# Small pneumatic tires not holding pressure



## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

I used plumbing pipe clamps to mount a small air compressor on a hand truck to make it easier to transport. The hand truck came with small 10 inch pneumatic tires which wouldn't hold air pressure. I removed the wheels from the hand truck, took the wheels apart and installed inner tubes on these tires, but they still wouldn't hold air pressure for more than a few months. I replaced the valves in the inner tube's stems, and that didn't help either.

If these tires have inner tubes and I've replaced the valves in the stems, where could the air be leaking out. Every 6 months or so I have to re-inflate these tiny tires.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

same problem here with two sets of those cheap things. i found some old hard rubber tires for my compressor.
haven't found any yet for my generator.... or my cement mixer.....

DM


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

These small tires do not hold a large volume of air. Such a slow leak is hard to find. You could have damaged both tubes when you installed them. 

My guess is that the valve caps are depressing the schraeder valve slightly allowing the air to escape.


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## sestivers (Aug 10, 2007)

Air will naturally permeate through the butyl rubber of those inner tubes. A few months is a long time and I would consider this to be completely normal. I could not possibly go a few months before I topped-off my bicycle tires. With those (similar setup) it takes only a week to have substantial pressure loss.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,...

The best way to find a hole in a tire or tube is use a bucket of Water....

Whether it's a Little Bitty tire, or a Great Big tire,...
If it goes Flat,... It's got a Leak...

The tinyest speck of dirt inside the tire when you put the tubes in, is enough to rub a hole in the tube....


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

So, some opinions are that it's normal, and other opinions are that there must be a leak.

I can't help thinking that my best bet would be to take the wheels apart, remove the inner tubes, inflate them and try to find a leak in those tubes. In order for the air to leak out of the tire, it has to leak out of the tube.


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

The easiest thing would be to submerge them in your kitchen sink and check for bubbles. You may have pinched the tube when you reinstalled the tires. Are the hubs made out of plastic or steel?


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## wrangler (Oct 9, 2008)

Clutchcargo said:


> The easiest thing would be to submerge them in your kitchen sink and check for bubbles. You may have pinched the tube when you reinstalled the tires. Are the hubs made out of plastic or steel?


But then there is the fact that it IS an aircompressor attached to the hand truck. Maybe putting air in them every three months might work!:whistling2:
Just a thought...


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

> I can't help thinking that my best bet would be to take the wheels apart, remove the inner tubes, inflate them and try to find a leak in those tubes. In order for the air to leak out of the tire, it has to leak out of the tube.


Ayuh,... Exactly...

Tear them down,..
Find the leaks,..
Fix the leaks,..
Reassemble,..
Retest...

A bottle of Tire Slime might be a viable option too...


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

:thumbsup:i second the slime works great


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

When I ran a DeWalt compressor through some goat heads, I went to Les Schwab Tire Stores and they sold me a foam filled tire/wheel assembly for just a bit more than the cost of a new tube. 

When I got a leak in the second DeWalt compressor wheel, the warrenty center replaced the tire/tube/wheel under warrenty. Free! It was a used wheel, but the compressor is not new, so I was happy.


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## sestivers (Aug 10, 2007)

I guarantee you are not going to find a leak that takes months to lose air. If you were having to refill with air every few days then yes, you would.


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## Rehabber (Dec 29, 2005)

Tires and tobes are not hermetically sealed, so air must be added regularly. 1 to 2 lbs of air pressure loss per month is considered normal. If you absolutely can't deal with this you can find a commercial equipment tire dealer and have them 'isofilled'. This will last the life of the tire and they will never go flat.


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## Kavey (Apr 7, 2009)

Good thing the compressor isnt too far.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Same problem with my portable generator and hand truck tires. "Green Slime" ( I think that was the name anyway) fixed the problem. I bought it at Wally World (Wal-Mart). I was advised to use this trick and I believe it helped-deflate the tubeless or tubed tire as much as possible, push all of the air out that you can. Read the directions on the can, judge the size of your tire, and add the proper amount of slime. Then, slowly roll the tire to distribute the slime inside the tire so that it coats the entire inner surface of the tire/tube, allowing enough time for the slime to set up some. Add about 1/3 of the air you will need and keep rolling, add another 1/3 of the air and roll some more. OH and also moving the tire sort of sideways to get the slime on the inner sidewalls. Finish filling the tire/tube with the proper air pressure and roll some more. The trick was to get the slime all around inside the tire/tube and allow enough time for it to get tacky in there so it doesn't settle in one spot. I have not had to add any air to my generator tires and only once added air to one of my hand truck tires. Maybe another dose of slime needed there.


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