Questions on valve stem installation

[Safety Guy]

I finally have my second two AR Estrellas painted and ready to have tires put on. I'll be taking them to Walmart since it only costs about five bucks each for mounting and balancing. However, I'm down to my last rubber valve stem and I will probably use the metal ones I bought when I purchased all my tire installation goodies last spring.

These have a metal body, flanged rubber seal on the outside, flat rubber washer on the inside, a metal, slightly cone shaped washer, and two nuts for the inside.

It looks like I take off the two nuts, washer, and inside rubber washer to begin with. Then I install the stem from the inside of the wheel. Then I replace the rubber washer, coned washer, and two nuts in that order.

Sound right?

Also, a slightly different question about the regular rubber stems I have used so far:

I just read an instruction guide that said to use some tire lube on the rubber stem before seating it. I never did! Might this become a safety issue down the road on the tires I have already mounted with my rubber stems? They seemed to go in easily enough.

My preference is for all rubber, short valve stems, and I will be ordering more soon.

Any other comments welcome!

I hope to be riding on all four Estrellas and the 175/60-13 Falkens later tomorrow morning!

Karl

[newcomb]

post pic of em painted i thought about painting mine black

[twopass]

tire lube= dish soap and water ,Just to help it slide in and not chaff.
I use same when mounting/dismounting

[Pu241]

:ky:

[Levitan]

Karl, before I was a supermodel, before i was an operating engineer, before I was a perfume pimp, before I was a jeweler, I actually owned a tire shop for a few years, so I would say I qualify to answer your questions.

You are fine pulling your stem without lube . (And I didn't say anything wrong freaks)
Without seeing what you have exactly for metal stems, I'm not going to say, buy if it were me, I'd make sure it went nut, metal washer, rubber, wheel, rubber, Metal washer, nut......or something very similar to that.

[Safety Guy]

Thanks Levitan!

I may just have Walmart provide a new rubber stem to go with my last one.

Karl

[WmWatt]

I make a neat tool for removing valve stems from the hundreds of bicycle innertubes we salvage from donated bicycles. Epoxy a valve cap stem wrench onto the end of a discarded automobile tire valve. (I remove the stems, roll up the innertubes, reinsert the stems, and pack them away in containers for later use or for redonation to Africa.)

[Safety Guy]

WmWatt, do you donate tubes that you cut out the valve stems from? What do they use them for?

I got my last two Estrellas put on today. No more cheap Walmart balancing: they charged me $29! I guess they were undercharging me before.

I'll get pics when I can get my camera battery situation situated.

Karl

[blkfordsedan]

You are fine pulling your stem without lube

you'll go blind:nono:

WmWatt, do you donate tubes that you cut out the valve stems from? What do they use them for?

They fill them with sand, wire the ends shut, and beat each other over the head with them.

[Christ]

When you hold the unit, if it looks like a "T" with the flange/rubber on the bottom, it goes like this:

Push the stem through the wheel, making sure there's rubber in contact w/ the inside of the wheel.

Rubber washer
Metal conical washer
Nut
Jam nut.

IIRC, the torque is something like 30in/lb or less. Finger tight + 1/2 turn is what I usually put them at, like an oil filter.

[WmWatt]

What we do with bicyle innertubes which won't hold air is cut the valves out for metal reycling and try to get people to use the innertube what's left as tiedowns or whatever. There is an annual contest for best creative use of old innertubes.