Valve Stems

[Grassjohn]

16-month old Paradigm 385FL - We had an interesting situation develop with 1 tire: losing about 10 PSI a day. Examined the tire for typical reasons, including the sidewall and tire bead seal with no obvious culprits. Decided to check the metal valve stem - barely more than finger tight.

From the interweb, Tirereview.com, “…aluminum wheel valve stems present definite problems when they are improperly torqued. If the valve stem is loose, the assembly leaks. If it is too tight, corrosion will begin to form around the valve stem and a leak will soon follow. The recommended torque for standard aluminum wheel valve stems is 7 to 11 ft/lbs or 80 to 125 in/lbs.”

Another lesson learned and now part of my maintenance checks.

 

[Jim Beletti]

Thanks for sharing this @Grassjohn. I assume there's an external nut around the valve stem that one torques? What size socket does that nut take?

 

[Grassjohn]

Hi Jim, I just got home and have proper tools. Yes, there’s an external nut, it’s a 14mm and I have a 6-point deep well. Set my torque wrench for 85 inch pounds and it took close to two full turns of the torque wrench on each valve stem to achieve that setting. Since the spare tire has a steel wheel the setting is 35 to 55 in/lbs.

 

[Jim Beletti]

Hi Jim, I just got home and have proper tools. Yes, there’s an external nut, it’s a 14mm and I have a 6-point deep well. Set my torque wrench for 85 inch pounds and it took close to two full turns of the torque wrench on each valve stem to achieve that setting. Since the spare tire has a steel wheel the setting is 35 to 55 in/lbs.

Thank you!

FYI @Rob Boyer

 

[Whitewolf]

Wonder if those torque specs should or could be added to the torque sheet. I know it's inch lbs, but 2 turns is quite a bit.

 

[johnda98]

just watched a utuber. new unit.. had 4 or more of his valve stems fail... Said Alliance service were exceptionally attentive .. even on a weekend.

sounds like a covid period supply-chain/ related kind of issue.. maybe a 'batch'.. from the tire/wheel assembler.. sounds a sub contractor does that

 

[Oregon_Camper]

just watched a utuber. new unit.. had 4 or more of his valve stems fail... Said Alliance service were exceptionally attentive .. even on a weekend.

sounds like a covid period supply-chain/ related kind of issue.. maybe a 'batch'.. from the tire/wheel assembler.. sounds a sub contractor does that

Stupid Covid

 

[Savoy05]

Sorry to revive the old thread. But on my last trip home from Myrtle Beach I experienced 3 of my 4 Valve Stems leak around the wheel. I don‘t have steel Stems. I also use the TST Flow Thru Sensors. I believe the sensors adding weight to the stem caused the problem. My question is what Stems are you using. My wheels have a small machined out area around the Stem. I was blessed to be near my Dealer Browns RV Superstore McBee South Carolina and they were able to replace all 4 stems and get me home.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Sorry to revive the old thread. But on my last trip home from Myrtle Beach I experienced 3 of my 4 Valve Stems leak around the wheel. I don‘t have steel Stems. I also use the TST Flow Thru Sensors. I believe the sensors adding weight to the stem caused the problem. My question is what Stems are you using. My wheels have a small machined out area around the Stem. I was blessed to be near my Dealer Browns RV Superstore McBee South Carolina and they were able to replace all 4 stems and get me home.

I believe the flow through model states in their instructions, not to use on rubber valve stems...steel required, due to the weight. I have the non flow through TST version on our 2023 340RL, with no issues.

 

[Chaseweston]

We have the brass ones on our valor and for the first couple months of Ownership, I chased around valve stem leaks so often that it became part of the pack-in procedure at a site to fill up whichever tire was the culprit that week. As soon as I'd fix one, another would pop up when leaving the next site. I didn't torque them down to spec because I didn't have an in/lb wrench with us and my ft/lb wrench at that low is no where near accurate.

What I did to fix them as we traveled was mark a line on the nut and the stem and then used my 1/4" impact to tighten in 1/4-turn increments until leaks stopped. Just using a ratchet turned the whole stem in the hole so I needed the acceleration of the impact to tighten the nuts.

After a couple months of this, they all hold pressure without issue. You could obviously reduce the "couple months" by tightening them all in one go but I'd only have one leaking at a time so I didn't want to tighten one until it proved it was a problem.

 

[Savoy05]

Thanks Oregon-Camper. I figured there would be a problem. I have been trying to find a Nickel plated Brass Stem. Can’t find one with a small enough top washer to fit the recess on the Wheel around the Stem. If I’m measuring correctly the washer needs to be 11/16 ths. to go into the recess.

 

[Savoy05]

Chaseweston do you recall the Stems you purchased to install. The one I purchased at NAPA has a washer that is 3/4” diameter. What I measured with my calipers was closer to 11/16”.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Thanks Oregon-Camper. I figured there would be a problem. I have been trying to find a Nickel plated Brass Stem. Can’t find one with a small enough top washer to fit the recess on the Wheel around the Stem. If I’m measuring correctly the washer needs to be 11/16 ths. to go into the recess.

Why not just take the RV to a local tire shop and have them install steel valve stems?

 

[Chaseweston]

Chaseweston do you recall the Stems you purchased to install. The one I purchased at NAPA has a washer that is 3/4” diameter. What I measured with my calipers was closer to 11/16”.

They came on the wheels from Alliance. You might be able to call parts and find out. Parts department is the only one you can get on the phone now.

 

[Savoy05]

Thanks