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Need info. on rubber valve stems

Eric M.

Eric M.

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 10, 2001
Posts
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Location
Oakland, CA
Does anyone know for sure what the max. PSI rating of rubber valve stems are? The shops that do our work truck tires (1 tons with load range D or E tires) always use metal stems stating that rubber can't handle the PSI of D and E range (65 to 80 PSI).

4WPW says different and puts rubber on D and Es saying they work fine.

Well, guess what happened??

Any info. from those in the tire or wheel business would be greatly appreciated before I start making a stink with my Buds at 4WPW.

Thanks,

Eric M.
 
Never thought about it before, quick google search came up with this:

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/tr/tr20134.htm

interesting quote "Unfortunately, there are no government standards that apply to valve stems. The Tire & Rim Association publishes a yearbook that lists standards for valve stem dimensional tolerances, but the group does not get involved with performance standards."

Also "On some light truck applications, special "high pressure" valve stems may be required (refer to the pressure rating of the tires). Most passenger car and light truck valve stems are only rated to a maximum of 65 psi, so if the vehicle has high load tires it will require high-pressure rated valve stems."

It's got some SAE/QS numbers, (the SAE being Ozone requirements) but if there are no government standards, maybe only the tire manufacturer will state what stem must be used at what pressure??
 
Thanks.

I guess I can request the high pressure valve stems since this trucks tires have ratings of 65 PSI. The one on there now (well, us to be on ...) blew apart at 50 PSI.

Eric M.
 
I think that was an unusual instance. Mabey the stem had a cut or flaw in it. I have ran pressures higher than 50 with no problems.
I like metal stems anyway. I do keep a couple of rubber extras in the truck when wheelin.
 
Well, every other shop says rubber are only good to 40 PSI, but Mike (one of the managers) at the 4WPW in Oakland says the ones they use are good to 136.8 PSI.

He said he looked it up. I gotta believe he's telling the truth.

Any feedback on that?

Leper - you're probably right, a defect or something. Not a cut ... can't get a cut if you don't wheel :o


Eric M.
 
Eric M. said:
He said he looked it up. I gotta believe he's telling the truth.

Any feedback on that?
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, would be interesting to see where he's looking that info up!

Not saying he's lying. If there is apparently no standard out there, where would you get that kind of data?
 
dyeager535 said:
Out of curiosity, would be interesting to see where he's looking that info up!

Not saying he's lying. If there is apparently no standard out there, where would you get that kind of data?
Click to expand...

I imagine he's looking at the manufactures specs. for the valve stem. I'll ask him again this afternoon when I'm down there.

Eric M.
 
I am running a set of steel sleeved rubber valve stems on the front of my 1985 K30 Duallie. My 1985 K30 has a set of ALCOA rims, and because of the design of the front rims there is not enough clearance to install steel valve stems. The truck has set of load range "E" tires, which I run at about 65 PSI. I have not had a problem with the rubber valve stems so far. I do have steel valve stems in the rear. Since most of the load from towing a trailor is on the rear tires and not the front, the rubber valve stems should be OK for the front tires.

I think rubber valve stems can handle the max PSI pressures of a load range "E" tire, if it is only carrying the load of the truck itself (and maybe a little more). But if you are towing a heavy trailor, then this is where rubber valve stems could fail.
 
i work for discount tire. our rubber valves that get installed in majority of wheels are rated at 65 psi. they get run higher than that plenty, but i have seem some leaks though.

the rubber/metal "high pressure" stems are good to 105psi. we also have bolt in high pressure stems that can take a good bit more but im not certain how much.
 
1-ton said:
I am running a set of steel sleeved rubber valve stems on the front of my 1985 K30 Duallie. My 1985 K30 has a set of ALCOA rims, and because of the design of the front rims there is not enough clearance to install steel valve stems. The truck has set of load range "E" tires, which I run at about 65 PSI. I have not had a problem with the rubber valve stems so far. I do have steel valve stems in the rear. Since most of the load from towing a trailor is on the rear tires and not the front, the rubber valve stems should be OK for the front tires.
Click to expand...

My dad forgot to air down his tires one time when towing, running 65PSI in his SRW K20 towing his 10,000lb trailer, rubber valve stems, and had no issue. He typically runs 65PSI unloaded and has been for probably 5 years or so?

I'd say that it was probably just a fluke bad valve stem too.
 
Well, they hooked me up with a new valve stem. I asked a second guy about the max. PSI for their valve stems and he confirmed the 186 PSI. Apparently, that info. has now been entered on their computer systems. I guess it was just a bad stem I had there.

Eric M.
 
Ive never blown out a rubber stem, but Im sold on using metal ones, especially on a 4x4 or big truck. I can get the metal stems locally for like $2 each, they are stronger, and they have a larger orifice which makes airing up/down that much quicker and easier. For the meager price difference, I really don't understand why anyone uses rubber anymore. ;)
 
dyeager535 said:
My dad forgot to air down his tires one time when towing, running 65PSI in his SRW K20 towing his 10,000lb trailer, rubber valve stems, and had no issue. He typically runs 65PSI unloaded and has been for probably 5 years or so?
Click to expand...

Why on earth would you air down when towing? That's just dangerous, especially with a trailer that huge.
Typically, one would air UP when putting on a heavy load. :thinking:
 
goldwing2000 said:
Why on earth would you air down when towing? That's just dangerous, especially with a trailer that huge.
Typically, one would air UP when putting on a heavy load. :thinking:
Click to expand...


I was wondering about that also. I was airing up after I loaded the trailer when my stem blew.

I'm also not sure why metal stems would be necessary for towing.

Eric M.
 
Eric M. said:
I'm also not sure why metal stems would be necessary for towing.
Click to expand...

Extra insurance, maybe. Blowing a stem and getting a flat tire while pulling a 10k lb trailer down the freeway would be bad news.
 
Yeah I got that backwards, didn't air down when unloaded. Makes a bit more sense, don't it? :)

As a matter of fact, in retrospect, he forgot to air down unloaded for a long period of time, which wore the centers out on the tires.

They are E as well, and were run at 65 all the time. (in retrospect lol)
 
A friend of mine that owns a tire company uses Rubber valve stems and we put on D rated workhorses on his trailer with 70 psi.... and the michellens on his box trailer are D rated with rubber stems and he runds 80 psi in them..... The van the auction uses to haul buyers around also runs D rated tires and are set at 65psi....
 
I believe the factory stems in my 02 2500hd are rubber and I have ran them at 80psi with no probs. You had to have a bad stem I would say. I have not been a fan of the metal stems because they do require regular adjustments to keep them sealing and I always forget :doah: or the rubber gasket goes bad at a bad time.
 
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