured I didnt have anything to loose. I was afraid it wouldn't seal it and would make the tire horribly out of balance but It did the trick and didn't make any noticable vibrations howerver I moved the tire from the front to the rear and drove it another 10k miles before I got new ones.
02-14-2008 | 12:27 PM
#5
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From: Carlos, Texas
I put it in my mower tires, but never a truck or car tire. As said, it is Nas with a capital T. You'll regret it later on. Have you looked at the rim with the tire off? I'd bet a good wire wheel and a little time would fix the issue. Probably a little rust spot or a little bit of crud stuck to the rim somewhere.
02-14-2008 | 03:23 PM
#7
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From: redford michigan
Thanks for the replies.
I am not sure if it leaks at the same spot all the time. I will have to mark the leak next time I take it off.
I was there when the tire shop did the r&r and they cleaned the rim real well. The bead area on the tire is clean and intact, no tears or blemishes and the rim is just as clean.
The tire shop did use the black rim sealer.
This is a real pita. I am getting tired of filling the tire, It takes atleast 3 to 5 minutes.
The tires are 1 year old and have about 15,000 on them. Maybe I will contact the manufacturer and see what they say. I am pretty sure they will suggest the rim. Heard it before.
Any other ideas? Thanks
I am not sure if it leaks at the same spot all the time. I will have to mark the leak next time I take it off.
I was there when the tire shop did the r&r and they cleaned the rim real well. The bead area on the tire is clean and intact, no tears or blemishes and the rim is just as clean.
The tire shop did use the black rim sealer.
This is a real pita. I am getting tired of filling the tire, It takes atleast 3 to 5 minutes.
The tires are 1 year old and have about 15,000 on them. Maybe I will contact the manufacturer and see what they say. I am pretty sure they will suggest the rim. Heard it before.
Any other ideas? Thanks
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02-14-2008 | 03:30 PM
#8
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From: redford michigan
LOL, The first obvious thing for me to do should have been to visit the slime website. lol... DUH!
Here is what they say. Supposed to not work on bead leaks. Any suggestions?
Here is what they say. Supposed to not work on bead leaks. Any suggestions?
SLiME Tire Sealant is formulated and tested for use in all pneumatic tires. Once installed, SLiME remains liquid and will not harden or dry out. Slime is guaranteed for 2 years.
As the SLiME treated tire rotates, centrifugal force pushes the sealant to the tread area creating a layer of protection, repairing punctures as they occur or treating existing punctures. SLiME is not intended for use in tires losing pressure from sidewall punctures, bead leaks, damaged rims or faulty valves. SLiME is recommended as a repair only in high speed, over-the-road tires.
· Repairs punctures up to ¼” (6mm) using Fibro-Seal™ technology.
· Remains liquid inside the tire, coating the tread area as the tire rotates.
· Non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, non-aerosol and water soluble.
· Contains rust and corrosion inhibitors to maintain the integrity of the rim.
· TPMS friendly (Note: May not install easily into tires with direct or valve mounted devices).
· Tires treated with SLiME can be cleaned out with water allowing for the installation of a proper plug/patch.
· SLiME for tubeless tires can also be installed into tubeless bike tires. SLiME installs between the rim and the tire bead. Hold the bead open with two tire levers, install, and re-inflate with a fast burst of air to seat the bead to the rim.
· SLiME has a freeze point of -30ºF (34.4ºC) and a boiling point of 220ºF (104.4ºC).
What is Fibro-Seal Technology? SLiME utilizes a state-of-the-art blend of environmentally friendly fibers, binders, polymers and proprietary congealing agents which intertwine and clot within the puncture. This Fibro-Seal lattice, together with the viscous transportation system (the “green” goo) seeks out and tightly packs itself into the puncture, preventing and repairing flats with a flexible long lasting plug.
Note: SLiME is not recommended for use in tires mounted on chrome wheels.
As the SLiME treated tire rotates, centrifugal force pushes the sealant to the tread area creating a layer of protection, repairing punctures as they occur or treating existing punctures. SLiME is not intended for use in tires losing pressure from sidewall punctures, bead leaks, damaged rims or faulty valves. SLiME is recommended as a repair only in high speed, over-the-road tires.
· Repairs punctures up to ¼” (6mm) using Fibro-Seal™ technology.
· Remains liquid inside the tire, coating the tread area as the tire rotates.
· Non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, non-aerosol and water soluble.
· Contains rust and corrosion inhibitors to maintain the integrity of the rim.
· TPMS friendly (Note: May not install easily into tires with direct or valve mounted devices).
· Tires treated with SLiME can be cleaned out with water allowing for the installation of a proper plug/patch.
· SLiME for tubeless tires can also be installed into tubeless bike tires. SLiME installs between the rim and the tire bead. Hold the bead open with two tire levers, install, and re-inflate with a fast burst of air to seat the bead to the rim.
· SLiME has a freeze point of -30ºF (34.4ºC) and a boiling point of 220ºF (104.4ºC).
What is Fibro-Seal Technology? SLiME utilizes a state-of-the-art blend of environmentally friendly fibers, binders, polymers and proprietary congealing agents which intertwine and clot within the puncture. This Fibro-Seal lattice, together with the viscous transportation system (the “green” goo) seeks out and tightly packs itself into the puncture, preventing and repairing flats with a flexible long lasting plug.
Note: SLiME is not recommended for use in tires mounted on chrome wheels.
02-14-2008 | 04:08 PM
#9
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From: The South
"SLiME Tire Sealant is formulated and tested for use in all pneumatic tires. Once installed, SLiME remains liquid and will not harden or dry out. Slime is guaranteed for 2 years.
As the SLiME treated tire rotates, centrifugal force pushes the sealant to the tread area creating a layer of protection, repairing punctures as they occur or treating existing punctures. SLiME is not intended for use in tires losing pressure from sidewall punctures, bead leaks, damaged rims or faulty valves. SLiME is recommended as a repair only in high speed, over-the-road tires."
Nice contradiction, "all pneumatic tires", then "only in high speed, over-the-road tires".
I use Slime and Berryman sealants a lot in equipment tires. Contrary to the Slimy web site, it works fine in low speed non-highway tires. I even have it in a low pressure tire with a barbed wire sliced and diced sidewall. It reduced it from requiring airing up every day to needing it about every two weeks.
I favor the Berryman product, BTW.
As for the rim leak, you pays your money, and you takes your chances. At least you know it will wash out, if it doesn't work.
As the SLiME treated tire rotates, centrifugal force pushes the sealant to the tread area creating a layer of protection, repairing punctures as they occur or treating existing punctures. SLiME is not intended for use in tires losing pressure from sidewall punctures, bead leaks, damaged rims or faulty valves. SLiME is recommended as a repair only in high speed, over-the-road tires."
Nice contradiction, "all pneumatic tires", then "only in high speed, over-the-road tires".
I use Slime and Berryman sealants a lot in equipment tires. Contrary to the Slimy web site, it works fine in low speed non-highway tires. I even have it in a low pressure tire with a barbed wire sliced and diced sidewall. It reduced it from requiring airing up every day to needing it about every two weeks.
I favor the Berryman product, BTW.
As for the rim leak, you pays your money, and you takes your chances. At least you know it will wash out, if it doesn't work.
02-14-2008 | 06:48 PM
#10
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From: Fremont, OH/Newport News, VA
...as a tire guy myself... I used the slime on my quad tires works every time...but yah I hate pullin off a tire and gettin that junk everywhere but it does work. It cant hurt to try it, kinda strange I've never had a problem with bead sealer.
02-14-2008 | 07:45 PM
#11
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From: Annapolis, Md
If you know that there is nothing in the tire itself... How about putting a tube in the tire... They make tubes for radial tires......That would solve the problem and you could fix it at home, if you can break one bead......
02-14-2008 | 08:17 PM
#12
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From: Pacific NW, B'ham, Kalispell MT
If you've got the stock aluminum wheels I'd take a good hard look for any signs of cracking. Check the date of manufacture on the inside of the problem rim and do a search on cracked rims. Somebody posted the date range for these. Kurt
02-15-2008 | 04:36 PM
#13
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From: Kansas
I use it in my 4-wheeler though and it works great for them. Where I used to work we had a little 4.00-8 tire on a display that would spin. It also had an ice pick attached to the display. Jab the tire, spin it, no more leak.
They do have specially formulated highway tire formula now. I don't have any experience with it yet though. Definately won't work on bead leaks.
02-15-2008 | 05:22 PM
#14
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From: MN
I agree with Kurtaing, take a very close look at the rim. It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see a cracked rim. However, I used to work for a few years at Tires Plus and you'd be surprised where air gets out of those things. I worked on one exactly as you describe, it looked like a bead leak so I cleaned the rim up and sealed it up. Checked my work after I aired it up and still leaking ever so slowly. So I tear it down again and redo my work. Leaking from the same spot again! So finally I broke it down one more time and searched high and low in the area of the leak for a hole or pin or something. It turns out there was the SLIGHTEST pinhole in the bead of the tire, unless you had a good light on it and knew exactly where to look you wouldn't even know it was there. I have no idea how something like that would happen, but sure enough that was it.
So I would first take a really close look at the rim in the area it is leaking, mark both the tire and the rim where it's leaking. If it's not the rim, then there has to be a tiny pinhole in the bead.
So I would first take a really close look at the rim in the area it is leaking, mark both the tire and the rim where it's leaking. If it's not the rim, then there has to be a tiny pinhole in the bead.
02-15-2008 | 06:48 PM
#15
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From: The Great Northwest!
Cracked wheels are common and this is th first clue something is not right.
Do not continue to use a cracked wheel. You are gonna be a statistic on the side of the freeway. Also, check the valve stem.
Personally, all the tire sealers I stay away from. They can mask a real problem.
With that said, my desert race quads all got fix a flat upon tire installation. Air the tire completely down, fill the tire and go for a long ride. No punctures off road. Pulling the tire off usually meant cutting it off the rim and the rim had to be blasted every tire change to get the crud off.
Dave
Do not continue to use a cracked wheel. You are gonna be a statistic on the side of the freeway. Also, check the valve stem.
Personally, all the tire sealers I stay away from. They can mask a real problem.
With that said, my desert race quads all got fix a flat upon tire installation. Air the tire completely down, fill the tire and go for a long ride. No punctures off road. Pulling the tire off usually meant cutting it off the rim and the rim had to be blasted every tire change to get the crud off.
Dave