Slow Leak?

[Roadie]

I've had my RoadStar/champion trike for about a year now and have what seems to be a slow lead in the right rear the whole time. I'v checked as much I can but have not found any leak. Could it possibly be that the wheel and tire were not fully seated and now leaks somewhere along the bead? Any suggestions?

 

[Bikerbozo]

Spray a little soapy water around the inside and outside of the rim and look for the leak. Also check the air valve and around the stem.

 

[Gorilla]

I can not tell from your picture what kind of wheels you have. If they are cast aluminium it is possible that the air is seeping thru the wheel. It is a rare occurrence but it has happened. If they are steel wheels then this should not be a possibility.

 

[rhino 2]

Check the air valve [valve core] Some valve caps come with an tool on them to tighten the valve, Sometimes just a little tightening is all that is needed.. Any Auto parts store will have them for about a buck...

 

[Sinical]

Along with the excellent suggestions above, removing the tire and rotating it while giving it a close visual inspection sometimes does the trick. Nails and screws are usually easy to spot and you probably would have found one of those by this time. One that threw me was a slow leak that turned out to be a broken off staple imbedded in the tread. It barely looked like a speck and took a small needle nosed pliers to grab, but sure enough, that had been the culprit.

 

[cavie]

Old school: Take to a tire shop and immerse in tube of water and look for bubbles and repair.

New school: Can of Green slime or Ride On tire sealant balancer. Ride on

 

[michael2480]

Take it off the trike, lay it down and run a little water around the bead (do on both sides if needed). If you see bubbles around the bead take a rubber mallet and smack the tire good in that location and it will usually seat and stop leaking. If you don't find anything around the bead stand it up and run some water real slow over the tire with a garden hose as you rotate it slowly around. Watch for bubbles along the tread area, might just be a very few so have to go slow and look real good. Some slow leaks are really hard to find. Good luck!

 

[Phu Cat]

Don't be afraid to raise the tire pressure before you start looking. Running it up to the pressure on the sidewall, or even a little more will make the leak easier to find. Just don't forget to lower it before putting the tire back on the trike.

PC

 

[Roadie]

Thanks for all the suggestions - Found the leak -
small crack in the base of the valve stem.

 

[hogcowboy]

Glad you found it. Those things is why I use metal stems with rubber washers and nut. I've yet to have one fail after switching to them at a tire change.ThumbUp

 

[bustedwing]

That's a good idea, and I think I will be doing that from now on. Thanks.