Rubber Valve Stems With Covid

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SirRobyn0

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Yes, the above stems are the common ones today. The center one is what I prefer. Haven't seen very many rubber stems leak if they are replaced when new tires are installed. The bottom style is ok but after they age retightening the nut or at least checking it is a good idea.
Your absolutely right, Brian. IDK your background, but I've seen guys (idiots) ruin valve stems during install or damage them and the customer comes back later with the tire(s) flat. I was just mentioning that thinking the OP has had a run of issues, and maybe that was the cause.

I disagree with the idea of retightening the all brass stems. When they are installed initially they should be tightened enough to squash the rubber and bulge it out a bit so the edges of the rubber gasket are no longer round but flat. Tightening the nut down without being able to see the rubber could result in splitting it or distorting it, especially on an old stem if the rubber has hardened some. IDK there isn't any real data to that thought, it's just my opinion, I've never retightened.
 

SirRobyn0

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I had a clown put a rubber stem on a commercial truck instead of the required metal one and it leaked.Go figure. 100 psi on a rubber stem.lol
Back when I was managing a Goodyear, I had a tire guy do that to a 1 ton Dodge van. Better yet it was a van pool van. Lucky I happened to be walking though the shop and noticed the valve stem on the LF of the van as he was backing it out. His excuse was the metal stem was damaged and he couldn't find the correct metal ones. I asked him why he didn't at least use the high pressure rubber ones, he shrugged his shoulders. I asked him why he didn't ask me what to do when he couldn't find the metal ones, another shrug. I asked him when he was going to tell me, another shrug. I went over and looked, they were all on the tire machine right next to the standard rubber ones like they always were.... Needless to say he did not last long.
 

fast 99

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I was a repair tech at a shop that also sold tires. Also owned a fairly large towing service did paint and body and worked in gas stations out of high school. Have been around the industry for a while.

Understand what you're saying about tightening the stem nuts, but I have seen a few of them leak after they have aged. As the previous post suggested some tire techs either don't know what they are doing or don't care. It is an entry level job. Could be they weren't installed correctly, not replaced or re-sealed when a new tire was installed. Agree, best thing is to replace them.
 
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SirRobyn0

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I was a repair tech at a shop that also sold tires. Also owned a fairly large towing service did paint and body and worked in gas stations out of high school. Have been around the industry for a while.

Understand what you're saying about tightening the stem nuts, but I have seen a few of them leak after they have aged. As the previous post suggested some tire techs either don't know what they are doing or don't care. It is an entry level job. Could be they weren't installed correctly, not replaced or re-sealed when a new tire was installed. Agree, best thing is to replace them.
Thanks! I always think it's fun when people talk a little bit about their background especially when that back ground does involve automotive. I did sometime at a gas station as well.

I also find it interesting to see how different people have different experiences with the same or similar products.
 

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Yeah, gas stations were interesting back then. I was the guy who put a garbage can behind the last car in line during the gas shortages. Got me a few middle fingers and a lot of 4 letter words. But my car always had plenty of that good leaded high-octane fuel.
 

80BrownK10

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I used to sell tires at Pep boys. I was a parts counter guy. Didn't work in the shop but hung out in there some times. I do almost ball my work on my own junk. I have swapped failed valve stems that have failed due to the Chinese junk. I have swapped a few tires at the house. And I worked in my father in laws shop during some summers and breaks while I was in college. I never did anything real. Parts getting, helping on stuff and getting and dropping off cars and oil changes.
 

SirRobyn0

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Yeah, gas stations were interesting back then. I was the guy who put a garbage can behind the last car in line during the gas shortages. Got me a few middle fingers and a lot of 4 letter words. But my car always had plenty of that good leaded high-octane fuel.

I missed that time. I was young kid in the 70's. I didn't get into automotive until 1994, after what I thought I wanted to do didn't work out. First job in automotive was at a tire store, that also served as a cooper tire distribution center to the area service stations. Sadly I did not pay attention to the service stations and what was going on there when it was my turn to make deliveries. From there I went to work for Firestone then Goodyear, the bulk of my carrier is between those two companies. After that worked for an independent repair shop as service manager / tech for a very short time.

Then went to work for a gas station. I actually turned down a much more lucrative position, to go to work for a gas station, at that I was told up front the shop had 2 - 3 years left before they had a planned remodel that would expand the convince store and close the shop, the last 76 branded service station in the area. I took the job managing the shop (there was another guy that ran the C-store), I took it because I looked around and all stations I use to deliver tires to were gone. When else could I possibly get an opportunity like that again. Well it pumped new life back into this automotive burned out guy. It was just a very different environment, and I enjoyed it. Well that 2 - 3 years turned into 7, once it closed I went to manage the shop I do today.

All this management stuff probably has you wondering how much time I've actually spent turning a wrench, I was never an in the office kind of manager. I had sales guys to do that for me. Sure I had paperwork I had to do, but I'd always spend as much time in the shop working next to the techs as possible. That is until the last few years, where my body is just no longer able to do the physical labor like I use to.

I used to sell tires at Pep boys. I was a parts counter guy. Didn't work in the shop but hung out in there some times. I do almost ball my work on my own junk. I have swapped failed valve stems that have failed due to the Chinese junk. I have swapped a few tires at the house. And I worked in my father in laws shop during some summers and breaks while I was in college. I never did anything real. Parts getting, helping on stuff and getting and dropping off cars and oil changes.

There is a Pep boys up the street from the shop, that we take our alignments to, it's run by a gal that's been there since they opened that location. And prior to that ran the same store for Goodyear after I did!
 

75gmck25

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I have had at least 3 instances where a tire dealer (one a very large Goodyear dealer) gave me a completely blank look when I told him I needed high pressure valve stems for the 10 ply truck tires on my K25. In another case the dealer knew they were required, but “couldn’t get them from his supplier”, so I brought one in for the repair.

I live in the DC metro area (lots of people and businesses), and I see multiple F350 and larger work trucks in my neighborhood every day. Difficult to believe that valve stems are hard to find.
 

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