Extenders or Valves Going Nuts

[Aseymour]

Ok someone give me a sanity check on the topic of the solid metal valve extenders on the dually tires. I have metal valve stems and have the solid metal extenders installed on them. The long ones for the inside dually tires are especially problematic. They do indeed slowly lose air. Every week I’m having to add like 3 pounds of air or so and I check them under similar temperature conditions so I’m getting apples to apples comparison. One of them loosened up enough that it was leaking quite a bit and I had a mobile service to come to the house and it turned out the actual valve stem had loosed up inside the wheel a bit no doubt due to the use of the extenders. It drives me crazy, before I go to work in the morning I’m checking the TPMS to see how they are and first thing when I get home doing the same. I almost dread looking at the results and I’m really sick of this worry and this daily game. I have no confidence in my tire situation as it stands now I worry the whole time we are driving even to a close by campground. Finally after reading lots of threads and doing some research it occurred to me why am I messing with extenders? I realized I could get actual long valve stems and have them installed so no more extenders… real actual long valve stems installed in the wheels. I ordered the kit online and have a tire shop lined up to install them. Am I going down the right path does that make sense? Just seems to me having actual long valves will eliminate the issue with extenders screwed on to valve steams. Thoughts?

Thanks
Andy

 

[mcr1010]

Good move. Camping is supposed to be fun and you will be eliminating a real PIA. I had the stock extenders furnished by Thor or dealer and they were junk. Changed them out and never had another problem.

 

[cpmath-THOR]

What I did and have posted this before, got rid of the extended, hit a Flying J truck stop or you can try any truck stop, purchased a long straight air gauge, (no bend on the end, it's straight), it fits inside the wheels and reads the air pressure with a standard stem attached, cost approx. $19.00. For adding air I went to NAPA and bought a straight on long air chuck, again no bend in the end. Both work fine and no leaks and don't remove the wheel covers or anything. Just what I did.

 

[phalexander]

I’ve put dually valves on both of the motorhomes I’ve owned and they solved ALL of my tire and TPMS issues. I’d do it again in an instant and I’ll do it first thing on my next RV too. I don’t know why they are not standard on dually trucks.

 

[Gary A-THOR]

I’ve put dually valves on both of the motorhomes I’ve owned and they solved ALL of my tire and TPMS issues. I’d do it again in an instant and I’ll do it first thing on my next RV too. I don’t know why they are not standard on dually trucks.

Do you recall which dually valves you bought?

 

[phalexander]

Do you recall which dually valves you bought?

Sorry, I don’t. I bought both sets (different, one for class c with 16inch wheels and the other for class A) from a company online called “Your Tire Shop”. Their web site was very helpful and I was able to order on line. But I’ve been told on this forum that they are no longer in business. Good luck.

 

[Doc McCoy]

I just got my set of long air valves from your tire shop and they were absolutely helpful. Called and gave them the information they needed and they sent me a set specific for the Ford E350 Super Duty which my class C is mounted on. Having them installed on Thursday then looking into getting a tpms system
http://yourtireshopsupply.com/category/796_828/ford-dodge-class

 

[phalexander]

I just got my set of long air valves from your tire shop and they were absolutely helpful. Called and gave them the information they needed and they sent me a set specific for the Ford E350 Super Duty which my class C is mounted on. Having them installed on Thursday then looking into getting a tpms system
http://yourtireshopsupply.com/category/796_828/ford-dodge-class

Happy to know they are still in business. They did well by me. It’s a bit pricey but I’m sure you’ll be pleased. All the best.

 

[blw2]

or...assuming your real issue is like mine in that my wheels had wheel simulators with holes too small to work through.... just remove the wheel simulators and be done with it.

Mine came with braided flexible extensions from the factory. After struggling with them for a while I landed on some rigid extensions, probably similar to yours.

....I used the rubber grommet like stabilizers to hold the extension steady, and maybe that's your problem if you don't have them stabilized, .....
so maybe that is why, but
i don't believe I had too much problem with them leaking.
My problem was that the push rod through the middle of it would get bent or something(?), and either not engage or more often would not work well with my TPMS sensors. Even damaged a few of them & cost me $$$. I think that there were issues regarding the lengths and sizes of these push rods, and in how far they stick out on either end.

Without the extensions I could air up the tires using a truck type inflator, and ditto in checking the pressure... but I could not get my hand in there to install the TPMS sensors before the trip, remove them after the trip, and put dust caps on when they were off in storage.

I even tried to modify the simulators with bigger holes, but I'm no sheet metal artist...

So after a couple years of fighting, i put the wheel simulators in storage, painted my wheels (because by that time they were very scratch up form all the removing and replacing the m over that time)
and I am now often kicking myself for not doing that much sooner.

Before I did this, I was just about ready to spend the money on getting the dualy valves installed....but instead I saved that money and can easily reach through the hand holes in the wheels to get at the standard valves...no problem. The RV arguably might not look quite as good without the chrome, but it's not bad either.

 

[Aseymour]

They were from an online vendor called All ShinnyWheels...link below to exact kit

https://www.shinyrv.com/store/c26/Dually_Valve_Stems_.html

 

[Aseymour]

Yea I had to bend the holes in the simulators up a bit to make room for my TPMS sensors but I agree if I have any more issues and the simulators are in the way...I will throw them in a pile behind the shed...

Andy

 

[phalexander]

or...assuming your real issue is like mine in that my wheels had wheel simulators with holes too small to work through.... just remove the wheel simulators and be done with it.



Mine came with braided flexible extensions from the factory. After struggling with them for a while I landed on some rigid extensions, probably similar to yours.



....I used the rubber grommet like stabilizers to hold the extension steady, and maybe that's your problem if you don't have them stabilized, .....

so maybe that is why, but

i don't believe I had too much problem with them leaking.

My problem was that the push rod through the middle of it would get bent or something(?), and either not engage or more often would not work well with my TPMS sensors. Even damaged a few of them & cost me $$$. I think that there were issues regarding the lengths and sizes of these push rods, and in how far they stick out on either end.



Without the extensions I could air up the tires using a truck type inflator, and ditto in checking the pressure... but I could not get my hand in there to install the TPMS sensors before the trip, remove them after the trip, and put dust caps on when they were off in storage.



I even tried to modify the simulators with bigger holes, but I'm no sheet metal artist...



So after a couple years of fighting, i put the wheel simulators in storage, painted my wheels (because by that time they were very scratch up form all the removing and replacing the m over that time)

and I am now often kicking myself for not doing that much sooner.



Before I did this, I was just about ready to spend the money on getting the dualy valves installed....but instead I saved that money and can easily reach through the hand holes in the wheels to get at the standard valves...no problem. The RV arguably might not look quite as good without the chrome, but it's not bad either.

Glad that works for you. Certainly is cheaper! But you put your finger on the problem with extenders of all types. They HAVE to have a way to press the original valve stem and then there is a junction under pressure that can leak. The virtue of dually valves is that they don’t have to do this. Plus, having both valves and TPMS senders on the outside means you don’t even have to get your hands dirty. Seems like a good plan would be to remove the simulators until the next tire change and it probably wouldn’t cost anything to install the dually valves.

 

[Aseymour]

Could do that and would if I have to but I really want to run my TPMS and cant do that using that method. I hope the actual valves and not extenders will resolve the issue as others have found. The extenders installed by Camping World...need I say more had no rubber piece to stableize they said they didnt stock them and that I should be fine...Right O. Right away one leaked so bad I had a mobile repair service come out and the main issue was the valve stem in the wheel had not been tight. Geez...

 

[Gary A-THOR]

Just looked at a set of 6" solid valve stem extenders on Amazon and it said "not for use on rubber valve stems". Does anyone know why??

 

[Doc McCoy]

Well got my long valve stems from the place I posted above installed. They are great. No extensions to worry about, easy to take pressures and fill if need be. Next step is tpms. The set came with big rubber things to put in the holes on the rims to keep the long ones from vibrating but they didn't put them on. That a bad thing?

 

[mcr1010]

A note of caution on valve extenders on dualies. You may want to safety wire you simulators to your rims. Ref. story at link below.

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f8/air-valve-extensions-axis-8567.html
post #2

 

[phalexander]

Well got my long valve stems from the place I posted above installed. They are great. No extensions to worry about, easy to take pressures and fill if need be. Next step is tpms. The set came with big rubber things to put in the holes on the rims to keep the long ones from vibrating but they didn't put them on. That a bad thing?

Well, I’d use the stabilizers. Especially if you put a TPMS sensor on the end. It might help prevent movement which could eventually result in a problem. Just soak them in hot water before working them into place.

 

[phalexander]

Just looked at a set of 6" solid valve stem extenders on Amazon and it said "not for use on rubber valve stems". Does anyone know why??

I think the issue is that rubber stems might not support the weight of the metal extensions. Flexing at the stem might eventually cause failure of the stem.

 

[Gary A-THOR]

I think the issue is that rubber stems might not support the weight of the metal extensions. Flexing at the stem might eventually cause failure of the stem.

Thanks. I'm thinking that I might go to a heavy truck shop and get long valves put on to avoid any possible issues.

 

[EA37TS]

Stainless braided extenders have been on since Feb 2015 and I’ve never had an issue. Had the dealer install them as a condition of purchase.