PSA - Tire Losing Air

[Bee-Positive]

Just an FYI for anyone interested.
Over this past snow season I noticed my left rear tire would lose air over a couple of days and I could find no obvious air leaks. No bubbles around rims or tread. So I just lived with it until the weather warmed up and I could get a good look at it. The weather warmed up and it seemed to have stopped leaking. Went out the other day and sure enough almost flat. WTF!!!

While putting air in the tire yet again I noticed the stem in the air valve was partially unscrewed. After 15 minutes of digging I found the little air stem tool and tightened it down. Problem solved, hasn't leaked since. Checked the other 3 tires and they were fine.

In 50 years of working on all kinds of cars, motorcycles, and tractor it's the first time I've seen a valve stem come loose by itself. I've never even had the tire off or fiddled with the stem in the 4+ years I've own the tractor.

We all know about checking the wheel lug nuts periodically but I've never heard of checking the air valve stem.

 

[Speed25]

Just an FYI for anyone interested.
Over this past snow season I noticed my left rear tire would lose air over a couple of days and I could find no obvious air leaks. No bubbles around rims or tread. So I just lived with it until the weather warmed up and I could get a good look at it. The weather warmed up and it seemed to have stopped leaking. Went out the other day and sure enough almost flat. WTF!!!

While putting air in the tire yet again I noticed the stem in the air valve was partially unscrewed. After 15 minutes of digging I found the little air stem tool and tightened it down. Problem solved, hasn't leaked since. Checked the other 3 tires and they were fine.

In 50 years of working on all kinds of cars, motorcycles, and tractor it's the first time I've seen a valve stem come loose by itself. I've never even had the tire off or fiddled with the stem in the 4+ years I've own the tractor.

We all know about checking the wheel lug nuts periodically but I've never heard of checking the air valve stem.

I've developed a slow leak in one of my fronts, so definitely worth grabbing my stem tool to at least rule this out. Thanks!

 

[Shawn T. W]

Some have screw on stems too, not just the core, mine were loose!

 

[William1]

I was taught long ago, to always put a drop of soapy water on the stem to check for leaks, even tight, they can be defective, probably replaced a few dozen in my life. On a tubeless, I also put soapy water where the stem protrudes and wiggle it, looking for leaks, Found a few split ones.