What Do You Do When You Can't Find a Slow Tire Leak?
Inflate fully and work through every leak point in order, including the inner bead and inner barrel. If nothing bubbles, recheck pressure after a day at the same temperature.
Read the storyTire Shop Safety and Product Guides
The Tire Bay
CHAOS
MOTO
CHAOS Moto field notes
Wheel prep, leak checks, grips, and bay safety.
39 stories / OCTOBER 2026
From the issue
39 published articles
Field notes
How Do You Find a Tire Bead Leak?
Spray the full line where the tire meets the rim, inner and outer, and watch for bubbles that keep forming in one...
Read articleHow Do You Prep Polished Aluminum Wheels So Stick-On Weights Stay On?
Clean polish and wax residue off the bond area with nothing abrasive, then finish with a prep cleaner that flashes off dry.
Read articleHow Do You Prep Painted and Clear-Coated Wheels So Stick-On Weights Stay On?
Clean the clear coat without scuffing it and finish with a prep cleaner that flashes off dry. The weight bonds to the...
Read articleHow Do You Prep Forged and Machined Aluminum Wheels So Stick-On Weights Stay On?
Check whether the spot under the weight is bare, painted, or clear-coated, clean it for what it is, and finish with a...
Read articleHow Do You Prep Carbon Fiber Wheels So Stick-On Weights Stay On?
Start with the wheel manufacturer's guidance on weight type and placement, clean without abrasives or metal tools, and finish with a prep...
Read articleHow Do You Prep Chrome Wheels So Stick-On Weights Stay On?
Clean chrome without anything abrasive, put the weight on sound metal rather than plastic cladding or pitted plating, and finish with a...
Read articleHow Do You Prep Powder-Coated Wheels So Stick-On Weights Stay On?
Clean the bond area without scuffing the powder coat, check the coating under the weight is sound, and finish with a prep...
Read articlePrep N Stick Quick Dry vs Isopropyl Alcohol for Wheel Weights
Both can work as a final wipe on a clean wheel. The difference is the method, the drying, and whether the prep...
Read articleHow Do You Stop Tire Irons From Scratching Wheels?
Most tire iron scratches come from the bar slipping. Lube the bead, protect the rim edge, check the bar tip, and give...
Read articleWhat Can a Tire Shop Use Instead of Brake Cleaner to Prep Wheels for Weights?
Use a cleaner made for the wheel-weight bond area, or isopropyl alcohol on an already-clean wheel. How to check a can for...
Read articleDo You Need an Adhesion Promoter for Stick-On Wheel Weights?
Usually not. Most failed weights went onto a surface that was not clean and dry. A prep cleaner fixes that; a primer...
Read articleWhy Do Stick-On Wheel Weights Keep Falling Off?
Stick-on weights usually fall off because the tape bonded to dirt, lube, old adhesive, or cleaner film instead of the wheel. Here...
Read article
How to Find a Fast Tire Leak Without Losing the Bay Slot
To find a fast leak quickly, skip the dunk tank and spray Bubble Check on the bead line, the valve stem and...
Read article
How to Break a Tire Bead with a Pry Bar
To break a tire bead with a pry bar, deflate the tire fully, lube the tire-to-rim contact line, lay the wheel flat,...
Read articleCHAOS Names Scott Givaudan Director of National Accounts; Michael Frederick Moves to New Product Development
Scott Givaudan takes over national accounts across the CHAOS line; Michael Frederick moves to Director of New Product Development.
Read article
What Does ANSI Z87.1+ Actually Mean for Your Tire Bay?
ANSI Z87.1+ means the glasses passed the standard's high-velocity and high-mass impact tests, a steel ball fired at the lens at speed...
Read article
The Hidden Cost of a Slow-Drying Wheel Prep Spray
A slow-drying wheel prep spray costs labor on every wheel, because the tech has to wait out the wet film, wipe it...
Read article
OSHA PPE Requirements for a Tire Bay: Hands and Eyes
OSHA requires a written hazard assessment for PPE under 29 CFR 1910.132, and under 1910.133 eye protection that meets ANSI Z87.1 whenever...
Read articleCHAOS Moto Grip Named to VehicleServicePros Top 10 for July 2026
The CHAOS Moto Grip made the Top 10 Tools of July 2026 on VehicleServicePros.com, the online home of Professional Tool & Equipment...
Read article
The Brake Cleaner VOC Crackdown Just Reached New Jersey, and It Won't Stop There
New Jersey's revised VOC rule for brake and parts cleaner became enforceable on August 18, 2026. If your shop buys brake cleaner...
Read article
Using Bubble Check to Pinpoint TPMS, Valve Stem, and Bead Leaks
With the wheel still mounted and under pressure, spray Bubble Check on the valve core first, then the stem base and the...
Read article
How to Stock a Multi-Bay Tire Shop on Chemicals and PPE Without Overbuying
Size one order to what the shop actually used last quarter, counting bays rather than locations, and round up to the next...
Read article
What to Use for Wheel Prep on Custom Paint and Clear Coats
Use a wheel-prep cleaner made for every wheel finish, such as Prep N Stick Quick Dry, which is safe on all wheel...
Read article
The CHAOS Moto Grip featured in Professional Tool & Equipment News
PTEN's New Tool Tuesday for the week of July 6-10 featured the CHAOS Moto Grip alongside tools from Maxxeon, Streamlight, and Hunter...
Read article
Bead Biter, CHAOS Moto Grip, or Max: Which Tire Bar Grip Do You Need?
Match the grip to the tool. The Max Bead Breaker Grip is the one for a bead-breaking machine with a shovel handle,...
Read article
What OSHA Actually Requires for Eye Protection in a Tire Bay
Under 29 CFR 1910.133, OSHA requires every tech exposed to flying particles, chemical splash or dust to wear eye protection that meets...
Read article
Stop Scratching Wheels and Slipping Off the Tire Bar
Put a non-slip grip on the bar. Most rim scratches start when a smooth steel pry bar slips off the bead and...
Read article
Safety Glasses Your Techs Will Actually Wear
Techs keep wearing safety glasses that don't fog. Most pairs end up pushed onto a forehead because the lenses fog over a...
Read article
How to Find a Slow Leak in a Tire Without a Dunk Tank
To find a slow leak without a dunk tank, air the tire to spec, spray a leak detector like Bubble Check on...
Read article
Why Wheel Weights Fall Off, and How to Kill the Comebacks
Stick-on wheel weights fall off for a few predictable reasons, and almost all of them trace back to prep. Here is how...
Read article
Why Tire Shops Are Moving Away from Brake Cleaner for Wheel Prep
The EPA is restricting the TCE and perc solvents in brake cleaner. Here is why wheel prep is changing and what tire...
Read article
Hand Injuries: The Hidden Cost Crushing Tire Shops
Hand injuries are the costliest injury most tire shops never track: every one adds lost bay time, overtime, retraining, and turnover risk...
Read article
PFAS in the Tire Shop: What Forever Chemicals Mean for Your Bay
PFAS are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals built not to break down, and in a tire bay they turn up...
Read article
TCE, Brake Cleaner, and Wheel Preparation: What Tire Shops Need to Separate
Tire shops need to keep three things apart. TCE and perc are specific chemicals that only some brake cleaners have used, so...
Read article