to tube or not to tube

[deo]

Got a new tire for the front end. Works just fine as long as I can keep air in it. I have to go out and refill it about once every two weeks. I talked to a mechanic and he said that the aluminum rims have a tendency to leak air through them. Is that true? What can I do to fix it? I have heard that tubes aren't recommended for Bike tires so I am not much interested in putting a tube in.

deo

[Nastydude]

tubes ran in bikes for years (not to mention cars and dragsters)so i don't know of a problem there. but aluminum rims do leag but not through the rim but the bead and the valve stem. Amuminum and magnesium corrosion are very porus and any of this in your valve stem hole or around the bead surface will make a tire loose air worse . biggest problem is that rims made from this material are excellent heat conductors rimms heat and expand and shrink and contract faster than your tire can this causes the bead surfase to leak and you get a low tire. because of this movement the beads never seat well which can cause the bead to leak while under side way stress such as cornering. add the corrosion and you will have all kinds of problems.

the only attemt at a fix for this is to go to a tire repair facility not canadian tire but a tire reair shop Goodyead, Firestone whatever. have them remove your tire and stem and ensure all corrosion is cleaned off than have them apply liquid bead sealer to your rim before they seat the beads and install a new valve stem this will hopefully cure your problem.

[Winterhawk]

Just get a drill motor and put a wire wheel on it and go around the inside of the rim where the tire seats.

[Nastydude]

the wire wheel idea will work but only if it is the bead alone that is leaking and the leak is caused by corrosion or foreign matter if also caused by expansion and contraction than applying bead sealer and seating beads while the sealer is wet is the only successfull way i've seen

P.s in the ten years i worked in tire repair this was the best attempt at fixing leaky beads and stems aluminum or magnesium rims.

[deo]

thanks! I have the general idea. Used to live in Chicoutimi, PQ and agree totally with not going to Canadian Tire. I will give it a shot.

dave

[rover]

Way back in 1982, I replaced the original tires on my FS. I cleaned out the valve hole, cleaned the bead area thoroughly, painted the whole inside of the rim and valve hole, put a thin coat of dawn dish detergent on the tire beads, and assembled them. Never had a leak in all those years. When I put on new tires, I wipe the rim beads with a wet rag, and ALL the crud comes off. Use a thin coat of Dawn again, and still never had a leak. I use metal valves with the rubber gaskets. Oh, if you paint the inside of the rims, let it dry completely before putting the tire and valve in. As far as I can tell, the tire never slipped on the rim from hard acceleration. By the time I get the assembly balanced, the Dawn is very tacky. I read a post about not using dish detergent, but I never had a problem with it. Use it sparingly, and use your own judgement about doing it this way. Best of luck