New member tire question

[Frying Nemo]

Hey guys, just joined after lurking here for quite some time and I have a stupid question about tires .
Recently bought an 84 200x with a 250r front rim and 22x8-11 kenda bear claw 6 ply tire. To get it into my suv when I purchased the trike, I let a lot of air out of the front tire and drove about 3 hrs with it like that. Now after filling it up to around 7 psi it deflates by the next day. It says on the tire to inflate to 36 psi to set bead but would the bead really need to be set on such a slow leak? The tire isn't noticeably off the rim either. Seems weird. Kind of a noob question here but thanks in advance for any tips.

[Red Rider]

Every tire and rim combo is different. But that "36 psi" is probably the mfg's air pressure limit, when mounting and seating the beads. The first step is to figure out exactly where it's leaking from. If it's leaking from around the bead, it doesn't necessarily mean the tire isn't seated on the bead properly. It could just be some sand in the bead preventing it from sealing properly. I can't imagine any damage occurring to the tire or the wheel, because you let some air out, to fit it in your SUV, and then drove for 3 hours. Most likely, the tire already had a leak when you purchased the ATC, and the previous owner had recently refilled it, before you arrived.

[Frying Nemo]

Gotcha, thanks for taking the the to provide your input.