Newly installed tires can lose air for a number of reasons:

1. Faulty/Old/Worn out valve stems. Most tire shops will replace or recommend replacement of the valve stems any time you install new tires. I know our price is $2.00 per rubber stem, and while I don't doubt you can get them cheaper, it beats paying $15.00 for a flat repair later.

2. Corrosion/Buildup in the bead seating are of the wheel. Any wheel that has been in use for a good amount of time will have build up along the inner flanges where the tire bead seats, and this can lead to an improper seal of the tire to the wheel, causing very slow air leaks around the bead area. If this is the case, I would recommend returning to the tire shop (Walmart?) and having them pull the tires back off the wheels, and clean the rims properly.

3. Valve Core. The valve inside the valve stem that allows air to enter/leave the tire when its depressed. If you had new stems put in, new cores should have come with it, but new stems or not, the cores were removed and reinstalled for the deflation of the old tires and inflation of the new. You can purchase a valve core tool at most any auto parts store and check these to make sure they're tight.

Best bet, air the tires to recommend PSI. Get a empty spray bottle, fill it it with a Soap/Water solution, and start spraying the tires. Initially, concentrate on the bead area (Where the tire seats to the wheel), and the valve stem. If you see bubbles forming at either of these places, you have pinpointed your leak.

 

X2 on.valve.core . I bet the little rubber seals are bad.

 

Another air issue - if you have hammer-on weights on the lip of the wheel, an improperly mounted one can separate the seal.

As stated, get some soapy water and spray the valve stem and all the way around where the wheel meets the tire. If they are losing air as fast as you say, the bubbles will be clear. The last time I had a multi-tire issue, it was because of build up on the wheel (addressed above) and also one wheel was a little out of round. I few strategic dead blows with a sledge fixed it up

Caps come off of lug nuts like that all the time. It is a result of cheaper 2-piece lug nuts. Enough times on and off, and they always come off.

Hammer a socket on there (don't be shy with it) - it is unlikely that will not work. It would not be suprising if it was over-torqued on install. Some places feel they know proper torquage by the feel of the impact...they are wrong

 

Lamp oil, diesel, tyranny fluid, oil, PAM!
Go ahead and put the other lugs back on to relieve some of the pressure. If your neighbor really doesn't have a plane old propane torch, warm it with slowly pouring boiling water. Then smack it good! Straight in on the end, only twice. A six point 18mm likely would have gotten it or broke it off.(19 with a cover, or solid) Suppose you could boil that first as well!

 

2 of the lug nuts on our 98 honda got stripped
by the guys at a used tire place, I ended up snapping
the studs with a brakerbar and a 6ft long copper pipe.

 

It's happened to my mom's minivan. This isn't the first time I've had seen an issue like this but my uncle would always just have an impact wrench and that would of took it off in 5 seconds. Worse comes to worse I mean I can still drive with 4 lug nuts right?

 

4 lugs will be fine for a little bit, heck I drove home on 3 lugs once. *I replaced the snapped studs the next day, but it got me home*

I currently have 2 chrome lugnuts missing their chrome cover on my jeep. I want to find actual solid chrome plated lug nuts to replace them all with.

When I go to the junkyard, I pull a chrome lug nut or two from various Chrysler vehicles. I've got like 5 "spares", just because I know this happens and both of my Chrysler vehicles use these 2 piece lug nuts. I've just not had time to swap out the 2 on my jeep lately.

 

Chrome plating over steel can either wear off or the plating can seperate from the steel base metal.

I would recommend Stainless Steel lug nuts if you plan to keep the Jeep for any length of time.

For air leaks ANYWHERE around the tire bead, valve, tread, etc just mix up some dish liquid and water in a bottle and spray it on the suspected area. Take your vehicle back to Wal-Mart and make them do it over. Even to the point of dis-mounting the tires that won't hold air and buff the rims around the bead to remove deposits, etc. and coat the rim around the bead with sealer.

Take an adult with you if they give you a bad time.

 

Stainless although a good metal against the elements is actually fairly brittle.

 

x2 on take it back to Walmart, air up your tire and make them fix everything! Taking an adult along is a good idea, too.

I used to deal with the "you can't know anything" attitude, being female, but time and experience fixed that. You don't have time at this point, but they done ya wrong, find someone big and arrogant to take with you (everyone knows one, right?).

 

tx96 has a good point. why didn't we think of that? have someone else take care of it! Air it up and take it back and let them deal with the problems they sold you.

 

just go to a local tire shop, my local guys did it for free when I got a stripped lug but I gave the guy $10 for his trouble and I'm pretty sure he ruined one of his sockets to do it.

 

Just a great update. I hammered in a 18mm socket and dumb me didn't have a breaker bar or ratchet that was strong enough. So my neighbor was very nice and he let me use his breaker bar. All I can say is I need to buy a breaker bar and I have a great neighbor. Thanks for the tips guys. Now I need to buy a lug nut lol

 

Well glad you got the lugnut off. Ever figure out the air problem, though?

 

Air ? He's 16 and back on the road ! Deal with that "air" thing tomorrow. Wait that's Friday...