Check those Valve Stems!! Danger Lurks !

[Roux]

I went to put the Goodyear Endurance (seem to be the best trailer tire option right now) tires on the rims and found all 4 valve stems were cracked and headed for failure. The trailer is only in its second season since new, so really surprised at the horrid quality of the cheapy components they used.

Blow outs could have easily resulted and I would have blamed the nasty tires that were on there.

[EACIII]

I had to have Bob replace a leaking valve stem on one of the Bowman wheels at Lime Rock last weekend. So it is not only the trailer valve stems that need checking.

Ed

[J Leonard]

Use metal stems with caps maybe?

[Eric Cruz]

While I am a slow learner, I have learned about valve stems over the years and use ONLY metal stems on the race cars, trailers and street vehicles. And it keeps me from having to tell the tire guys to replace the stems every time I buy a set of tires...

Best regards,
Eric

[Keith Carter]

Had a rubber valve stem give way in a FC race once. Used metal ones after that ever since....

[Robert J. Alder]

Just earlier this year I had a rubber valve stem on my F-250 tow truck fail. Luckily I was using an after-market system for all my tow truck and trailer tires. It gave an immediately alarm of deflation. I was able to get slowed down and pulled off as the tire was deflating. It was flat on the ground by the time I got stopped which was very quickly .

That system saved the tire and possibly a much bigger mess. I absolutely love the peace of mind that the monitoring system (both pressure and temperature monitoring) provides. Who hasn't had a trailer tire blow but if you'd had a temperature monitor the blow out could have been prevented.

I've no vested interest in this product other than a very satisfied customer.

http://eezrvproduct.com/products/tir...systems-tpms-6

[DaveW]

I used to use metal valve stems on the racecar, but had one sheared off in a wheel-rubbing incident around 30 years ago. I have always used rubber ones since (they flex rather than break off), and never have had a problem with them. I use the shortest ones available - golf cart application, only ~3/4" long. The key is to get them from a trusted supplier.

There was a warning out several years ago about Chinese valve stems made from an inferior compound ozone-cracking in a short time. Maybe those of the OP were from one of those batches.

BTW, I use metal stems on applications with over 40 psi, i.e., my tow vehicle and trailer.

[xmazdatracy]

Just earlier this year I had a rubber valve stem on my F-250 tow truck fail. Luckily I was using an after-market system for all my tow truck and trailer tires. It gave an immediately alarm of deflation. I was able to get slowed down and pulled off as the tire was deflating. It was flat on the ground by the time I got stopped which was very quickly .

That system saved the tire and possibly a much bigger mess. I absolutely love the peace of mind that the monitoring system (both pressure and temperature monitoring) provides. Who hasn't had a trailer tire blow but if you'd had a temperature monitor the blow out could have been prevented.

I've no vested interest in this product other than a very satisfied customer.

http://eezrvproduct.com/products/tir...systems-tpms-6

Camping world magazine touts this same situation quite a bit. There is many different brands and offerings. This is a very good idea. Yes it does cost a bit, but much less than the resulting tire blow out and body work. I paid the extra $ to upgrade my tires from the factory, but at year 7 its time to get new trailer tires (regardless of how perfect they look). While doing so I will be putting a psi/temp monitor on the rig. With the temp you also will know if a brake or bearing is going bye bye. With everything coming from china you need to protect yourself.

[EACIII]

Like Dave said, only rubber stems on my race rims. Had it happen to me also, would have one the race if the tire kept its air in it

Don't worry too much about the stems on the trailer, I have had so many trailer tire blowouts a NASCAR pit crew would be proud of how fast we can change one.