EVERYONE CHECK YOUR VALVE STEMS!!!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP, GLAD MY TIRE WENT FLAT SITTING!!!!!tHEY ARE ALL BAD!! HEARD THERE WAS A MAJOR PROB WITH THEM IN 2006/2007.

 

You should check valve stems, especially the rubber ones, a lot. At least check them when you check the air.

I have had several tires in the past few years go totally flat due to the rubber valve stems breaking in half, leaking, shooting off the rim like a bullet etc. Failure is often very quick, a few seconds at most. Other times it takes a few days.

Like I said, I literally had one shoot out like a bullet one day while I was doing some work on my trailer. I guess the sun heated the tire and the pressure popped a weakend stem. Sounded like a pistol, good thing I wasn't right in front of it.

I never used to have probllems with rubber stems in almost 40 years of driving, but seems like in the past 10 years or less, I have had several popped stems. I suspect cheap Chinese rubber is at fault. I sometimes ride bicycles. I have a bike I have had since I was a teenager, with original innertubes. I also have a fairly new bike(20 years old) that unfortunately I can't seem to find good tubes other than China specials. I go thru tubes faster than I do kleenex. I can't even rely on the spare tubes I always carry. I have literally had more than one spare tube just be shredded when I took it out of the package. Never had this problem with rubber made in the USA or even Europe. I have even ridden a LOT less since I got tired of having to repair tires EVERY time I went out for a ride, jeez. I need to find a good source of GOOD tubes.

So yeah check the stems. Bend them gently when you check to see if there are any cracks or you can hear any air escaping. I have caught several this way. Better yet, Pay for the lifetime metal stems next time you change tires.

Enough of my China raving, yet again.

Jim Henderson

 

Rubber valve stems do suck. I literally watched my plow trucks front tire go down in front of my eyes. The stem split in two. It was three years old and the second valve to self destruct.

 

All my Trucks , Trailers and Jeeps all have steel valve stems because of this problem . But I still check all stems to make sure the rubber seal is good and don"t leak and is at the right air pressure .

 

Even the metal valve stems you have check, the Chinese use inferior metal. I just bought 4 new Balkamp NAPA metal valve stems and found out they were made in China.
I just replaced one rubber valve stem due to the split in the rubber had literally broke itself into two. Fortunately my inside duals are all metal valve stems. I have written a letter to Balkamp Headquarters with several questions concerning their metal valve stems. Just my 2 cents.
Ben

 

Windshield wipers are the same way. I can barely get 6 months out of wipers anymore. Used to only change them every few years.

Cleaning them only helps the wiper work better, still have to replace too soon.

 

If you want to make sure you are getting quality valve stems, ask if the stems are SAE 1205-1206 compliant. Then is the company that makes the stems, are they ISO 9000-9100 compliant. They have to meet certain standards and more stringent record keeping than most foreign manufacturers. It maybe overkill, but all my vehicles and trailers, I have the stems replace annually. All vehicles and trailers have metal valve stems. The sun, here in Texas, just deteriors rubber so quickly and most people think about the tire and not the stem that is exposed to the sun.

 

I just had a valve stem split on one of my new rear tires.
The shop that fixed it for me said that a rubber stem was used on that tire for some reason, and that load range E tires require a steel valve stem, The rubber ones wont hold 80psi for long.

I also noticed that my 5'r has rubber valve stems. I got 4 new tires on it at the same place as the truck. (load rate E) I have to go see em and get this fixed. what a PITA!

 

To Gearitis,
Thank you for the additional information concerning the valve stems. I just had to add your information to the letter. It will be going out today in the US Mail.
Ben

 

same here the rubber ones would pop off so i got the metal ones and it has been 3 years with out a stem failure. the only ones that dont have them is my truck they wont work with the rim so they put so metal core rubber outside they are tougher that the normal ones and they work good also.

 

I had the same problem with a stem breaking off in my hand. Five years old and pretty scarey to think it could have popped off at 55-60 mph.
My tire guy put on rubber stems with a metal inserts. He said that now, here in CA, they are required to install these or pure metal stems due to the higher pressures required in trailer tires. No pure rubber stems allowed.
I would agree with everyone else here to check and put in the better, higher psi type.