Stem Valves

amanda · August 27, 2003

hi, all. i am getting new tires this week and sears says i need new stem valves even though the ones i have now are metal. does this sound right? they aren't charging much, but i would still like to keep using these if i could. you know, "reduce, reuse, recycle..."

thanks.

SKperformance · August 27, 2003

a valve stem is about $1 each and to replace them after means to remove the tire

up to you on costs

amanda · August 27, 2003

sears says the stems get corroded and must be replaced, so i guess replaced, they will be.

but does anyone know how i can tell the new stems they put on will be good?

should i insist on metal?

i've read some place that cheap stem valves go bad easily. how i can tell if they are cheap, it didn't mention.

SKperformance · August 27, 2003

stem don't go bad easily

they usually break on the rubber part

ut if it is covered by metal i am not sure how it is getting corroded

might just be a sales pitch

JDOwen2 · September 7, 2003

Any tire dealer will tell you that. Easy money for them. They're inexpensive anyway so go for it. A sidebar: I had chrome valve caps installed on my car. I left the car outside in the driveway so I could work on my wife's car in the garage. Came out next day and found one valve cap laying in driveway, other three missing. Do you believe someone stole my valve stem caps? :angry: That really got me steamed. I replaced the three missing caps with a cheap metal cap and shortly there after found the only good chrome one missing. I thought about walking around the neighbor hood checking out valve stems but then realized it would be a waste of time. There is a valve stem cap wrench that's available so you could really torque the caps down so they wouldn't "disappear"