Wheel & Tire Everything about tires and wheels.

Tire keeps going flat

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 10, 2003 | 08:22 AM
  #1  
theworx's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
Tire keeps going flat

I just got a set of used 18" ADR Sokudos about 4 weeks ago. Got 4 Nankang NS-II's mounted and balanced and the next morning one of them was flat. Took it back to the place that mounted them and they remounted the tire. That lasted about 2 weeks, but I kept noticing a vibration when on the highway, felt like an out of balance wheel. Took it back to them again, they rebalanced it, and put it on the car. Drove home, vibration was gone. Next morning got up, did a grounding mod to the car to try to get rid of some of te hesitation with my 04 WRX, took it for a little drive, then back home and parked it. A few hours later went to go run some errands and the damn thing was flat again. When I say flat I mean flat, absolutely no air in the tire, no just low. Any ideas? I am going to get it remounted and balanced in about an hour, hopefully everything will be fine.
Side note, the first time they were mounted we found a small burr on the inside of the wheel where the tire seals against the wheel. We put some sealant on there and it didn't leak until the next morning. After it went flat and I took it back to them, we checked to see if the burr was causing the problem and it was gone. That's what I originally thought was causing the problem. Now I am clueless. Please help
Old Nov 10, 2003 | 02:32 PM
  #2  
Dexter@tirerack's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 681
From: Warsaw, Indiana
Car Info: 02 WRX Wagon White
Get a spray bottle and fill it with about 25% dish soap and 75% water and pump up your tire and spray the solution on it. You should see bubbles - mark the location with a grease pen and then show the dealer where they went wrong.
Old Nov 10, 2003 | 04:40 PM
  #3  
Wingless Wonder's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,029
From: Sacramento CA
Car Info: 02 Impreza WRX sedan
Use the soap solution to check the valve stem core (underneath the cap) as well as the base of the stem where it enters the rim.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush
Old Nov 11, 2003 | 12:28 AM
  #4  
DarkAngel's Avatar
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 593
From: SF Bay
look for a nail.. it might be a tiny bastard
Old Nov 11, 2003 | 05:08 PM
  #5  
theworx's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
I figured it out I think. That little burr I was talking about was still there. When I took it back to my friend at the tire store we resurfaced the area of the wheel that contacts the tire and so far so good. I think what was happening is when I would park, I would randomly stop right on that area with the burr putting pressure on that area and causing it to leak. We tried the soap and water test at the tire store and there were no bubbles. That's why this seemed so confusing.
Old Dec 10, 2003 | 05:13 AM
  #9  
theworx's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
The tires are not the best for performance. It also took quite a lot of time to balance them correctly. We had to road force each tire and rim combo 2 or 3 times to get it right and it still is not perfect. Looking back on it I wish I would have waited and bought the KDW2's that I really wanted. They are not terrible, just not the highest quality. Then again, this could have nothing to do with the tires. It maybe a problem with the rims. If you are serious about buying them I would sell you mine for a discounted price. I just took the rims off my car for the winter and am going to get the other tires anyway. They have about 1000 miles on them and look brand new. I would sell them for 250 plus shipping. Let me know.
Old Dec 19, 2003 | 02:20 PM
  #11  
SlickmisterN's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,019
From: LIC Motorsports
Car Info: 2004 Black/Gold STi
it could be the stems of the tire....
Old Dec 19, 2003 | 04:10 PM
  #12  
SUB-ZERO's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 232
You probably have a broken belt. The same thing happened to my on a set og Kuhmo's about a year ago driving through DC. The tire would just loose air and I would have to fill it once per week.
Old Dec 20, 2003 | 05:05 AM
  #13  
theworx's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
They are fine now. It ended up being the burr on the lip of the wheel. The have not lost any air pressure since then.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SoobAeroDude
Bay Area
9
Jul 16, 2007 12:59 PM
CLsmooth71
Bay Area
11
Aug 10, 2005 04:21 PM
soundwave
Suspension, Handling, and Brakes
23
Apr 11, 2004 04:15 AM
snuffyrsx
Hawaii
8
Sep 25, 2003 02:08 PM
DaveWRX
Hawaii
19
Aug 22, 2003 03:20 PM




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:09 AM.