Slow air leak

[Joesjunk]

Anyone experienced a slooooooooww air leak. After returning from a trip in Janurary, I noticed that my right tire looses air. Takes about a month for the tire to start showing. Pumped it back up to 50 PSI twice since then. Haven't towed the trailer. It is just sitting in my garage.
I purchased new Goodyear Maratons with new valve stems last year and had them balanced.

I had a slow air leak in my spare that the tire dealers could not find. Leaky rim???

Any ideas?? ??

Thanks,

[rtcassel]

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

Anyone experienced a slooooooooww air leak. ... I purchased new Goodyear Maratons with new valve stems last year and had them balanced.

Twice since I got metal stems I had a (not slow) leak around a stem after a tire was mounted. I held the stem with my fingers so that it would not turn, and then carefully tightened the nut that compresses the rubber washer that is under the rim. It stopped leaking.

Originally Posted by rtcassel

Twice since I got metal stems I had a (not slow) leak around a stem after a tire was mounted. I held the stem with my fingers so that it would not turn, and then carefully tightened the nut that compresses the rubber washer that is under the rim. It stopped leaking.

If the tire doesn't have a puncture anywhere in it, the stems (as Rtcassel pointed out) and/or the beads may be leaking. The easiest way to check this is to make yourself a solution of water with some dishwashing liquid mixed in. If you have some kind of pump spray bottle handy, put the solution in it and spray the valve stem where it comes thru the rim, the valve core itself (inside the stem, because they are sometimes loose or faulty), and all around the rim (where the tire bead seals), especially around where the wheel weights are (sometimes the clips on the weights will push the bead back away from the rim).

If it is a slow leak, watch for a bubble(s) to start to form at these spots. It may take a little bit, but should make a bubble because of the dishwashing liquid in it.

EDIT: I needed to add something, especially about possible leaking around the beads. A lot of tire manufacturers attach a bar code label to one of the beads. A lot of time, there will be a small, slow leak there, if the guy who mounts the tire doesn't remove the label before mounting. Wouldn't be at all surprised if this is your culprit.

Just a side note to the advice wmtire gave, if it is a rim leak, your best bet is to remove the tire and lay it on the floor and allow the water/soap solution to form around the area where the tire meets the rim (the bead). Rim leaks can be very difficult to find sometimes.