Dont Use Rubber Valve Stems For Racing

[126coupe]

My rubber valve stem sheared while going into turn 1 at Las Vegas road coarse, blew the LR and flew I flew off the track while running 2nd in the Porsche / Alfa Challenge race. Looks like the centrifical force caused this failure

Any ideas where to purchase good steel valve stems??

[vesnyder]

I bought mine at Dimension Racing. Very happy. Take a look ...

http://www.racingdimension.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=210

[126coupe]

Thanks I ordered from Summit racing $32.00 for 12

[Zeke]

You weren't using the metal supports? I think a rubber VS with a support is OK. Thing is, between the two and the combined weight, you can probably buy a high end metal stem at the same weight. I dont think you want the run of the mill tire shop metal ones.

[Wavey]

Right - you need these:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/dbsql/db.cgi?db=partsearch&uid=default&description=valve+stem+support&view_records=Click+to+View+Parts&re=on&mh=20

[efhughes3]

I posted this same thing in July after losing one of mine going into #1 @ Texas Motor Speedway. I've added the metal supports Zeke mentions. Quite an eye-opening experience and basically cost me two new tires as the one that went was destroyed due to the speed I was going when it went.

[COLDBASS]

Go see Al, Go see Al, Go see Al... (sorry for the weak plagerization of Worthington commercial)...

Got mine from Al Reed...

[911SCfanatic]

What exactly is the failure mode?

[Rot 911]

Any decent tire shop will carry the metal valve stems.

[efhughes3]

At high speed, the rubber stems crack from being bent by centrifugal force pushing them toward the rim they come out of.

[Zeke]

I have seen just a couple of sources for nice aluminum valve stems. One source is on eBay, search "valve stems racing."

[chibone_914]

I use the valve stem supports and use zipties on them. I have never lost a valve stem with this combination. Please do not use metal (solid) valve stems as they can shear easily and the small rubber gaskets have a tendency to dry out over time and begin to leak.

[TMH]

Interesting points made by John, just above, when you think about the exposure of the valve stem to many things which want to break it right off. The last time I had a new shop mount some tires on my street car's Fuchs, they guy behind the counter says to me "Now you want the really short valve stems, right?" I said yes, and they are standard rubber valve stems which protrude about 1/3 as far out of the rim as the "normal" rubber VS's. Boy, with these you almost don't need the aluminum support pieces (which I am only running on the track car, which has normal length rubber VS's).

Maybe the shorty rubber VS's are the safest (supported or unsupported)?

Tom

[Bill Verburg]

The short metal ones are best, you do need to regularly change the seals. Tires should be replaced every 5 yrs or so even if not worn out, replace the gaskets at the same inrtervals at a maximum.

You also want to use caps w/ a gasket in them, the only ones that I have seen w/ a gasket are metal.

Don't leave them on for normal street use, JDs covet them, they have a tendancy to disappear sooner rather than later

[304065]

May I recommend Aircraft valve stem caps. These are designed with an internal seal for high pressure use and aren't that expensive. They are bright yellow so easy to verify they are in place on the walk around.

Available from www.aircraftspruce.com

[Vipergrün]

Where does one purchase the supports from? Have not had luck finding them..

TIA
-B

[Vipergrün]

Never mind....followed the link above