# Anti Freeze In Tires?



## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

I have a car that is 3 years old with alloy wheels and have bead leaks in all 4 tires. I've been fighting these leaks for months now, broke the beads and cleaned the rims and tire beads and the leaks come right back. One tire loses 4 psi a day and is showing wear on the outside edges from running low on pressure. It will be ruined in no time.
Anyways, being desperate, I read on a forum that adding 50/50 mix anti freeze with a radiator sealant, the aluminum powder type will work. I figure that farmers have added anti freeze in their tractor tires for additional weight for years, so it probably won't hurt the rubber.
I added about 3/4 cup of the mixture thru the valve and sloshed it around a bit to make sure the beads got soaked thoroughly and aired it up. It was still leaking a bit so I rolled the tire around a bit more and to my amazement no leaks, at all, hasn't lost a pound in 3 days.
Has anyone tried this or heard of it? I'm wondering if I should remove the anti freeze that is still inside since it is already sealed or just leave it in the tire to maybe prevent a future leak? The tire rolls smoothly doing 65mph. What do you think? I think I'm gonna do all 4 tires before they are junk!


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## freyedknot (Apr 10, 2004)

thanx , i may have to try that. i have to check and fill my mothers tires every week for that same reason. allthough the new tires on the back are holding air much better. how do you get the AF in the tire? do you remove the valve and pour it in?


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## bassattacker (Mar 14, 2007)

alloy wheels are notorious for warping from, potholes, hot cold changes too drasticly and varisous other things, id have the rim checked for trueness if its leaking like that cause a quick fix will only last for so long.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Fryed, it wasn't easy to get it in but it can be done. I removed the core and used a small funnel that fit over the stem. It kept clogging and I worked a piece of safety wire to unclog the aluminum flakes. I used a half of tube of alumaseal ($1.99 at autozone) and it may have been too much. You have to keep mixing it because the flakes settle pretty quick.
Bassattacker, I know what you mean, anytime I had alloy wheels, they were a pain in this way. I could see a warped rim if it was just one but not all four! These tires have about 75% left and they're gonna be ruined unless I do something.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

What about filling each tire with a can of Fix-a-Flat?


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> I figure that farmers have added anti freeze in their tractor tires for additional weight for years, so it probably won't hurt the rubber.


I checked my chemical resistance chart and ethylene glycol has a no effect-excellent compatibility with natural rubber, SBR and BR so you are good to go.
Aluminum and stainless steel also has a no effect-excellent compatibility rating.


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## BassBlaster (Jun 8, 2006)

Only problem I see would be the vibration you could pick up at highway speeds. Same problem with fix a flat. If you go to a tire shop they can put a bead sealing compound on your wheels and remount the tires, works like a charm.


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## GO FISH (Aug 13, 2004)

Farm tires have salt water(sodium chloride) in them not anti-freeze. I would suggest putting the proper amount of Slime for auto tires in them.You can buy it at Tractor Supply or probably any auto parts retailer. Fix a flat is bad news and for temporary use only. You may have stumbled across something that works just fine,so you may need to do nothing else.


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

Back in the old days we sealed leaks in seals by using regular grease. Just break down the tire reach in with a brush and put it onthe tire bead. Never had one leak after that. Most the time its caused by rubber flaking of the tire bead or rust and dirt on the rim where it seals. Its nice if you can wirebrush the rim where it seals at..but will worrk either way.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Lewzer, Thanks for taking the time to check the compatability for me, I feel better about it now. I was hoping that maybe someone has heard of this before. I'm just looking for an easy way to do this, my slide hammer bead breaker is tough on a guy in his sixties  
Fixaflat is out, it won't seal a bead leak per their website and it freezes at 32 degrees, not an option in Cleveland. Slime won't freeze but they too say that it won't work on bead leaks, just the middle of the tire. I've had tire places put the tire sealing compound on before but I'm trying to avoid that, the stuff is just about impossible to scrape off the rim when you go to replace your tires.
Four days now and the tire hasn't lost a pound. I'll let you all know how this works out for me and thanks for your help!


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## bassattacker (Mar 14, 2007)

yeah that happening on all four tires is wow crazy, i had a buddy that worked at a tire place and he told me that if you use fix a flat and you have to get a tire worked on they charge a cleaning fee, so i steer clear of that stuff.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

actually, its calicum chloride farmers use to weigh their tires with.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Theres a good chance your wheels will be out of balance as long as you have liquid inside the tire , and be sure it has no water in the antifreeze or your wheel corrosion/bead sealing problems have only just begun.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Well, it's over 2 years now since I put the anti freeze in my tires and am happy to report that it worked for me. I haven't had to air them at all, as a matter of fact, I left some out for better traction in the snow. Two rims on my Dakota were leaking so I did them also with good results.
My only concern now is that they may be glued onto the rims forever or have to be cut off? That will be the dealers problem anyway since I'll be trading it in soon anyways.


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## PromiseKeeper (Apr 14, 2004)

I cant imagine that it would throw the wheel out of balance. Truck tires are balanced by throwing a pack or two of some sort of powder in them. The powder goes to the place its needed as the wheels spin. Wouldnt the anti-freeze do the same? Thanks for the tip!


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## walleyefan (Jun 9, 2008)

I work part time at a full service station and we just break the tire down off the rim and clean both tire and rim real good and wipe down with some cleaner.
After that we just apply bead seal and reseal the tire and have pretty good results with very little returns.


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## PromiseKeeper (Apr 14, 2004)

Talked to a tire shop today. The guys first comment was not to do it especially in applications where there are air pressure sensors in the valve stems. The radiator sealant would ruin them and they cost between $50 - $150 apeice!


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

those stupid air pressure sensors.....will cause me more trouble than their worth, im sure of that.


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

bajuski said:


> I have a car that is 3 years old with alloy wheels and have bead leaks in all 4 tires. I've been fighting these leaks for months now, broke the beads and cleaned the rims and tire beads and the leaks come right back. One tire loses 4 psi a day and is showing wear on the outside edges from running low on pressure. It will be ruined in no time.
> Anyways, being desperate, I read on a forum that adding 50/50 mix anti freeze with a radiator sealant, the aluminum powder type will work. I figure that farmers have added anti freeze in their tractor tires for additional weight for years, so it probably won't hurt the rubber.
> I added about 3/4 cup of the mixture thru the valve and sloshed it around a bit to make sure the beads got soaked thoroughly and aired it up. It was still leaking a bit so I rolled the tire around a bit more and to my amazement no leaks, at all, hasn't lost a pound in 3 days.
> Has anyone tried this or heard of it? I'm wondering if I should remove the anti freeze that is still inside since it is already sealed or just leave it in the tire to maybe prevent a future leak? The tire rolls smoothly doing 65mph. What do you think? I think I'm gonna do all 4 tires before they are junk!


I know this is old, but I was just wondering if anybody has any more success or failure stories. I'm thinking about trying it. I don't think any of the ingredients should hurt the tire or rim, as they are made from the same materials as the cooling system. Anyone?


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## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

Have you changed the valve stems all 4 of my tires leaked I had the valve stems changed last spring it solved my problems ,Knock on Wood.they were all corroded in the rim they cleaned the holes and all is well


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

Well worked over 20+ years repairing tires. Slow leaks are around your rim,around your valve stems or valve in stem, rim its self is leaking or tire.
We always started by tearing down and replacing valve stem and grinding rust from the bead of the rim. Also check tire and rim with a dish soap and water solution. Fixing with anti freeze and radiator stop leak shouldn't work. The reason is stop leak for radiators are designed to fix leak when hot not cold. You should always warm your engine then put in stop leak and drive a distance for best results. Stop leak for tire is a quick fix but any one I know that changes tires will charge a pretty penny to clean before repairing or replacing tires. Also the weight of any amount of water or antifreeze will throw your tire out of balance. Not a problem on a tractor because of speed. Best way we found to stop a leak on a rim bead is grind rust off and put plain grease on it and seal. Now after doing that in the garage I can say it will not hurt a tire. Just thought I'd pass it on.


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## UFM82 (Apr 6, 2004)

It doesn't stay in one place in the tire- the tire simply isn't spinning fast enough for the centrifugal force to "pin" it to the sides. It just slides down the uphill side if you can picture that. 
And you can get a large syringe from a farm supply store and inject the fluid in through the valve stem if you remove the core. Anti-freeze will help prevent the corrosion that can occur within an alloy rim and it does work.


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

UFM82 said:


> It doesn't stay in one place in the tire- the tire simply isn't spinning fast enough for the centrifugal force to "pin" it to the sides. It just slides down the uphill side if you can picture that.
> And you can get a large syringe from a farm supply store and inject the fluid in through the valve stem if you remove the core. Anti-freeze will help prevent the corrosion that can occur within an alloy rim and it does work.


Well think what you like. I have pulled many out of balance tires off that had fix a flat and such in them. Also once in you can not re-balance because it does move around.
But I won't argue the point. Seen to many closed posts! My new favorite statement is. " Yes your opinion is always correct" LOL


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

No opinion, it's a fact that it worked for me. I still have the car with the same tires that would have been discarded a long time ago were it not for the anti freeze. I still haven't had to add air to any of the tires in almost 3 years. It did not clog the valve stems, they open and close every time I check air pressure!They roll as smoothly as before at 65 mph although I hardly drive at high speeds, the wife uses it for work and only puts 8 miles a day on it and that's where the problem comes in. The car has low miles with lots of tread left but the rubber in the tires is hardening with age. I believe the anti freeze is lubricating and softening the bead giving it a better seal (same as grease on the bead).

I Fish, I am not encouraging you or anyone else to do this, I would not if you're not comfortable with it. It will only bother you until you get rid of the tire! I just wondred if anyone else tried this and I'm sharing my experience. Almost anything I have that rolls like my garden tractor, snowblower and even wheelbarrow have a tire or two with a little glycol in it.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

I've had to deal with corroded rims on two Subarus and an Olds van. The van in particular would get flats in a day's time. The alloy was oxidized and bubbled up, and there were big flakes of chrome plating flaking off the inside of the rim. 

As others have said, the fix is to grind and seal. The shop I went to used some kind of red sealant.

BTW one trick I learned is to use rubber cement on the beads of small tires like on a 2-wheel dolly or a wagon.


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Like just suggested there is a sealeant made for this very issue


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## [email protected] (Jul 5, 2006)

big trucks have used anti freez in tires for over thirty years for balanceing their tires.
has worked for thirty years. the only problem was putting a patch on the inside of the tire, because the anti freez would make the tire caeing slimee, and sometimes the patch would not hold...


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

Since I brought it back from the dead, I feel like I should respond.

I know, and have already had the beads broke, rims cleaned, and the bead sealer re-applied. The rims were clean and the bead sealer was put on the first time, when the tires were new. The valves were replaced when the new tires were put on as well. The rims didn't really have any significant corrosion. I must add, this is the second set of new tires that would just leak, some faster than others, sometimes. Sometimes the tire(s) that leaked off first the last time would hold more air, and it would be the others that needed it. 

Now, I was putting air in at least once a week, anywhere from 5 to 20 psi per tire. Well Friday, after I brought this thread back up, I went ahead and put the Alumaseal and anti freeze in 2 tires, one front one back. Guess what. They haven't lost a single pound yet. There is no out of balance vibration, even at 110mph. I'm going to do the other 2 as soon as I get time.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I Fish said:


> Since I brought it back from the dead, I feel like I should respond.
> 
> I know, and have already had the beads broke, rims cleaned, and the bead sealer re-applied. The rims were clean and the bead sealer was put on the first time, when the tires were new. The valves were replaced when the new tires were put on as well. The rims didn't really have any significant corrosion. I must add, this is the second set of new tires that would just leak, some faster than others, sometimes. Sometimes the tire(s) that leaked off first the last time would hold more air, and it would be the others that needed it.
> 
> Now, I was putting air in at least once a week, anywhere from 5 to 20 psi per tire. Well Friday, after I brought this thread back up, I went ahead and put the Alumaseal and anti freeze in 2 tires, one front one back. Guess what. They haven't lost a single pound yet. There is no out of balance vibration, even at 110mph. I'm going to do the other 2 as soon as I get time.


hey, where is the speed limit 110 mph??,LOL.
sherman


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

Well, my 2011 Dakota with 12,000 miles on it started losing 5 psi per day. I put a 1/2 cup of straight anti freeze in it about a week ago and it's holding fine. It does have an air pressure sensor in it and didn't seem to hurt it so far. Anyways, I'd rather ruin a $20 sensor than an $150 tire!


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

With the high cost of anti freeze now many farm tire service shops are now adding windshield washer fluid to tractor tires for additional weight. You can even buy kits online to do this. Not corrosive at all compared to calcium chloride.


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## capt j-rod (Feb 14, 2008)

Like above, windshield washer fluid and beet juice is what most farmers are using for weight. Doesn't rot out the rims either


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## PromiseKeeper (Apr 14, 2004)

the last car we bought has steel wheels and hubcaps. I dont miss those alloy wheels a bit! What a pain they are!


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

Since I last posted my results, I have put 2 sets of new tires on. The first new set started leaking like the old ones, and, anti freeze and aluma seal did the trick. This newer set hasn't started leaking, but, we don't hardly ever drive that car anymore. Never caused any corrosion, abnormal wear, or vibration. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

I Fish said:


> Since I last posted my results, I have put 2 sets of new tires on. The first new set started leaking like the old ones, and, anti freeze and aluma seal did the trick. This newer set hasn't started leaking, but, we don't hardly ever drive that car anymore. Never caused any corrosion, abnormal wear, or vibration. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.


Did the tire shop have any complaints when they removed the tires with anti freeze? I traded my vehicles in before I had to replace them so I don't know.


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## I Fish (Sep 24, 2008)

bajuski said:


> Did the tire shop have any complaints when they removed the tires with anti freeze? I traded my vehicles in before I had to replace them so I don't know.


Nope. I had them changed at a buddie's garage. I was there the whole time. No problems a rag couldn't deal with.


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## bajuski (Apr 9, 2004)

I Fish said:


> Nope. I had them changed at a buddie's garage. I was there the whole time. No problems a rag couldn't deal with.


Good to hear, BTW, I really don't think the flakes are necessary and a lot easier to pour down the valve without them, my tire I did without them a few weeks ago is holding great with just straight anti freeze and didn't hurt the sensor. Anti freeze is a good rust inhibitor, I think it eats the rust and softens the rubber enough to seal up again!


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