Wheels / Tires: Tube that won't hold air...

[Chris_Dresbach]

Small rant... I have a set of four almost brand new Coker tires and tubes on my '40. Before I had the tires put on I had the wheels sand blasted and painted. NO RUST AT ALL. The rims also aren't bent. However, even with new tubes, and bands, my right rear was flat this morning for the 4th time since I got the tires. It went flat 3 times last year, held air all winter, and now this?! I checked the tire too, no nails or flat spots or anyting. The tire looks like the day I got it! Does anybody know what might be doing this?!?!
Rant over.

[HookedonStudies]

Sounds simple, but swap out the core in the valve stem. If it still loses air - take it off and have it dunked.

[BobPalma]

What Pat said, Chris. The valve stem core just isn't sealing consistently. Looks like it "hit" just right to hold air all winter but when you last checked tire pressures 'come spring, it didn't seat right. Not that uncommon; all our problems should be so easily solved! BP

[Ray Stewart]

My 62 Lark had the same problem. Tire shop pulled the new tire and took a good look at the interior of the tire. The was a slightly rough spot on the interior wall of the tire that would rub the tube slightly and make teh smallest slowest leak ever. They patched over the place in the tire, patched the tube...problem gone. They tire guys said it was not that uncommon. Hope this helps.

[Dan Timberlake]

Soapy water in an old spray bottle is way more sensitive than a water dunk. I'd spray the stem valve, the stem, both beads, and the tread. If the tube has a defect (chafe or pinch) it will show as fizz at the bead area or where stem comes thru the rim. Did you talcum powder up the tube when installing it, and do a low pressure inflate before seating the second bead? Did you do a few inflate/deflate cycles to let the tube preen out any wrinkles? What size was the tube? An oversize tube may not have room to de-wrinkle. If there is no external fizzing I'd remove the tube, pressurize it lightly, and test it with soapy water spray. The leak is in there somewhere. If it was a wheelbarrow or riding lawnmower I'd dump in some SLIME sealer, but not a tube type passenger car.

[Chris_Dresbach]

I got my tire back from the tire place down the road from the Chippewa plant... (I don't work on tires myself) They said it had a tiny hole at the base of the valve stem and put a different kind of patch on it than any other I have seen before. Let's hope it works... If not, I may be looking at a new tube! I have Coker Classic 600X16s on all four.

[junior]

In that case, chamfer and deburr the hole in the rim for the valve stem. I used to work in a tire shop back in the day and we would have a few splitrim truck tires that had the same problem....quick touch with a diegrinder and dressing with emerycloth is all it took to stop the leaks from happening again. Good luck. Junior.