The tire goes flat on the rim: how to solve the problem

Why does a car tire go flat? Possible reasons

Having discovered a flat tire, a motorist must determine the cause of the leak. After identifying damage or defects in the pneumatic tire, you can proceed to its repair or replacement.

The main sources of trouble are cuts and punctures of tires. This also includes deformations of the wheel rim, a faulty spool or nipple valve, and even driving a car with insufficiently inflated wheels.

Puncture in the tread area

At the top of the list of reasons for flat tires is a tire puncture. It usually appears as a result of hitting sharp and not too thick objects (nails, screws, wire with a diameter of up to 5 mm) and can be repaired on your own. To do this, the driver only needs to have a special tire repair kit and have the necessary minimum technical skills.

If the object that has punctured the tire is significant, it will not be possible to do without contacting a tire service to repair the tires. For such repairs, the tire will have to be removed from the rim and the puncture site sealed from the inside with a special rubber “fungus”. This will extend the life of the tire by several years from the date of repair.

Wheel cut

A cut tire is a common cause of flat tires on tubeless tires and is also the most difficult to repair. Moreover, it can be located not only on the running part of the tread, where the rubber is thicker and denser, but also on the side. Side cut often occurs when the tire comes into contact with the edges of the tracks, curbs, metal reinforcement and other sharp protrusions, presenting a serious problem.

If the damage does not affect the tire frame (cord), the wheel usually does not flatten, so it can be repaired at the end of the trip or at a service center. A deep side cut leads to a flat tire, and sometimes to its final failure. Tires with long transverse cuts, resulting in rupture of the cord threads, cannot be repaired for safety reasons and are replaced with new ones. Repair of side cuts must be carried out by a specialist, using high-quality materials that ensure the strength of the tire sidewall and its tightness.

The wheel descends along the disk

If the driver discovers that the car has a flat tire due to air etching along the rim of the wheel, then the cause is usually a loose fit of the tire to the surface of this element. The driver may encounter this situation after the car falls into a hole and the disc becomes jammed. In some cases, the wheel goes down on the disk when corrosion appears on the rim. The rusted areas are destroyed, the paint peels off from the surface and leaks appear that allow air to pass through.

To eliminate deformation of steel disks, special rolling equipment is used. Repairing alloy wheels is more difficult - even after removing irregularities and dents, microcracks remain on them, negatively affecting the strength of the element. Moreover, repairing a cast part is quite expensive. In case of severe damage, it is safer and more reliable to replace the disk.

If a tubeless wheel has slipped along the rim due to corrosion, then the disk flange must be cleaned of rust and peeling paint. And when installing rubber on a disk, cover the disk flange with a special bead sealant to eliminate leaks. In severe cases, it makes sense to clean, prime and paint the entire set of wheels.

Problems with spool or nipple

Among the reasons why tires go flat, it is worth highlighting two more:

• nipple valve malfunction;
• problems with the spool (the valve that is located inside the nipple)

You can make sure that it is the nipple that is leaking by placing a finger moistened with saliva (or water) to its inlet hole. If the fluid bubbles, the tire will go flat for this very reason. To stop the leak, you will have to glue the seat of the nipple valve or replace the faulty spool and re-pump air.

Driving on flat tires

Quite often, drivers who drive with flat tires have to deal with air leaks. Such trips lead to the appearance of cracks on the rubber - unnoticeable at first, but gradually increasing. If the issue is not resolved in time, the tires will have to be changed.

To avoid the problem of flat tires due to insufficient air pressure, your tires should be checked periodically. Regular checks are required for fully serviceable and recently purchased tires, and even more so for old ones. Even if not a single tire is flat, the driver should carry a compressor with him to inflate them.

How to unscrew the nipple?

As it may seem at first, this issue is not worth attention. This is true if it is Dunlop or Presta. Unscrewing these nipples is not difficult. Even if they are a little stuck, ordinary pliers will help you unscrew them. But in relations with Schrader, as practice shows, not everything is so simple.

The fact is that in order to unscrew the Schrader spool, you need a special key, which is a rod with a diameter of 3-4 mm with a small (2-3 mm) cut in the center along the rod.

Such keys were widespread in the recent past, because they were integrated into the nipple protective cap and were supplied with the cameras. Today the chambers are equipped with plastic covers, with which the spool cannot be unscrewed.

Such a small thing becomes a real problem for some cyclists - after running around several bicycle shops, they discover that there are no such keys, and in order to unscrew the nipple they begin to make the tool themselves.

In this case, we can advise the following:

• Medical tweezers will help you unscrew the spool: it fits into the cylinder, and the force for clamping the locknut is quite enough.
• Make a key from a metal rod with a diameter of 3-4 mm. sawing it with a metal blade, and then slightly widening it with a file or flaring it with a screwdriver.
• Go to a tire shop with the camera and do all the manipulations with it on the spot.
• Worry about purchasing a cap for the nipple - it will help you unscrew the spool on the road.

What to do if a tire goes flat?

Having determined the reasons why a car tire goes flat, you should also understand the level of complexity of the problem. In some cases, it’s easier to repair or replace a tire yourself, in others it’s easier to go to a service center, and sometimes it’s easier to use the services of a mobile tire fitting service.

Do-it-yourself repairs

If the problem is not too serious, the user is advised to follow these steps:

1. If you find a self-tapping screw or nail in a tire, you should not immediately remove it (especially if a tubeless tire is punctured) - after this, the tire may flatten even more than before, and the problem area will be more difficult to identify.
2. If no foreign objects are found during the initial inspection, it is necessary to identify the location of the leak. To do this, immerse the inflated wheel in a container of water and observe the bubbles from the surface of the rubber that appear at the site of damage.

   A less informative method is to apply a soap solution to the surface of the rubber.

3. Having discovered the place where the tire is flat, we begin to eliminate the puncture using glue, repair cords and awls included in the repair kits (which the car owner should preferably have with him). The procedure for eliminating a puncture is described in detail in the instructions for the repair kit.

4. An alternative option is to use special sprays that fill the inner surface of the tire and seal leaks. However, this method has limitations and diametrically opposed user reviews.

5. Instead of repairing the tire, you can try to replace it - for this, the driver must have a spare tire, a jack and a wheel wrench.

Regardless of the severity of the damage, tire repair should be entrusted to specialists. To do this, it is recommended to inflate the spare or repaired tire and immediately go to the nearest tire shop. You should drive carefully, stopping periodically and checking the condition of the tires.

Solving serious problems

In cases where the cut or puncture turned out to be so serious that it was not possible to solve the problem even temporarily on your own, it is recommended to use one of these tips:

• remove the wheel, take a taxi to a tire repair service, go back and finish the job yourself;
• immediately call a mobile tire service to the place where your car unexpectedly stops;
• order a tow truck that will deliver the car to the selected car service or tire repair shop.

The tow and tire options are the only ones that will fit a vehicle with two, three or all flat tires.

What is a spool and how does it work

Such a small element of a car wheel as a spool actually plays a huge role in the operation of the vehicle and the ability to maintain a given pressure inside the tire.

This is a special device, the main function of which is the ability to supply air inside the wheel and keep it within a given level. This element can safely be called a valve. The spool is located inside the nipple. Having inflated the tire to the required 2 atmospheres, for example, the nipple will not allow air to escape. But this is only possible if it is in good condition.

There are several types of spools:

• elements for tube tires;
• spool valves for tubeless tires;
• reinforced, designed for tubeless tires used in harsh conditions.

The last category includes elements used on sports cars participating in various competitions.

Depending on the size, nipples with a spool inside can be divided into short and long.

Various materials are used for the production of spools, which plays a role. Preference should be given to stainless steel parts. They are better than the same brass counterparts.

The cost of such parts is cheap. For them you will need to pay no more than 50-100 rubles for the highest quality and best products.

The spool is also part of the system that ensures the operation of the tire pressure sensor.

Call a mobile tire service

Using the services of mobile tire fitting, you can count on help:

• tire or wheel repair;
• elimination of punctures and side cuts of any complexity
• installing a spare wheel instead of a damaged wheel;
• elimination of hernias and cones;
• pumping and balancing;
• editing disks;
• restoration of disks by welding in argon;
• removing wheel locks

If there is no spare tire available or repairing tires on site is impossible, mobile tire service employees can offer other ways to resolve the situation. For example, buy and install a new wheel. Or repair the tire in a workshop and deliver it back to the client.

How to repair a nipple away from home?

If along the way the tire becomes noticeably flat and the puncture has nothing to do with it, you can do the following:

• Check valve tightness.
• Rinse with Schrader or Presta.
• If there is sealant, then treat the spool with it.
• Finely chop and compact the rubber from the patches into the Schrader cap, then tighten tightly.

These measures can help you get home on your own. It should be remembered that the speed limit in this situation is recommended to be significantly reduced.

If the nipple in the tube comes off with enviable frequency, and the tubes replace each other too often, then the problem can be solved radically - degrease the inside of the tire, the tube, replace the rim tape, sprinkle everything with talcum powder.

This should prevent breakages. Also, before inflating the chamber, you should completely deflate the air and adjust (rotate) the tire so that the pipette stands strictly vertically.

How to avoid the problem

Many troubles can be prevented by taking appropriate preventive measures:

• After each long trip, inspect car tires (regardless of whether the tire is tubeless or with a tube) for air leakage and the presence of foreign objects;
• perform a weekly check, monitoring not only whether the tire is flat or not, but also the pressure level - if necessary, the wheels are inflated using a 12v compressor;
• avoid dangerous areas on the road, driving through which can lead to tire damage;
• If you can’t get around an obstacle and the driver doesn’t have time to brake, you shouldn’t turn sharply - the strength of the central part of the tread is higher than the side

When traveling long distances, it is worth carrying with you a special kit that allows you to repair tires in the field, and a spare tire. It is advisable to be prepared for the fact that a tire may go flat at the most inopportune moment. And for cases where it was not possible to solve the problem on your own, the motorist should have the telephone number of the mobile tire fitting service Pit-Stop24 (812) 209-03-04

How to replace the spool

Replacing the spool yourself, carried out on a tubeless car wheel, should not cause any particular difficulties.

If you have a tube tire, you won’t be able to simply replace the nipple separately. The entire camera is completely changed.

To change a failed spool valve on a car wheel with your own hands, you can perform the following steps:

• purchase a new part suitable for your wheel;
• raise the wheel using a jack;
• partially or completely bleed air from it;
• use a cap or a special wrench to unscrew the spool valve from the nipple;
• insert a new element as quickly as possible;
• screw tightly;
• pump up the wheel with a compressor.

Now check whether the air has stopped escaping from the tire. If no bubbles appear when saliva is applied to the part, the problem is solved.

Replacing the nipple with wheel disassembly

Things are somewhat different with how to replace a damaged nipple on a car wheel.

The valve valve itself, that is, the spool, is quite easy to change on a car wheel if you act quickly and carefully. But it’s another matter when you need to replace the entire nipple with its internal filling with your own hands.

There are two options on how to do this. One nipple replacement allows for repairs without removing the wheels themselves from the car. That is, beading is not required here. Or standard work with a dismantling stage is performed.

It’s worth starting with what you will need to carry out such events. Let's consider the option with beading. It is unlikely that you will be able to do without:

• jack;
• mounts;
• pliers;
• pliers;
• inflation can or compressor;
• screwdrivers;
• pressure gauge.

Before changing the nipple (nipple), you will need to carry out a number of preparatory work.

This is not the fastest method, but it is effective and the most common. If you have tubeless tires, the sequence of work will be as follows:

• lift the car using a jack;
• unscrew the wheel nuts and remove the tire;
• the cap is removed from the nipple and the spool valve is squeezed out to bleed air;
• beading is carried out using a mount;
• the old worn nipple is pulled out;
• take a new nipple, lubricate it with a product like WD40, and insert it in place of the old one;
• installation is carried out from inside the wheel rim;
• If necessary, the nipple is pulled up with pliers;
• reassembly is in progress.

At the same time, many are rightly interested in how to quickly and efficiently replace the nipple, but without disassembling the wheel. A current option for tubeless tires.

Do-it-yourself nipple replacement

This operation can be done very quickly in a tire shop. But if necessary, you can do the replacement yourself. To do this you need to have:

The car is raised on a jack. The nuts are unscrewed and the wheel is removed.

Then remove the cap from the nipple and press the air valve with a screwdriver. This is necessary to bleed out the remaining air in the tire. You can also bleed air using a pressure gauge.

After this, the wheel is beaded. A pry bar is used to separate the wheel rim from the side surface of the tire. The work must be carried out carefully so as not to deform the disk and tire.

The damaged nipple is pulled out of the disk with ordinary pliers.

The new one is coated with lubricant. You can use WD-40.

The treated nipple is inserted into the disc from the inside. For tight fixation and fastening, it is pulled up with pliers.

The tire is then mounted on the rim. The wheel is inflated to the required pressure and installed on the car. The jack is lowered. The wheel nuts are tightened. The work is finished, you can go.

Replacing the nipple yourself is a very labor-intensive and complex job. If necessary, it can be done. But in order not to have to do this on the road, it is better to have an assembled wheel in stock. Its presence will save time and physical effort.