The rheological behaviour of steel cord skim compounds in the presence of different metal salt adhesion promoters has been studied using a Monsanto Processability Tester. The compounds show pseudo-plastic flow behaviour. The decrease in viscosity with increase in the concentration of cobalt stearate has been expressed by a linear equation. Extrudate swell slightly decreases with shear rate and increases with temperature. The maximum recoverable deformation has been calculated and a linear generalized relationship has been obtained between extrudate swell and maximum recoverable deformation. The principal normal stress difference has been found to increase non-linearly with shear stress. The activation energy of the melt flow process increases with rate of shear in most cases.