Fix a Run Flat Tire That Is Leaking Air at the Rim


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Old 04-09-19, 08:27 PM
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Fix a Run Flat Tire That Is Leaking Air at the Rim

I have always followed this technique on regular tires:

https://itstillruns.com/fix-tire-lea...m-7155018.html

Was wondering if this can be done on a run flat tire?? Anyone know?
 
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Old 04-22-19, 04:39 PM
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I repaired many “rim leaks” in my career before retiring. We would completely dismount the tire from the rim. Usually we found that rust had formed on the rim where the tire bead contacted (as seen in the leak shown at it stillruns.com.

It doesn’t make sense to dismount the tire to clean one small section only to have it possibly leak in a different spot in the future. Do it right once.

Even though the leak may have been in only one or a few places on the rim, we would take the wire wheel and clean both sides of the rim along total circumference of the bead down to bare metal and then repaint. Then would use rubber lube or silicone on the tire bead to remount the tire to the rim.
 
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Old 04-26-19, 02:59 PM
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I am having a heck of a time even breaking the bead on this tire. Someone mentioned putting it under my truck and jacking down on the tire to access the edge of the rim - anyone tried that?
 
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Old 04-26-19, 03:35 PM
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I've seen people do things like that. My dad would simply put in front of the wheel of another car and drive over it but your idea sounds a little less likely to go wrong.
 
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Old 04-26-19, 05:30 PM
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I would usually try a maul first, but when that didn't work have done it both ways mentioned, with a jack and driving onto them, using some blocks to ramp up to it, and they both work. The concerns I would have in this case though are damaging the wheel in the process as most run flats I have seen are not mounted on inexpensive wheels, and, being a run flat, I'd be a little surprised if you could get enough flex to be able to adequately clean the rim without demounting the tire, in which case you might want to run it by a tire shop and have them demount it for you, which would include breaking the bead.
 
 

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