This is kind of a weird issue, and I probably know what I should do, but I thought I would post this, just in case any others need to look at this.

I have a 06 travel trailer. I cannot imagine that the tires would be any more that three years old. The tires look good, there are no cracks, or bad spots on them. But the valve stems are cracked out on all four wheels. I know I should get them replaced, right?

Seems weird that the valve stems are cracked but not the tires. Maybe the stems are in a big barrel at the factory, and I got the bottom of the barrel!

 

I wouldn't assume that the valve stems were produced at the same time as the tires. Who knows they may have been in the parts bin for quite a while. I would certainly replace them now. It's not much fun when you have to do it on the way to your favorite campground.

 

Valve stems are produced by entirely different companies/factories than the tires so there is no relation in manufacture dates other than coincidence.

I have noticed that the rubber valve stems seem to "rot" a lot sooner and unexpectedly than they used to. Seems like in the past, rubber stems lasted a long time, at least the life of the tire or several years in my case. Could just be I don't tow the trailer as much so it has low miles and longer years on the tires and stems.

On my travel trailer I have had one valve stem just pop off sitting in my driveway, it looked new but looked like it was cut, I assume cracked. At the time the trailer and tires etc were maybe 2 years old. I even think two of them went bad that summer.

I now have another stem that is very suspicious, it has cracked around the outside enough that there is a gap when you wiggle the stem. I will not be taking the trailer on the road until this is fixed. And I will be checking all my tires.

BTW My experience is that America's Tire Co will change the stems for you free, even if you didn't buy the tire there. I suppose other dealers will do the same. They hope to get your business, which I usually do if they are reasonable.

Jim Henderson

 

No surprise there. My trailer was 1 year old when I bought it. After I got it home I looked it over thoroughly and found the cracked valve stems. I did and would reccommend replacing them with metal valve stems and never have the problem again

 

Ah metal valve stems, there we go, thanks. Looks like I am going to be taking off tires this week.

Thanks, guys

 

If you have a way to break just one bead down you don't have to remove the tires from the rims. Just break down one side, cut off the button on the inside of the rubber stem (without loosing it inside the tire), and install the metal stems. I broke the bead down on mine by using a high lift jack on the tire while jacking against the hitch on my van. Be CAREFULL.

 

I know I could do this myself. I probably should, but man, spending a Saturday breaking down tires sounds like poopies to me. I think I am going to jack up the trailer, put it on my jack stands, take off the tires, drop them off at my local tire shop, and go fishing Saturday. I will pick them up in the afternoon, and stick them back on the trailer on Sunday afternoon.

I bet these stupid valve stems are from Korea, or Mehieco!

 

The very nature of value stems is they are suppose to be cheap and weak enough to be pulled all the way through the hole with a valve stem remover. I don't know anyone that pulls them out from the back of the rim or bothers to cut them off.

So, if you don't want a part meant to last 3 years max. then go metal valve stems. I get mine at NAPA and once properly installed they don't leak. Plus, the quality metal covers/caps can actually hold air if the core leaks.

 

Be aware that valve stems have pressure ratings just like tires do. Standard automotive stems are rated to 50 PSI and truck stems are 80 PSI. The 50 PSI type find there way into light truck and trailer tires way too often due to their interchangeability. That could be why yours failed.

The 80 PSI stems come in both the rubber pull in style as well as the metal type that have seals and backing nuts to hold them in the wheel. You can get replacement parts for the metal ones as well, but the whole stem is only a few dollars so why bother.

I use the metal type on my truck, trailers and even my motorcycle.

Gene

 

Yep I am figuring this out. Two months ago I bought some E-rated tires for my truck from a reptualble Good year dealer. The stems are rated for 40 psi, my tires are rated for 90 psi. This store is a bunch of jack a$$es, and now I may sue. It will cost me money to sue, but I just want that manager to lose his job soooooo bad! He is a jackazz!

 

Good year sucks

 

So how do you tell them apart. Is there some type of marking on these ?

 

That is a good question. If there is a marking I don't know about it. Just be careful that what you buy comes from an appropriately marked container.

Shortly after buying my truck I had come in from a trip on the freeway and had to make a quick turn around at home to make it to an appointment. When I came out to get in the truck the left front tire was almost flat. i wiggled the valve stem and found that it had cracked where it comes through the hole in the wheel.

I bought my own metal truck stems at NAPA and had a tire shop install them for me. The tire dealer told me that the tires has been mounted with 50 PSI stems.

Gene

 

The way I found out my truck tires had defecient valve stems, is I had a flat. The tech at the tire place ran me through the whole thing. He had a tray of 6 different valve stems. They do look close is shape and size, but there are differences. He had the metal ones up front in a special case, but they are much more expensive. The truck stems feel solid. Regular passenger tire stems feel soft.

This is all I know.

 

Since pictures are worth 1,000 words and I had a few spares laying around in my parts box, can you guess which is the cheap valve stem you wouldn't want in your trailer rim and the two that are rated for 80+ psi?