Mystery Tire Leak

[StevePowerTX]

I have an almost new set 0f Enduro tires on my 2015 White Hawk 27RBK. Well I say new, they're about 2 years old but only about 3500 miles The trailer has been sitting since shortly after our last trip over a year ago. One tire has somehow developed a slow leak. Loses about 10-15 lbs in roughly three weeks. I went to remove the wheel to take to the tire shop but someone replaced one of the lug nuts in a different size and I can't get it off.

Last week I took it to have the wheel bearings greased and asked the shop to take a look while they had the wheel off. I suggested it might be something as simple as a dodgy valve stem. They said they couldn't find any leak but said they topped off all four wheels at 60lbs psi. I'd also asked that they replace the weird lug nut. They didn't and I didn't have time to have them deal with it.

So, I know I have to figure out a way to correct the lug nut situation but in regards to the leak, is it possible it's leaking from the rim? Is it possible to maybe use a can of Tire Fix to seal whatever is going on? I know it's supposed to be a temporary thing but I've used it back in the day when I had no money and a banger car and never had a problem. We're headed to the coast next week. A little over 400 miles.

[Nature Ist]

Yes, it is possible the leak is in the metal rim.
You have two problems that should each be dealt with before you take any long trip. Find the leak and take care of it, I would not rely on any kind of fix-a-flat. The leak could become more rapid under road use conditions, and then you would have a high likelihood of a blow-out. Do you have a TPMS system installed?
The lug nut situation should also be addressed. It sounds like you will have damaged threads on the lug, so replacing the nut will not solve the issue of proper torque. You probably need to replace the stud, which means removing the drum.
I would not recommend driving with either of the two conditions. The consequences are likely to be far more costly than the fix.

[norty1]

Have the rim checked for pin hole leak. I had one. They will mainly be found on a cast aluminum rim very infrequently. Get the lug replaced before you hit the road or it may come back to bite you and ruin a good trip.

[StevePowerTX]

The lug nut threads on okay. The shop didn't mention any problem with getting it off or on. It just takes a different size socket than the rest. Which in itself is not a good thing.

[norty1]

Originally Posted by StevePowerTX

The lug nut threads on okay. The shop didn't mention any problem with getting it off or on. It just takes a different size socket than the rest. Which in itself is not a good thing.

They lost the nut! So you only have one problem.

The tire place who looked at mine found it by submerging it in a water tank.

[us71na]

If someone balanced your tires and used clip on weights on your aluminum tires, the clips break through the anodize on the wheels and corrosion starts where the clip damaged the anodize. There are special weights for aluminum wheels and not all shops use them.

[WeRJuliian]

I have just had a very similar problem on my car, and it turned out to be a small area of corrosion on the rim, where it seals against the tyre.

[mokurt]

Originally Posted by norty1

The tire place who looked at mine found it by submerging it in a water tank.

This ^^^

Remove the wheel if you can and have a tire shop submerge it!

[StevePowerTX]

Managed to get the tire off. Fortunately the shop had not really tightened the lug nuts properly so at least they were easy to get off. Got it to a tire shop and look what they found. A three inch piece of metal. This after the RV shop said they couldn't find a puncture. She's fixed and ready to go.

BTW, I'd bought a Tire Aid. Despite being advertised for dual axle trailers it did not in fact lift the tire off the ground far enough. It needed another inch. Tried a couple of things to get the ramp higher. Ended up using a board and then it worked a treat. Board is not always in the truck. Still, glad I found out at home.

[DocBrown]

Glad you found the issue and fixed it!

Originally Posted by mokurt

This ^^^

Remove the wheel if you can and have a tire shop submerge it!

In lieu of that use a spray bottle of water and slowly spray along the bead, then the tread to find the leak. I've found many mystery leaks this way over the years.

[paul_ottawa]

Originally Posted by StevePowerTX

Managed to get the tire off. Fortunately the shop had not really tightened the lug nuts properly so at least they were easy to get off. Got it to a tire shop and look what they found. A three inch piece of metal. This after the RV shop said they couldn't find a puncture. She's fixed and ready to go.

BTW, I'd bought a Tire Aid. Despite being advertised for dual axle trailers it did not in fact lift the tire off the ground far enough. It needed another inch. Tried a couple of things to get the ramp higher. Ended up using a board and then it worked a treat. Board is not always in the truck. Still, glad I found out at home.

I use a 2x6 under my tire aid after the first time I tried and it was too close for comfort for me to try and get the tire off. Used it a few times every since and it has been great. Lots of space now.

[Explorer03]

In regards to the Tire Aid. I have one that was supposed to work on dual axles-it did not work for me. I just took two pieces of scrap 3/4" ply wood the size of the Tire Aid and screwed the together. I removed the lag screws from the bottom of the tire aid and used longer lag screws and attached the plywood to the Tire aid. It worked great-right after I did this I had a tire blow out and it worked fine.