seem to have a leak down problem on my 15 inch 32 bolts.i just put them together and in a half hour lost 2 psi...what should the bolts be torqued to?any cheap fixes?slime?
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
leak down problem on weld on beadlocks
- Thread starter twoslo4five0
- Start date
I avoid that slime crap as much as I can, it's ok in an emergency, but boy does it leave a damn mess. Most all the places around here will charge you $20 more if they have to change a tire and you've put that slime crap in them. I help out the garage down the road in the winter sometimes and I tell you what, every tire I broke down that had that crap in there was an absolute PITA. The clean up before you can mount a tire or remount the same tire is time consuming. Then you want to talk about balancing...........Yea !!!!!
Slapperbar
Retired Navy NDT Examiner
Make sure it's centered and torque to ~ 12'lb, you need to run a star pattern and keep going 'till they don't turn anymore. (at 12'lb)
After having beadlocks for about 10 years.
Good luck getting them not to leak.
You do however have excessive air loss. Make sure that things are centered well, tighten them up a lot. I never torque mine now just have a feel for what tight enough is. If in a few days of making sure the ring is tight doesn't slow the leak you can use some black RTV on the bead to fill any minor imperfections and mount the tire up with that.
Also check the valve stem if they are the screw together types.
Good luck getting them not to leak.
You do however have excessive air loss. Make sure that things are centered well, tighten them up a lot. I never torque mine now just have a feel for what tight enough is. If in a few days of making sure the ring is tight doesn't slow the leak you can use some black RTV on the bead to fill any minor imperfections and mount the tire up with that.
Also check the valve stem if they are the screw together types.
i was thinking 12 foot pounds was kinda light ill try getting em really tight and going from there...miniwally how much is your usuall leakdown?
that slime stuff certainly does make chaning a tire hard. If you are getting charged more for the work though those guys are just being d*cks. Discount Tire, and wal-mart do not charge a cent more if you used it. If you don't like doing business with them thats fine. Of course we should all be carrying a fully inflated spare anyway right? I have seen the black RTV trick do well but in the end it just makes up for the design of a weld on bead lock. I would say go with the RTV and tighten those bolts down. 12lbs seems a little light considering how big and heavy those tires are.
well the only thing im concerned about is the fact im using nylon lock nuts.1 time use...id hate to take them all apart and replace all of thoose nuts but i will if need be
maybe a pinch nut is in your future. I know those are supposed to be one time use too but I have had them last more than one turn of the wrench. If you want to try an experiment give the fix-a-flat or tire slime a try. It is a pain to clean it all out if it doesnt work but if it does then your set! I wouldn't worry about balancing a tire like that on a weld on bead lock.
Slapperbar
Retired Navy NDT Examiner
Nylock nuts CAN be re-used, 2-3 times or more. If you can thread it on by hand, even a little, throw it out.
With my new Trailready HDs I am in the three or better weeks to go from 10 lbs to flat.
I have seen a 10lb to 0 loss in a week, day, year with the same tire and wheel combo at times.
Out of the four on the buggy two are slow leakers and the other two leak but I haven't had to put air in them for several months.
You might use some RTV around the welds from the inside as well. Don't worry about the nuts. You can reuse a nylock nut in this case several times. You will be tightening bolts every trip anyway. I have even sheared the bolt heads off on rocks and not had problems with the tire staying put till the next trip when I re installed a bolt.
I have seen a 10lb to 0 loss in a week, day, year with the same tire and wheel combo at times.
Out of the four on the buggy two are slow leakers and the other two leak but I haven't had to put air in them for several months.
You might use some RTV around the welds from the inside as well. Don't worry about the nuts. You can reuse a nylock nut in this case several times. You will be tightening bolts every trip anyway. I have even sheared the bolt heads off on rocks and not had problems with the tire staying put till the next trip when I re installed a bolt.
I torque mine to 15 ft. lbs. and they are Allied beadlocks; 32 bolts but the ring is tapered to center the bead of the tire.
I'd find out where the leak is coming from first, its easy to miss a pinhole in the welds.
I'd find out where the leak is coming from first, its easy to miss a pinhole in the welds.
Good to know! 1 of my beadlocks was a leaker. It would go flat in about a week I tightened up the bolts some more and now it's fine. The other three have been fine and they've been on there for about 6 months now. Are your rings coning inward?
This is not a hijack but where is the air leaking from? Maybe I just don't know how a bead lock works other than keeps the bead from coming off the seat area. Do the bolts go all the way through to the inside space of the pressurized tires and leak through the threaded area or what? Sorry just never seen a bead lock apart.
we cant seem to find the leak but its leaking down
Stick it in water and look for bubbles. Use a kiddie pool if you have one.
Dumb question, but did you check the inner bead as well? Maybe its not set yet
