Tire loses inflation when turning.

[jlanglois]

The right front tire on my Ford 3930 has a slight leak. I add air about once a week to keep the pressure at about 36psi.
I have noticed that the side wall flexes and it loses most of its air when turning.
Is that the sign that the tire (about 5 years old) has lost the will to live?

 

[oldnslo]

Would make me wonder if there isn’t either a weak spot in the side wall that flexes and leaks under certain conditions. How does it compare in flex to the other front tire?

 

[JC-jetro]

I had the same situation with my right front tire on my 1700. What I did was to raise the front right tire with a jack stand under. Then I took the scharader valve core out, took a 4lb hammer and beat side wall while turning the wheel hoping to brake the bead a bit. Then made a dish soap water mix, put in a water bottle with a hole in the cap (squeeze bottle) and flooding the bead while turning the tire. I then put the core back and put air a bit higher than normal pressure. I let the wheel on jack stand for a day before I lowered and it helped my very slow leak.

 

[4570Man]

I had a tire with a slit in the sidewall. It wouldn’t leak unless the slit was at the bottom where it flexed a little bit. It’s easy enough to soap a tire down to see where it’s leaking.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I'm a firm believer in tubes. None of those problems with tubes.

 

[Grumpycat]

I'm a firm believer in tubes. None of those problems with tubes.

Yes, with a tube it goes flat immediately rather than take hours. I don't think that is better.

That it is leaking slow suggests the tire is tubeless. The O.P. can try adding Slime which may or may not help. As others have said it may have dirt or grime between rim and tire bead that can be disturbed by breaking the bead, lubricating, and re-inflating.

If you decide to band-aid with a tube the installer will curse your name if you have used Slime. The tire has to come off and inside washed with water.

 

[4570Man]

I'm a firm believer in tubes. None of those problems with tubes.

Tubes are a good fix for tires that already leak but when a tube does leak it’s usually a total loss and you have to break the tire down and repeat the process.

 

[K5lwq]

I have had real good success using the John Deere goop. My name for it not theirs. I think they just call it tire sealant. It does not rust the rim and is easy to clean out. I had a front tire that had very bad dry rot cracks that leaked in multiple places around the tire. Put the goop in and ran that tire for two more years without having to add air.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Tubes are a good fix for tires that already leak but when a tube does leak it’s usually a total loss and you have to break the tire down and repeat the process.

I have not been to a tire store in decades.

 

[Tinhack]

I have not been to a tire store in decades.

I have one in my little town. They're worthless. They couldn't patch my tractor tube. It went flat the next day. I took the tube out and apparently, they just put a patch over the top of mine. I got a tubeless valve, juiced the tire with a little Slime and it's been holding air since.