Bead-Seal for a Saab 9-3 in Edinburgh

A couple of weeks ago, we headed out to a customer to perform a winter to summer tyre swap over, during this time, we noted that the front near side wheel had a small amount of corrosion. At the time, it was merely cosmetic and nothing to worry about. But, as the vehicle had been sitting the corrosion has become slightly worse so this customer called us out to perform a bead-seal. 

Upon arrival, with all jobs we perform a pre-inspection of the vehicle. We go through all four tyres, plus the spare and take notes of any damage, the wear indication and current PSI. The Saab had recently had all four tyres changed over to its summer tyres so all four had lots of tread left. Only the front near side looked quite sad as it was deflated. We tend to get quite a bit of salt on the roads in and around Edinburgh and most gets pushed to the side of the road. If salt accumulates on the rim (or even on the paint work of the car) it can start to eat through the protective layers and cause rust/corrosion. Where possible, during the winter (after a drive) wash the salt off of your vehicle.

The wheel was then placed on the tyre removal machine, the tyre deflated and the bead broke. After removing the tyre, the rim was inspected for any signs of corrosion or damage. On some areas of the rim there were heavy signs of corrosion but, this can be fixed. The corrosion was cleaned up using a wire brush then a cleaned using isopropyl alcohol. This ensure the best bond possible with the steel. After the clean, the sealant was applied liberally and left to become tacky after a couple of minutes. The tyre was then installed back onto the rim, inflated and re-balanced (just in case!) 

After the seal was completed, we left the tyre alone for 10 minutes to let the sealant cure. The pressure was double checked to ensure the bead had indeed been sealed. In regards to payment, we have a card machine onboard the van but, in these ever challenging times, we are trying to keep the public as safe as possible. We have therefore implemented that we call the customer whilst they are in the house and take payment over the phone. This ensures a safe transaction for all. The locking wheel nut key was then sanitised and placed back on the customer's door step ready for collection.

If your car has a slow puncture, a bald tyre or an alignment issue, why not give us a call on 0333 444 5454 or send an email to info@hometyre.co.uk!