# Aristo wheels - Experiencing persistent tire pressure loss



## 1_Hot_Hatch (Jul 18, 2006)

This is driving me nuts and with the cold weather starting, the problem has progressively gotten worse so I need to find a solution. The situation is this, I have a MKIV R32 with factory Aristo wheels and stock sized 225/40/18 tires on it (riding at factory ride height, not lowered). Bought the car in May of 2013. Didn't notice any problems at first but occasionally 1 of the tires would go soft & I would air it up & it would hold air fine. As time has gone on, the air loss increased to the point where I'd have to add air to 1 or 2 tires every 4 or 5 days to be able to drive the car (I don't DD my R). Now, within the last few weeks & as we've gotten a cold blast in weather, 1 of my tires will literally go entirely flat in the span of 1 day. A second tire also loses air but at a slower rate. The colder the weather, it seems the faster the tire loses air pressure.

A few nights ago I aired the left front tire up at 9pm & when I left for work at 7:30am I had lost 6 psi of pressure. This morning I left for work and the same tire was entirely flat again after airing it up to 35 psi 2 nights earlier (and I drove the car to work yesterday). So this has become insanity. I can't keep adding air everyday to the same tire and I also don't want to ruin the sidewall of the tire if it sits flat with the weight of the car on it. :banghead:

Here's what I've done to try to fix loss of air (unsuccessfully), in chronological order:


Drove on flat tire winter of 2013 & ruined it so replaced with used tire
Replaced valve stem on wheel with "new" used tire
June 2014 purchased brand new set of Cooper tires from NTB; they were installed with brand new valve stems

Before and after each of these steps I've experienced the same issue with losing tire pressure. I thought by switching a tire, buying brand new set of 4 tires and having all 4 valve stems replaced, the problem would of been solved but it hasn't.

So thoughts on the culprit? I think it has to be the rim and not the tires or valve stems (I've had 3 different tires on the car and it keeps losing air so I want to rule out having a cut or puncture in tire as a cause). 

Could the rim have some sort of corrosion on the inside of the lip which prevents a really tight bead when mounted so as the weather gets colder, the air escapes faster? Guess it could also possibly be a cracked rim (how would I check for a crack on a mounted wheel?) but then again the problem is mainly 1 wheel but another wheel experiences similar air loss just at a much slower rate.

I'm very frustrated with this issue right now & don't know what to do other than buy 2 used Aristo's & hope they hold air or just flat out sell car and move on. I'd really like to know the cause before I make a drastic move like selling the car or throwing $$ at the problem buying used rims which may or may not fix problem.

I'd appreciate any help or feedback.:thumbup:


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## VMRWheels (Aug 11, 2009)

Here's an article you might find helpful: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/4297504

Now, I don't think you want to go through all the trouble of the steps they recommend but what we can gain from that article is that wheels can cause air to leak, possibly due to porous surfaces in the material that the wheel is made from.

Since you've already eliminated the possibility that the tires are leaking, it seems almost certain that the problem is with the wheels.


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## afawal2012 (Jan 9, 2013)

So here is what I would recommend:

If you're constantly losing pressure, you should be able to put the tire & wheel in a water bath and see where it's leaking. Do it when they're cold so you can replicate the problem. 

Do it in your own bathtub if you really want to make sure. Fill up the tub, run outside, remove tire and dip it in. Based on where you see bubbles coming from, you know where you need to focus your efforts.

When the shop installed the tires, did they use any sealant on the lip of the wheel?


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## 1_Hot_Hatch (Jul 18, 2006)

afawal2012 said:


> So here is what I would recommend:
> 
> If you're constantly losing pressure, you should be able to put the tire & wheel in a water bath and see where it's leaking. Do it when they're cold so you can replicate the problem.
> 
> ...


Have no idea if NTB used sealant when they installed the new tires. I doubt they did. But the brand new tires are the 3rd tire I've had on the particular rim in question so I'm not sure it's the bead that's bad. I also have a second wheel that is experiencing the same deflation issue but at a slower rate.

The article VMR wheels posted above is definitely interesting. I'm inclined to think that this might be the issue since my wheels have started to develop the air loss problem after I bought the car 1.5 yrs ago and it wasn't an issue until maybe 1yr ago. I've been thinking about demounting the tire and painting the inside of the rim to see if this slows/stops the problem but then I'm worried that if the problem is air escaping because of porosity in the metal, then is there a possible structural issue with the wheel that I'm not really fixing?


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## rodhot (Jan 4, 2012)

*cast wheels + pinholes*

cast wheels as most are + especially cheaper ones can have pinholes. on my 64 vette the reproduction knockoffs had this issue, solution yes!! be sure inside of wheel is clean + dry then shellac the entire inner wheel, it worked for me!!


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## 1_Hot_Hatch (Jul 18, 2006)

After much headache, I finally broke down and took the offending wheel to a wheel repair shop right before Christmas and found out that not only did the inner barrel have damage from previous owner which was not repaired in the best manner but the repair had cracked so that's where my leak was coming from. So I had a different wheel that was structurally solid but cosmetically ugly refinished and the tire swapped over. Now no more leaks!

I also took a 2nd wheel/tire combo in once the first wheel was repaired and found out that one had 3 small bends in it which was slowly allowing air to escape. So everything is fixed, my wallet is decently lighter but for the time being my issue is solved.

And all along I thought my wheels were structurally solid and straight. Since I had brand new tires installed by a National Chain retailer over the summer and mentioned to the salesman that I was having issues with 1 wheel before they mounted the new tires, I assumed that when they gave me the car back and didn't say anything to me, everything was good. The wheel repair shop said that when the new tires were mounted, the installer should of noticed when balancing the tires that something was wrong with the rim when they spun it up on the machine but I guess it goes to show you that some of these tire stores either don't care to inform the customer of a potential issue or maybe their techs aren't knowledgeable enough to diagnose a problem and are just trying to get cars in and out the door as quick as possible.

Lesson learned. I should of just taken the wheel to the repair shop straight away to diagnose the problem rather than speculating.


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## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

Sorry to hear about the pathetic customer service. Getting cars in and out isn't necessarily what the customer wants, isn't always the best way to make money, and definitely isn't the right way to run a business. I personally check wheels and tires every time when I'm working on them at the shop. My friend had to get one of his wheels welded since there were two cracks in the wheel. Everything is good now and no leaks.


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

Are you considering putting 17 inch wheels on your R32? I have the same car and find the ride kind of harsh. 
I am looking for a set of fat fives and would like to put 245 45 17 tires on them, if they would fit. 
I would be willing to lose some performance for an easier ride and more rubber on the road.


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## 1_Hot_Hatch (Jul 18, 2006)

Giovanni said:


> Are you considering putting 17 inch wheels on your R32? I have the same car and find the ride kind of harsh.
> I am looking for a set of fat fives and would like to put 245 45 17 tires on them, if they would fit.
> I would be willing to lose some performance for an easier ride and more rubber on the road.


Maybe it's just me, but I'd never consider putting smaller wheels on my R. Maybe the ride is kind of harsh, that's subjective to each driver, but to me VW engineered the car the way they did to have a sport tuned suspension with low profile tires to handle and perform a certain way. So by nature the car may have a bit of a harsh ride but the R32 was designed to be a sporty car, not a Camry. If I were to alter anything to improve ride quality it may be to get softer shocks/struts and not go down a wheel size. I'm not a suspension or wheel/tire expert by any means so my thoughts may be incorrect but that's my personal opinion.

Maybe test out some Fat 5's on your R to see how they ride compared to the stock rubber to see how they feel?


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## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

1_Hot_Hatch said:


> Maybe it's just me, but I'd never consider putting smaller wheels on my R. Maybe the ride is kind of harsh, that's subjective to each driver, but to me VW engineered the car the way they did to have a sport tuned suspension with low profile tires to handle and perform a certain way. So by nature the car may have a bit of a harsh ride but the R32 was designed to be a sporty car, not a Camry. If I were to alter anything to improve ride quality it may be to get softer shocks/struts and not go down a wheel size. I'm not a suspension or wheel/tire expert by any means so my thoughts may be incorrect but that's my personal opinion.
> 
> Maybe test out some Fat 5's on your R to see how they ride compared to the stock rubber to see how they feel?


I totally agree with you. In my opinion the _.:R_ would just look wrong with 17s. I would _never_ go down.


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

1_Hot_Hatch said:


> Maybe test out some Fat 5's on your R to see how they ride compared to the stock rubber to see how they feel?


Yes I will do that. I think Fat 5s were originally stock on a Audi TT. Long Beaches and Monte Carlos are also popular wheels for our cars. They were originally on sporty cars too and not from Camrys. The loss in performance will be negligible and there will be more rubber on the road. The difference is only an inch and it is not even an inch with 245/45/17 tires. The difference in comfort however has been said to be significant. 




racerpoet said:


> I totally agree with you. In my opinion the _.:R_ would just look wrong with 17s. I would _never_ go down.


I was not talking about the aesthetics of 17 inch wheels on R32s.


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## lastbatter (Jun 11, 2006)

I had the same problem with my Aristos. 3 out of 5 (I bought a single for a spare) cracked on the inside lip and had to be repaired. They are gone. I currently run Long Beaches and I have no complaints. They look fine, ride, better, and I have fewer worries about wheels and tires needing to be replaced. 17's can look excellent on R's and imho look much more race inspired and aggressive when done right. There is a thread in the R forum specifically dedicated to 17's with meatier tires and it will probably change your mind.


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## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

Giovanni said:


> I was not talking about the aesthetics of 17 inch wheels on R32s.





lastbatter said:


> I had the same problem with my Aristos. 3 out of 5 (I bought a single for a spare) cracked on the inside lip and had to be repaired. They are gone. I currently run Long Beaches and I have no complaints. They look fine, ride, better, and I have fewer worries about wheels and tires needing to be replaced. 17's can look excellent on R's and imho look much more race inspired and aggressive when done right. There is a thread in the R forum specifically dedicated to 17's with meatier tires and it will probably change your mind.


I've looked around and seen lots of pictures. I'm not a big fan of small wheel with meaty tires. They have to be lowered a decent amount to look right. If we're talking for example 17x8.5s, that's a different story. I can't stand the look of skinny rims where the tire is _way_ wider than the wheel.

I like a bigger wheel with low profile tires. 18s are perfect, 19s meh, depends on the car. It has to be done right. I'm not criticizing anybody's style. That's just my taste. And in my opinion if you have an R, then aesthetics better matter. I personally would laugh out loud if I saw an R with downgraded brakes and 16s on it. To me that'd be as dumb as slamming a daully F-350. And people do that... :facepalm:


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## Giovanni (May 13, 2000)

racerpoet said:


> I've looked around and seen lots of pictures. I'm not a big fan of small wheel with meaty tires. They have to be lowered a decent amount to look right. If we're talking for example 17x8.5s, that's a different story. I can't stand the look of skinny rims where the tire is _way_ wider than the wheel.
> 
> I like a bigger wheel with low profile tires. 18s are perfect, 19s meh, depends on the car. It has to be done right. I'm not criticizing anybody's style. That's just my taste. And in my opinion if you have an R, then aesthetics better matter. I personally would laugh out loud if I saw an R with downgraded brakes and 16s on it. To me that'd be as dumb as slamming a daully F-350. And people do that... :facepalm:


That is cool and I am not offended. Everyone likes what they like, and this is no different. It is relative and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We can just agree to disagree. 

I just put 17s on my R32. There is a big improvement in the comfort of the ride. I got a really good deal on some Audi wheels with almost new tires. The tires are a bit too big and rub once in a while. I think I should get 225/45/17s going forward, but I wanna try 17 inch wheels without adapters first. The bolt pattern on my new Audi wheels are 5x112 and these tires are 245/45/17s.

There are huge crater-like pot holes on the roads of NYC. I could be wrong but I think another benefit of the slightly smaller wheels is that I am less likely to bend or crack a wheel. 
However I am most definitely* not* considering changing the calipers to accommodate 16s.


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## racerpoet (Apr 20, 2013)

Giovanni said:


> That is cool and I am not offended. Everyone likes what they like, and this is no different. It is relative and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We can just agree to disagree.
> 
> I just put 17s on my R32. There is a big improvement in the comfort of the ride. I got a really good deal on some Audi wheels with almost new tires. The tires are a bit too big and rub once in a while. I think I should get 225/45/17s going forward, but I wanna try 17 inch wheels without adapters first. The bolt pattern on my new Audi wheels are 5x112 and these tires are 245/45/17s.
> 
> ...


:thumbup: I definitely agree about the potholes. Thank you for not putting 16s on an R. :laugh: Yeah, I've seen pictures of that too. They were steelies at that. :screwy: Whatever, to each it's own... Not my car.


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