Typically cost from 16 to 25 cents per piece in bulk quantity vs. Stems from reputable suppliers for passenger car/light truck applications Long-term reliability of some of these valve stems. Yet many peopleĭon't realize there is a difference - a huge difference - in the That don't stand up well to ozone, heat and cold over time. Zimmerman says many of these products are made of inferior materials Valve stems that are coming in from offshore manufacturers. Safety issues facing our industry today, he says, is cheap, low quality So the only difference they see is the price. To most people, a valve stem is a valve stem - they all look the same Manufacturing in Akron, Ohio, a supplier of tire repair products and "Though the valve stem is the least expensive component in a tire/wheelĪssembly, it's also the most important," says Steve Zimmerman of Tuffy Speed during hot weather or when a vehicle is heavily loaded. A low tire is a dangerous tire, especially when driving at high The valve core, the loss of air pressure can cause the tire to run hot or The valve stem doesn't seal properly and leaks air at the base or thorough The valve stem is what keeps the air in the tire. But one item most of these reports have not touched upon is the To the issue of tire safety and the various factors that can cause a tire The consumer media has given a great deal of ink and air-time recently If this happens, have your tires checked by a mechanic at once.Įssential reading.What You Should Know About Tire Valve StemsĪuto Repair Library, Auto Parts, Accessories, Tools, Manuals & Books, Car BLOG, Links, Index If one or more tires have to be topped off, it may be a sign of a leak, possibly from a valve stem. It's also important to keep a close eye on tire pressure by checking it monthly. To do this, remove the hubcap (if there is one) move the top of the stem around, and use a flashlight to check for any sign of cracks at the base of the stem where it meets the wheel. Cracks in the stems can cause tires to lose air, and such air loss and low tire pressure can result in tire failure and a loss-of-control crash at highway speeds.Īccording to one recent news report in the Stamford Advocate, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is considering an investigation into potentially millions of defective valve stems.Įugene Petersen, program leader for tire testing at Consumer Reports recommends that motorists conduct a visual inspection of their valve stems to check for cracks. In an agreement reached with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which investigated the defective valve stems, Ford sent letters to affected owners and offered to do free inspections for premature cracking. It's believed that many more have been sold and that some were used as original equipment on 2007 Fords. Dill and one of its distributors, Tech International, have recalled approximately 8 million faulty valve stems. The faulty stems were made by a Chinese company in Shanghai for Dill Air Control Products of North Carolina. And because the identifying characteristics of the valve stem are on the part that does not show (see illustration) they are very difficult to identify. In fact, not everyone is aware that a valve stem is sold separately from the tire or wheel. Mark is a lot like other drivers who may not realize that they have defective valve stems. "I drove for almost a week before I realized I probably had three other defective valve stems." at night in a construction zone during a thunderstorm. "I had a tire fail from a defective valve stem on the capitol beltway near Washington, D.C. On this one the valve stem was obviously leaking." "Just yesterday I came outside and a third tire was flat. "Two tires that I purchased two years ago blew up on the expressway within a few hours of each other," wrote Rick. It's been over a year since we warned about millions of faulty Chinese-made tire valve stems, yet every week we get comments from readers about flat tires and blowouts caused by defective stems.
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