Metal tire valve stems for TPMS

mikefos · 11-24-2012, 10:29 AM

Howdy,

I'm thinking about putting the TST 507 TPMS system on the TT, with the flow-thru sensors. I have steel wheels on the rig. Anybody have issues w/ installing metal valve stems on steel wheels? What metal valve brand did you use (I was thinking Napa if an installer did not have them)? Where did you have it done (valve replacement)?

Thanks,

Mike

Seann45 · 11-24-2012, 11:26 AM

Do not worry about metal valve stems on steel wheels... all 3/4 and one ton trucks should have metal valve stems anyway... (any tire requiring over 70 psi should have them)

Rob_Fla · 11-24-2012, 12:05 PM

Our previous 2007 Chevy 2500 SRW and our new 2012 GMC 3500 DRW did not come with metal valve stems, I had them installed for use with our TST 507 Sensors.

It is not the steel wheel that is important, a valve stem with a rubber base will fail at some point with the extra weight of a pressure sensor on it.
I have 8 of the standard TST 507 Sensors and 2 of the new TST 507 Flow through sensors.
After having two valve stem failures using the sensors (One on the 2007 truck and one on the Trailer), we now have metal valve stems on all truck and trailer wheels.

I bought them online, they are soild steel stems with a rubber gasket / seal.

mikefos · 11-24-2012, 08:00 PM

To clarify, I want to know if anybody has had any issue w/ installing metal valve stems on steel wheels that were shipped on their travel trailer from Jayco. They come w/ rubber stems.

Rob-Fla, I assume your rig has steel wheels. If so, where did you get the steel valve stems?

Thx,

Mike

Rob_Fla · 11-24-2012, 08:12 PM

I have aluminum rims on the ground and the spare is steel.
The Steel spare valve stem is the one I had trouble with using the Pressure sensor on.
I had to put the spare on due to a problem with a tire on the ground.
I moved the TST Sensor to the Spare Wheel, had valve stem leaking in 20 miles.
Put the metal stem on the steel spare tire rim, no more problems.
Bought the Metal Valve Stems off EBay about 8 months ago, do not remember where or who I got them from.

**norty1** · 11-24-2012, 09:42 PM

I bought mine from Advance Auto parts, took them to a tire shop with my tires. Removed one at a time and had them installed and balanced.

**norty1** · 11-24-2012, 09:45 PM

I have not found that to be the case. They install something called a high pressure rubber stem. It is part metal but will fail with a tsps monitor on it eventually.

edatlanta · 11-24-2012, 10:43 PM

I have the 507 system also with 8 sensors. I have had one valve stem failure on my trailer, but I caught it while parked and had it replaced with a metal stem. I will be changing the other three to metal stems this winter while I am parked at my home base. I have aluminum wheels similar to Rob's.

mikefos · 11-25-2012, 07:46 AM

Thanks for all the replies. The reason I asked is I had read that some steel rims have a shoulder on the inside of the rim that is close enough to the hole for the stem that the rubber washer/grommet on the inside of the rim would not seal all the way and it would slowly leak. The thread I was reading was not about a Jayco TT and the rim was made in Korea (mine are made in USA). I was wondering if folks w/ Jayco TT's w/ steel rims were experiencing the same type of issue, but it doesn't sound like it, at least so far in these posts.

Mike

mikefos · 11-25-2012, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

I bought mine from Advance Auto parts, took them to a tire shop with my tires. Removed one at a time and had them installed and balanced.

Howdy norty1, that will probably be my strategy. Did you unmount them and remount them yourself, or did you let a tire tech do it? I am a little leery of letting them do it as they need to be torqued in steps and in sequence due to the type of lug nuts used. If you don't mind, what did it cost you?

Thanks,

Mike

**norty1** · 11-25-2012, 04:10 PM

I jacked up the rig and did a side at a time. I use a torque wrench and do it according to the info in the Dexter manual. Don't forget to do the spare too!

I took the first 2 and spare tire to a local tire shop and they charged me around $10 a tire to install the stem and balance it. The 2nd time I had 2 tires and he didn't charge me anything. I buy from them regularly.

think I got 2 in a package for less than $5.

Rob_Fla · 11-26-2012, 06:20 AM

Mike you are right, my steel wheel has a larger valve stem hole than Aluminum rims on the ground.
The steel valve stems I bought came with two rubber bushings on them, one for the small valve stem hole and one for the large valve stem hole.
Both the Aluminum and Steel rims have the hole close to the edge of the rounded part inside the rim but no leak issues.
The rubber seals on my steel valve stems have a rubber shoulder on the seal that inserts into the rims valve stem hole.
If the standard rubber stem does not leak, the steel valve stem will not leak.

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