Leaking Air. Factory aluminum rims.
 

1993 Protege LX

I have the Protege LX with factory aluminum rims/wheels.
I still have the factory tires on rear and no leaks of air.
I replaced the front tires with good brand name same size tires, and both tires leak air now. One more than the other. I have been back to the tire dealer 3 times, got one new (new again) tire, had the inside of the rims cleaned, remounted, balanced - and the rim still leaks air. No there are no dents, no rust (this car was in Arizona).
Question: Are these aluminum rims prone to leaking air?
Question: Does anyone know where I can purchase new steel rims? And at a reasonable cost?
Thank you.
Jessica P.

I had the same problem a while ago. What I did was, I took the tire off the rim and cleaned it nicely. Afterwards, I siliconed the tire shut to the rim. Not too much silicone, just a little was applied on the edge. To my surprise, the leak stopped. This is an inexpensive solution that worth a try.:)

did they check your valve stem?

if not get new ones they are cheap, like a buck or so for the basic rubber ones.

Just a thought.

This happened to me last week i came outside and my tire was flat. So i changed it and put my spare tire on (UGly ass yellow tire) and my spare was flat :-*( so i drove my tire to a tire guy and hes like your tire is fine no leaks. Wtf do u mean no leaks? its flat ass Grrrr. Reguardless he cleaned it sealed it and its been good so far ..Jon

Cast aluminum is known to contain gas porosity - it's a known issue in the casting industry. Sometimes the porosity lines up enough to allow leakage through the casting. On aluminum wheel rims, a coating is applied (like a paint) to the inside of the wheel or the entire wheel is vacuum impregnated with a type of plastic that cures and seals everything. With your tires off the rimes, you might try resealing the inside of the wheel.

just buy some 20's