Cooper tire issue

[eagle0800]

Hello all,

I have an issue with some Cooper STs on my 06 GMC Sierra 1500. Two of them don't seem to like to hold pressure for more than 3 days. They are 265/70 r17s, I bought them brand new in 2011 and have only had them on the truck for 2 years and about 15k miles. They are the E rated (I know they are a little much for my 1/2 ton but that's what they had at the time in the style) and I run them at approximately 60 PSI for wear, they are losing about 20-40 PSI over 3-4 days depending on temperature. I have had 3 shops and I tried myself to try to find a leak with no luck and fix a flat seems to work for a few days but the problem keeps coming back. I’m at the point of picking up two more tires to replace them but with how little wear I have on these tires I hate to just throw them out. Does anyone have any experience with Ride-On tire protection? I’m thinking of trying it and using the problem tires as spares and picking up two new tires as primaries. Does anyone else have any suggestions on a fix? Thank you in advance.

 

[Davev1954]

You changed the valves? They are the weak link in losing air- and cheap and easy to replace.

 

[Forbye]

Steel or aluminum wheels? How are you testing them-soapy water in a spray bottle or full immersion in a water tank? Have a tire shop break the bead and check where the wheel and tire meet for rust(steel) or corrosion(aluminum).

 

[82fb]

that's a fast leak. even soapy water will show it to you.

 

[1stDeuce]

Fill a wheelbarrow full of water and submerge a part of the tire and rim. You don't have to do the whole thing at once, but so long as you can stand it up and look for bubbles as you roll it slowly, you'll see where the air is coming out if they're dropping that fast.

I agree that it's very likely that the clear coat on a corroded aluminum wheel is at fault, not the tire itself, but if you submerge it and air comes out through the sidewall, that'll pretty much prove it's a tire issue...

 

[Davev1954]

I'd get a different tire guy- they can find a leak if they have a mind to. Unless it was some kid working there who still lives at home... :ylsmoke:

 

[xbox73]

Definitely do the immersion in water in a large tub, like suggested, to look for air escaping. Also, as stated, with a relatively quick leak, you don't necessarily need to fit the whole tire / wheel under water, just enough of it at a time to look for the leak. I had the same issue & that's how i figured what was happening in my case: I'd cracked 2 of my aluminum rims. Once I knew what it was, I could spot the micro fissures in the rims pretty easily. In my case, I bought a new set of stronger rims. You definitely want to figure out the root cause, because e.g. if your rims are cracked, then buying new tires isn't going to solve your issue. One obvious possible culprit, as mentioned, is the valve stems.

 

[kpredator]

slow leak

i had the same deal.it was the alum rims.

cleaned the rims with a grinder and brush problem solved!!!!!

 

[Scott Brady]

Yeah, sounds like a rim or valve issue.