Mike

I have a "box stock" '86 951 with original phone dial wheels. Three of the four have developed leaks (two of which I am sure are from the bead, third not checked yet). The worst one loses practically all air in less than 3 days. An attempt to have a local tire shop "seal" the bead worked on one tire/wheel, but not on the "worst" one. Can't say I'm happy with "Bond-O" on my wheels!

I wonder what y'all have done. Remachine the wheels? Inner tubes? Or give up and get new stuff?

(I know Mike-the-Younger would just get new wheels, but Mike-the-Older likes to be more careful with his $$)

PorscheDude1

Bite the bullet and upgrade to another set.

Scootin159

Normally this is because the wheels have rusted or otherwise been malformed (curbs, etc.). Phone dials are aluminum however, and I've never seen them rust before... so does the wheel have any physical damage to it?

As as aside - where in CNY are you? I'm in Syracuse, Chittenango or Oneida depending on the time of day.

Mike

Yeah, they are aluminum, but aluminum does rust (oxidize). One wheel clearly has pitting along the bead edge. Who knows what lurks under the "lip".

Apparently this rusting is a huge problem with aluminum wheels.

I'm in Vernon or Yorkville, depending!

Jfrahm

I've seen this with chromed wheels, corrosion at the lip or around the valve stem allows air to leak. If these are not chrome and it's just a very rough inner lip it could probably be cleaned up and clearcoated. I'd probably try mounting the wheel w/o tire on a hub and going at the inner lip with a disc sander, allowing the wheel to rotate slowly while cleaning up the inner lip. Then clearcoat or refinish as you like.

Sourcing some replacement wheels is probably pretty easy and cheap also.

No inner tubes, too much chance of heat buildup.
-Joel.

PorscheDude1

I dont think radials are designed to work with a tube.

I love porsche

unmount the tires, repair the wheels and then have the tires remounted if they are still good

Kurt R

Bondo? If anything I would expect they would use bead sealer.

Step one: figure out where each wheel is leaking.
Take each wheel off the car, fill it up to 35-40 lbs, and spray it with soapy water. Look for bubbles. If it's the valve stems, replace them. If it's the tread, repair or replace the tires. If it's the sidewalls, replace the tires. If it's coming from the bead, mark the area on the tire and the rim and go to step 2.

Step 2: If you can, park the car in the garage and put it on jackstands. Take the wheels to the shop and have the tires dismounted. Check the beads of the tires for any issues, and check the rims for any bends or low spots. If the bead seat on the rim is corroded, clean it. Use sandpaper if you have to, get them really clean. Some guys will paint the inside of the rim at this point, I don't. Have the tires remounted and balanced, and hopefully your problem will be gone.

Mello

Are the valve stems new? They leak frequently.

Mike

>>Bondo? If anything I would expect they would use bead sealer.

That was a joke. I don't like the idea of some "foreign" substance (even if it's called "bead sealer") holding the seal.

I've done pretty much all of the above. Perhaps it's worth trying again.

Luis de Prat

I had that problem with my S2.