Best way to fix a slow leak

[Fat Charlie]

Spraying foam inside a tire is a horrible idea. Soapy water is what our guys use, and we use tire plugs with some sort of goop to vulcanize everything. It's a good fix.

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by slowmover

But how long will they last? The cost-per-mile is high for a number of tire types with 3/4 & 1T pickups due to their weight and intended use. The fuel savings offset may not be there when placed in context.

And I'm not seeing the 113 Load Index as being consistent with GAWR, GVWR or GCWR given a prudent margin (15%) as recommended. It is a good 20% below the 121 tires in load carrying capacity.

The tread design looks great, however. On an SUV that doesn't get much above 6k or that tows up to medium-sized TT's it may be fine.

It's all I'll have to say on this. Your truck and your tires.

GVWR for my truck is 9,000 lbs. If we assume equal distribution, that's 2,250 lbs/tire. 113 Load Index is 2,535 lbs. That's a 13% margin, if I calculated things correctly.

Did I miss something?

[slowmover]

I very much doubt the sidewalls are up to the job. Cornering, braking and other instances where weight shifts . . and let's not think too deeply about potholes and the like . . turning and braking across a pothole. Etc.

The FA weight on mine doesn't change much. It's at 4,100-lbs nearly all the time. Were the OEM's able to get away with a lighter tire I believe they would. And I don't see a half-ton tire being a good choice (keeping in mind my dictum of never reducing the work capability of a truck . . else why have one).

CapriRacer -- that very handy guy to have around -- could nail it down for you either way. A certified scale weight of FA & RA (or, better, wheel-by-wheel) would be useful (otherwise the DODGE TOWING GUIDE) in this determination. Let us know what you find out.

Contacting BRIDGESTONE directly would also be good. MICHELIN has a fine guide and on-line help, for example. And hands-on at a dealer is always fun (the smell, alone, works for me).

And a cost analysis of the B-Alenza cost at 40-60k total miles vs the B-Duravis at 90-110k total miles would be useful. Comes down to how far you will drive in 7-years. The Alenza will last maybe five, the Duravis seven-plus. Economy is always the biggest picture.

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[Diesel_Dave]

Update, my slow leak became a large leak and it finally went down.

I found out that my local Discout Tire will repair tires for free. I took it in and they fixed the leak and put in a new valve stem. I've bought tire from them before and probably will again.

[slowmover]

The only guy I know who has a leaking tire and still gets incredible mpg. The rest of poor mortals wondered what happened to ours.

I also use, and recommend, DISCOUNT TIRE. Keep in mind that the differences between store managers can be make-or-break, though.

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[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by slowmover

The only guy I know who has a leaking tire and still gets incredible mpg. The rest of poor mortals wondered what happened to ours.

Thanks

I actually saw a bit of a hit in the mileage for the few days that I ran on the spare. It could have been a few different things. The spare is basically new so it had a lot more tread than the original. It also is a slightly different size (65 vs 70 aspect ratio). All that might have acted almost like a misalignment. It's a good tire too--Michelen LTX A/S.

[YeahPete]

I'm a little late on this thread but I keep a tire repair kit in my garage.

Just buy one from Walmart. It comes with rubber cement, a pick with a file on the end, a tool to set the plug with and some really sticky plugs. The plugs come w/ instructions on how to repair the leak.

I've fixed a few flats this way and the tires have held up under my horrid driving as a teen.

+1 for soap and water for finding the leak

Lucky you got it fixed for free.