# Leaking bbs rs's



## paste (Dec 26, 2004)

I assembled my bbs rs's and put the tires on them a couple weeks ago. I sealed them correctly and torqued them down to spec, but they are leaking air. Well 3 out of 4.
I put them in a bucket of water and I can see that the leak is coming from the border where the lip meets the center. Some is coming from the bolts but most is slowly leaking from that border area.
I was wondering what I can do to stop. Should I have put sealant around the inside where it meets? Help would be appreciated, thanks.


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## SLakin (Jun 17, 2008)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's (paste)*

Which BBS torque spec to you apply? They have two specs (high-line and low-line) depending on the thread depth and bolt compound.
Since it is leaking from all areas, you should obviously start from scratch again. Scrape away all the old sealant, and apply just a little more then last time while also incorporating 10% PVC epoxy to the mix (that will help with the curring process). Also dab a little of the mix onto the studs before installing. And don't forgot to remove the tire from the wheel before attempting http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif










_Modified by SLakin at 8:40 AM 8-13-2008_


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## paste (Dec 26, 2004)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's (SLakin)*

well I first torqued them down to ~25 because I was reusing the same bolts. When they wouldnt hold air, I retorqued them to 40(stock spec) but they are still leaking. i will take them apart if needed but I want that to be my last resort. any other suggestions?


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## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2008)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's (paste)*

I was under the impression the assembly bolts were a "one time only" use item as they stretch a little when torqued down initially...........


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## SLakin (Jun 17, 2008)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_I was under the impression the assembly bolts were a "one time only" use item as they stretch a little when torqued down initially...........

O ye of little faith. I used this process on my SSR's twice now


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## paste (Dec 26, 2004)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_I was under the impression the assembly bolts were a "one time only" use item as they stretch a little when torqued down initially...........

well they get stretched so some people put them to ~25 instead of 40. Wouldn't the leak the from that area mean another coat of sealant should be put around inside? that would be the only place it could leak it seems?


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## bigdaddydave (Jan 13, 2003)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's (paste)*

So let me get this straight, you are re-using the assembly bolts? Do you have a death wish? These fasteners are designed to be torqued once like a head bolt. You should never reuse those for the same reason you don't reuse head bolts when rebuilding an engine. Once the bolts are torqued, they will be slightly stretched. If you back them out and reuse them, they will weaken if you try to retorque them again (which stretches them further). Using half the torque value is not a safe solution. You need that much torque to keep the sections sealed properly. The silicone sealer is just a backup. Building wheels at home is just bad mojo. One good pothole hit and you could have sheared off fasteners. At the very least, get new hardware from a wheel repair supplier and do it right. Leaking seams sounds like the least of your issues. Why oh why do people insist on rebuilding wheels like this at home without the proper tools and hardware.










_Modified by bigdaddydave at 8:29 PM 8-14-2008_


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## paste (Dec 26, 2004)

*Re: Leaking bbs rs's (bigdaddydave)*

I obviously did research before even buying the rims. I read you could use them but if it's not safe, I could easily buy new bolts and start over, they're for a project anyways so I could wait. Guess I'll just rip them apart.


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