steel wheels

[howard49]

Since purchasing a 54plate Autocruise Starspirit 2 years ago I have on three occasions had to deal with flat tyres(always rear). Each time the tyre company have explained the flat as being caused by leakage through the wheel itself

Most recently the problem repated itself with a replacement (s/hand) wheel and brand new tyre. That means that three wheels have failed!

Am I just unlucky, naive or am I missing something obvious.

Any input is appreciated.

[Keithl]

Hi Howard49 and welcome to the forum,

 

Are you sure the leakage is ocurring through the wheel and not by a failure of the valve? Have the tyre companies actually shown you where the leak is from or have you taken their word for it that it is a faulty wheel?

 

Standard car type rubber valves are really only suitable for pressures up to approx 60 psi (from memory) and can, and do, fail regularly at pressures above this which many motorhomes seem to run at.

You mention the flats are always rears and rear tyres on MH's normally run at higher pressure than fronts! What pressures are you running at?

 

Try replacing your rubber valves with metal ones and see how you fair. Alligator are one make of metal valve but try Google (or eBay) and see what comes up.

 

HTH,

Keith.

[hallii]

Have the tyre blown up and dunked in the big water bath most tyre companies have tucked away somewhere.

 

Bubbles will indicate the source of the leak.

 

If the rims are porous (and I doubt this) they can be coated with a special gunk to seal them.

 

There are some metal valve caps that use a small spanner to do them up, not only do they prevent a valve from leaking but they help prevent some person(s) from tampering with the valve. A lick of touch up paint will indicate if they have been removed.

 

Is it possible that someone thinks it is funny to mess with your tyres when you are perhaps in bed?

 

H

[Dave Newell]

In 35 years in the motor (and related) trades and having driven well in excess of a million miles personally I've never yet seen a porous steel road wheel. I've seen porous ali wheels, I've seen steel wheels damaged so they leak, I've seen poor valves, I've seen incorrectly fitted valves, I've seen inappropriate valves fitted (not suitable for the pressures involved), I've seen porous tyres but I've NEVER seen a porous steel wheel! Of course this doesn't mean its not possible just that I've never seen it. In my humble opinion having three porous steel wheels is well beyond the realms of possibility, I'd try a different tyre company.

 

D.

[mirage]

My own experience of a national tyre company has`nt been great. My previous van came fitted new with rubber valves when the first tyre valve failed, fortunately on the drive, they merely re-fitted the same type of valve. A year later the other side went again on the drive, at this point I delved into things and as most motorhomers now know tyres with pressures exceeding 50psi should have steel valves. I went to another tyre dealer who change all four.

I would take your van to another tyre firm try ringing a couple of local motorhome dealers to see which tyre companies they use, I did and found them very knowledgeable.

[George Collings]

Assuming the leakage can be attributed to inappropriate valves for the recomended inflation pressures there would seem to be good grounds for a claim for the cost of all those unnecessary new wheels.

 

The threat of proceedings in the small claims court might work if all else fails.