How Do I Check for Warped Wheels?

[PerryLynch]

No, this isn't on the Ridge, but on Michelle's 2000 Chrysler 300 M. We're constantly having to add air to the front tires, and this morning she suffered a flat on the way to work that resulted in a new $130 tire. Argh!

The guy at Mr Tire claims that the only way they can check for warped rims is by balancing them - they will vibrate heavily at all speeds. I can't think that this is the only way. My thinking is that the tires are sealing OK when they are fully inflated, but that they 'burp' when she hits a bump or pothole, causing them to lose a little air. Then it's even easier for them to lose more air later, resulting in the low tire pressure.

I don't want to buy new rims for the thing, but it may be cheaper than replacing tires every time I turn around!

Perry

[spun07RTX]

I bet the valves are/were leaking

if you got a new tire, they would balance it obviously before mounting it and give you a new valve

if the tires are old, they may have a nail in tread leak that you dont know about and only spills when its very cold

so its both front tires, or one more than the other?

[PerryLynch]

Both front tires lose air, constantly. And they have for as long as we've owned the car. New valve stems have been tried, but I dunno, something is still off. I add air in those front tires monthly in the summer, and sometimes weekly in the winter. You can't tell me that those rims aren't leaking somehow.

However, THIS time they found a nail in the left tire, and the right was totally flat and they refused to repair it, as we'd attempted fix-a-flat. Grrrr... Of course, they aren't going to look at anything other than current causes, and claim that there is no way for the rim to be warped or bent.

We bought the car in '02, with 20k miles on it. It only has 65k miles on it now, but we learned this morning that it didn't come with a jack. And of course the bottle jack for the Ridgeline was too tall to fit under the car!

But the emergency bags I bought at Costco a couple of years ago had both a can of fix-a-flat AND an air compressor! But at 19 degrees, the Fix-a-flat failed, and the air compressor wouldn't budge the tire. Good thing her AAA membership was up-to-date.

Going to go pick up the car now, and the next stop is the Advance Auto across the street for a $20 floor jack that will fit in her trunk.

[wrenrj1]

Have you rotated the tires to the rear to see if the same thing happens when the tires are on the back? Also, with all due respect, how's your wife's driving habits? I'm not a tire expert, but could the tires be losing air going around tight turns or hitting curbs?

Are the front tires the same (newer, different, or older) as the rear tires? Just fishing for possibilities...

[MikeT]

I look for warped wheels during the balancing proccess. I simply ask the tire jockey to put just the wheel (No tire mounted) and spin the wheel watching the edge for side to side movement. I agree that if there were no penetrating objects in the tires, you probably had leaking stem valves.

[PerryLynch]

Have you rotated the tires to the rear to see if the same thing happens when the tires are on the back? Also, with all due respect, how's your wife's driving habits? I'm not a tire expert, but could the tires be losing air going around tight turns or hitting curbs?

Are the front tires the same (newer, different, or older) as the rear tires? Just fishing for possibilities...

All four tires were replaced at the same time. Yokohamas on the stock 17" rim. She drives like my great-grandmother did, so I KNOW she isn't taking curves at 90. She isn't a curb hopper. This car does not see that much highway time. Its a weekdays only, 12-mile round trip commuter. The last time it saw major highway time was before we got the Ridgeline, because it obviously got better highway mileage than the Durango.

I don't remember them leaking on the rear, but I can't imagine them NOT.

Now we have to find a good coupon/online deal for a matching yoko on the left front.