could a scratched bead seat on a rim cause a leak?

[joe diffy]

hi guys,

i was dismounting my tires and accidentally scratched the bead seat on the rim. could this cause a leak? the scratch seems to be minor and not deep. just looks like it hit the paint. my rims are steel.

thnx

Topic

[Lorrin Barth]

I watch tire shops mount tires. The good ones will take an air powered wire brush to the bead area to remove all corrosion. A wire brush makes lots of tiny scratches. However they use some sort of bead sealer and this doesn’t matter.

[Stephen Bowen]

I did work as a tech/mechanic in a tire shop back in the “day”. We rarely used bead sealer on steel rims. There’s about 1/2″ worth of rubber that is compressed into the rim. Provided the rims where in good shape? Mount ’em, Balance ’em..and send ’em.

Minor scratches are nothing to really worry about. If you can run your finger across it and do not feel any edges and it seems pretty smooth? Good to go. If it’s a concern? Take a small amount of bead sealer and give it a light coating.

I see a lot of shops use bead sealer on steel rims. It’s not needed anywhere near as often as they use it. All it does to a steel rim is make it get crusty crap built up on it. Now aluminum wheels aka “Mags”? New out of the box…don’t use it ever. If it starts to get that white crap build up? Wire wheel it off..and a light coating of bead sealer.

S-

[Bryan Carter]

I agree with Teddy on both fronts. Bead sealer is used far too frequently, and minor scratches should be no barrier to forming a good seal.

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