Valve Stems TR416

[Brittany Dogs]

I was considering the purchase of a TST 507 tire pressure monitor this year. I am waffling on the idea since I really only make one trip a year that is 6 hours of travel each way. Most or all the other trips tend to be an hour or less travel time.

My TrailManor 2720SD is still in my backyard in winterized condition. After all, it did snow in Buffalo NY yesterday when I was working on the tires. Since the unit is jacked up fairly high already, I wanted to remove the tires and take them to the local shop to replace the stems with the Napa 90-416 metal valve stems and to do a real good rebalancing again. By the way, the tires are the factory 15" marathon on aluminum wheels. The factory tires were balanced already given the weights on the tires. So I'm glad TrailManor took that level of care balancing the tires.

The first problem was trying to remove the tires on a collapsed (shells down) unit without removing the white skirt (which you can't remove collapsed). Boy oh boy what a job that is. My back hurts! I thought that if I raised the whole unit that is static, using the jacks and raising each corner a little at a time, that if I gave a lot of ground clearance to rotate the tire out, that it would be possible to do with the unit with the shells down. I was able to do it with a lot of time and using really bad language. The bad language worked best.

The second problem was that the metal valve stems I purchased would not fit on the aluminum wheel. The outer metal washer that places the sealing force on the rubber washer under the nut, the diameter of that metal washer would not fit in the valve stem cavity. Since I felt the metal washer was absolutely necessary and did not want to just use the metal hex nut to place direct contact and pressure on the outer sealing rubber washer, I elected to abort the TR416 stems and go with the tire dealer's high pressure truck stems. After all, what was I suppose to do? The tires were nicely re-balanced again and I was out the store ready to bloody my knuckles again putting the tires back on the unit.

Even though the TST507 tire pressure monitor system uses lightweight sensors, I'm thinking of ditching the idea for the time being until I figure out what I want to do with the metal stem delema.

The pressure monitor is good safety measure even for the shorter trips as it does alert for a sudden loss of pressure (such as a nail hole) and heat rise such as a stuck brake or bad bearing. The company says that you do not need to re-balance the tires due to low weight, I have them on truck and trailer and put them on and take them off, all seems just fine.

Are the pressure monitors a necessity? NO
Are the truck tire stems as good as the ones you bought and could not use? Probably not but you will be hard pressed to find metal one that fit the Aluminum wheels.

Both are added safety features.
Dave

Originally Posted by Brittany Dogs

The second problem was that the metal valve stems I purchased would not fit on the aluminum wheel. The outer metal washer that places the sealing force on the rubber washer under the nut, the diameter of that metal washer would not fit in the valve stem cavity. Since I felt the metal washer was absolutely necessary and did not want to just use the metal hex nut to place direct contact and pressure on the outer sealing rubber washer, I elected to abort the TR416 stems and go with the tire dealer's high pressure truck stems.

Uh-Oh. I think I know what happened. There is no outer sealing rubber washer. The TR416 may come with two rubber washers/grommets. The two grommets are placed there, depending on the size of the valve stem hole in the wheel. You ONLY use ONE, that fits the valve stem hole in your wheel.... and it's on the inside. You throw the other grommet away.

Let me find the post where I explained this before:

EDIT: Here it is. Let me know if you have any questions. Customers shouldn't be needing to train tire technicians on this, but it's happening too often. I am disappointed and embarrassed that there are many so-called "Professional" people in my line of business that do not know how to properly install these stems.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...4&postcount=39

[Brittany Dogs]

Bobby:

I went to yout link on the previous post and see what you mean about using one rubber grommet. OK but I would have had another problem. The metal washer under the outside nut would not fit inside the aluminum wheel valve hole. Only the nut would have fit and there would be not a good way to spin the nut tight unless it was somehow held in place with perhaps a screwdriver blade held against the hex nut side and then spin the whole valve stem from the inside.

Then the concern would be that the nut might turn later on and then the stem would become loose.

Another question: I did purchase the 507RV system and like it. I put 65 psi into my 15" Goodyear tires. The upper limit psi is recommended at 15% above cold inflation pressure so I rounded that to set my high pressure alarm at 75 psi. My 2720SD is not overloaded since I weighed the contents last year. I had an inspection done this week and the trip was about 8 minutes local roads, then another 8 on a 65MPH highway. The pressure went into the 71-72 range on the trip and pretty much stayed there. But when I stopped, the pressure went up to 75 psi and the alarm went off. I speculated it was because the heat from the wheel didn't have ram-air to cool it and increased the tire pressure.

Is it reasonable to think that I should lower cold pressure to say 60-61 psi so that the travel pressure stays in the high 60's or low 70's? Or should I be less concerned about 75 psi and move my high alarm pressure up to say 78-80 psi?
*****
New info from what Great RV Products told me: they said to keep 65psi in the cold tire per the recommendations of the manufacturer and move the high alarm to 80 psi. I recommend this place since they have nice customer service.

Originally Posted by Brittany Dogs

Bobby:

I went to yout link on the previous post and see what you mean about using one rubber grommet. OK but I would have had another problem. The metal washer under the outside nut would not fit inside the aluminum wheel valve hole. Only the nut would have fit and there would be not a good way to spin the nut tight unless it was somehow held in place with perhaps a screwdriver blade held against the hex nut side and then spin the whole valve stem from the inside.

Then the concern would be that the nut might turn later on and then the stem would become loose.

The metal washer doesn't go INSIDE the valve hole, just on top of the hole, and will cover the hole. It will lay flat against the wheel lip.

You don't tighten the nut tight enough to spin the metal stem, and if so... have overtightened it. If you are spinning the metal stem, then the rubber grommet either has to spin too, or the stem spins inside the grommet. Neither of these scenarios is good for the rubber. The metal washer in the previous step also acts as a lock washer to an extent, to keep the nut from backing off later on.

I have my camera up here at the shop. When I get time, I will run out there and show all the steps to properly installing the TR416 valve stem....and post them.

[scrubjaysnest]

I had forgotten all about this last year; so ended up without the metal stems because the tire dealer said they wouldn't fit. Again because of the recess and the metal washer.

[Brittany Dogs]

OK the problem with my aluminum wheels is the recess for the stem. It is at least 3/8" or maybe 1/2" down and the outer metal washer would never work on top of that recess. The only thing that fits down the recess is the nut but that is even a tight fit and there would be no way to turn the nut once it is down that recess to catch the threads.

Originally Posted by Brittany Dogs

OK the problem with my aluminum wheels is the recess for the stem. It is at least 3/8" or maybe 1/2" down and the outer metal washer would never work on top of that recess. The only thing that fits down the recess is the nut but that is even a tight fit and there would be no way to turn the nut once it is down that recess to catch the threads.

I understand what you are you saying, and some wheels are made like that.

Sounds like what you need is this below. These kind are made for your possible problem. It has a smaller diameter outside washer and the nut itself is smaller and extended further out to not interfere with the lip of the wheel when tightening.

[Brittany Dogs]

This is exactly the stem that would do the trick with my aluminum wheels. Do you know of a manufacturer name or part number? Many thanks!