Is anyone intimately familiar with the 19.5 wheels (2022 F450)? Is it possible to drill these (both steel and AL ones) and add a second valve stem? Trying to figure the whole dually valve stem / external TPMS sensor mess and I'm thinking a second, short stem just for the TPMS sensor would work great & leave the OEM valves open for filling and pressure checks without using extensions or 'tee' type valve extenders.

 

Get a (that's just an example) and a (again just an example). No need for extra valve stems. These will fit thru the holes in the outer rim so you can check pressures/fill tires as needed - as long as you make sure to index the rims properly.

 

That's really not the problem. I don't have trouble checking with a gauge or filling tires. I guess I wasn't clear, but I want the second valve stem to mount TPMS sensors to, so that they won't interfere with being able to attach a gauge or air chuck to the original stems. I'm just not sure if drilling rims and adding a second stem can typically be done to the 19.5" wheels.

 

Yours should have come with the TPMS integrated into the valve stem (inside the tire) if it had that system from the factory. If you added on an aftermarket system, I wouldn't add a second valve stem as that's just another point at which the tire can leak. Should have gotten one that utilizes the standard design with the sensor inside the tire.

 

Sometimes what's "standard" doesn't work. Really don't want to turn this into a "which TPMS is best" type thread. It's not what I'm asking about & there's lots of those already. But, the F450 doesn't come with internal TPMS, nor is it available from Ford. And adding it after the fact is... problematic at best. The steel belted commercial tires don't pass TPMS signals through very well. People that have done it indicate that it can work, but will typically have sensors continually dropping out. Adding the Ford trailer TPMS system is a wired system with internal sensors that adds considerable expense and complexity in installation. Integration into the dash would be nice, but with the downsides of going all Ford / internal, I'm leaning towards a single, aftermarket, external TPMS that can be easily moved to diff vehicles in the future.

 

F450's don't have TPMS.

I for one would not drill a second hole just for TPMS. Theoretically it would work if you can get the holes and correct mounting surfaces machined into the rim. This is a bigger issue with the aluminum wheels than the steel.

 

I just took off the pass-through extension caps that shipped with my F450 and screwed on a set of Tireminder sensors without the "theft prevention" locking nut that really doesn't do anything. They basically serve as my valve stem caps and are quick/easy to screw off to adjust pressure. I have stock size tires, so it's easy enough to reach between the duals to access the sensor. Sure, someone can steal them from the truck if they knew what they were stealing, but it hasn't been an issue so far, and I just added the truck TPMS sensors to the small monitor that I use with my fiver.

 

I've had 19.5 wheels for the last 25 years, and frankly I'm not sure either.

You're asking the right questions though, because the rim contours are different between the steel and the aluminum stock wheels, even while the bead taper is the same.

The question is, do you really want to take on the potential liability of having drilled holes through your wheels into a pressure zone rated to retain 110 psi?

It is one thing to buy a wheel with dual valve stem holes. It is quite another thing altogether to make your own holes. In the event of a tire blow out that leads to an accident that leads to death or severe bodily injury of another party... and the other party, seeking to tap the big pockets of Ford and the tire manufacturer, sends an investigator to closely examine the wreckage looking for defects to blame on Continental or Maxion (the steel wheel manufacturer)... but instead finds a second valve stem hole... I wouldn't want to be the person who drilled, or who commissioned that second hole to be drilled, after the fact of wheel manufacture.

There are wheels out there that are manufactured at the outset with dual valve holes per single wheel. From track race car wheels to aftermarket sports car wheels to 22.5" heavy truck wheels, which are shown further below.


We get it.

And you're not alone.

Doran Manufacturing, the manufacturer of Tire Monitoring Systems for Commercial Vehicles, School Busses, Cement Trucks, Garbage Trucks, and other truck and trailer fleets that use high pressure tires with steel corded sidewalls that act as Faraday cages that interfere with the signal of TPMS sensors, feels your pain, and shares your idea for the same solution.

From a trade show both in Australia, in 2021:
Having the second Valve Hole with a Tire Sensor permanently mounted means that:

- Sensors do not need to be removed each time for re- pressurisation.

- Reduced maintenance and loss of Sensors (dropped or forgotten to be replaced).

- No need for Air Valve Extension for the Sensor or (support bracket) on the Inner Wheel (Dual Wheel Sets).

- Provide accurate Temperature alerts as Short Steel Air valve stems can be utilised.

- Second valve can be used for re- pressurisation and CTI (contact tyre inflation) systems.


Hey now, keep it houlstered.

Contact Howmet Aerospace, and see if they can produce a set of wheels for you.






Consider selling your stock wheels unmolested, to help finance the move to an industry manufactured upgrade that removes you from being personally part of the liability equation for modifying your wheels.

One more thing...

Remember that the inboard dual rear steel wheel has a 5 hand hole pattern, which makes it impossible to locate a diametrically opposing symmetrically situated second valve hole 180° from the original valve hole, that is accessible via a hand hole.

Unlike the American Axle rear axle on the Dodge 4500/5500, the machined hub land on the Dana M300 and M315 is not broad enough to adequately support the thickness of two aluminum wheels siamesed as a pair. So a 5 hand hole steel wheel will always be something to contend with, unless you have custom wheels made.

 

TST Truck has flow through sensors that you can mount to your existing valve stems. Here's an example of their system. 507 Series 8 Flow Thru Sensor TPMS System Color Display and Repeater (tsttruck.com)