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How Do You Find a Puncture Leak in the Tire Tread?

Spray the tread in sections and rotate the tire until bubbles keep forming at one point. Mark it, then decide whether it is in the repairable

3 min read CHAOS Moto

To find a puncture leak in the tread, inflate the tire, spray Bubble Check across the tread one section at a time, and rotate the tire until you see bubbles that keep forming at one point, usually at a nail, a screw, or a small cut. Mark it with a tire crayon before you wipe it. Then decide on repair: punctures in the tread area can be repaired from the inside following industry repair procedures; punctures in the shoulder or sidewall cannot.

Find your leak in 3 taps: Leak Lab →
Wheel diagram: red arc on the tread with a nail head and bubbles forming around it Tread punctureSPRAYTread, one sectionat a time; rotateLOOK FORSteady bubbles at anail, screw, or cutNEXTMark it, demount,repair or replace
Tread puncture: spray the tread in sections and rotate. Bubbles build at the object or the hole.

How does it show up?

  • A slow leak with a nail or screw visible in the tread, or nothing visible at all.
  • An object that seals itself while parked and leaks when the tire flexes on the road.
  • A leak at an earlier repair.

Where do you spray Bubble Check?

  • The full tread, one section at a time, including down in the grooves.
  • Around any object in the tread. Leave it in place while you test.
  • Any earlier plug or repair.
  • The shoulders and sidewalls if the tread tests clean.

What do the bubbles look like?

  • A steady stream of bubbles at the head of a nail or screw.
  • Fine foam that keeps growing over a small hole or cut.
  • Bubbles that appear only after the tire is rotated or flexed.

What do you do next?

  1. Mark the spot with a tire crayon.
  2. Demount the tire and inspect the inside for damage from the object or from running low.
  3. Repair a tread-area puncture from the inside following industry repair procedures, with a repair that fills the injury and seals the inner liner. An outside-only plug does not meet that standard.
  4. Replace the tire if the puncture is in the shoulder or sidewall, or if the inside shows damage.
  5. Inflate after the repair and spray the repair area again to confirm it is sealed.

How to run the check

  1. Inflate the tire to its specified pressure. A soft tire may not push enough air to show a slow leak.
  2. Spray Bubble Check on the area and give it time. A slow leak can take a little while to show.
  3. Watch for bubbles that keep forming at the same point. The first light foam from the spray settles; a leak keeps building.
  4. Mark the spot with a tire crayon before you wipe the area dry.

About Bubble Check

Bubble Check is the CHAOS Moto spray-on tire leak detector. It comes in a 32 oz bottle with a trigger sprayer, so you check the tire on the wheel with no dunk tank needed. Shops use it to pinpoint valve and bead leaks and for TPMS stem checks. See the Bubble Check page or where to buy. Bubble Check is not currently sold on Amazon.

Common questions

Should I pull the nail before spraying?

No. Spray with the object in place, mark the spot, and remove it once the tire is off for repair.

Can Bubble Check verify a tire repair?

Yes. Inflate after the repair and spray the repair area. No new bubbles means the repair is holding air at that point.

What if the bubbles are in the sidewall?

A sidewall or shoulder puncture is outside the repairable area under industry repair guidelines. Replace the tire.

More leak types in the Leak Lab. Related: when you cannot find a slow leak and how to find a slow tire leak. Questions: sales@chaosmoto.com or 480-829-7888.

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