valve stem repair

[Deleted user]

I went out to work on the MJ today and one of the tires was flat. don't know how but the valve stem was cut/rotted don't know which in half. has anyone ever replaced on before? is there a way it can be done without taking it to a tire shop, and without buying a tire machine?

[mvusse]

Buy a bead breaker. You might be able to replace it without removing the tire from the rim. If not, buy a good tire spoon as well.

 

But going to a tire shop is cheaper and WAY easier.

[Automan2164]

Just take the tire off of the truck and take it to a local mom and pop shop. Most likely, if you toss them a few bucks, they would be obliged to help. Or, if you don't want to go that route, try the local county college or high school shop. They'll probably have the tools to get it done, and will do it for free.

 

Rob L.

[jpdocdave]

just take it in, i work in an expensive shop, and we charge 10 bux to replace a stem. you only have to break the front bead, pry it open and change the stem (without dropping the inside half of the stem in the tire, you're in trouble if you do, its gotta come out)

 

way cheaper than buying any tire tools.

[jtdesigns]

5 or 7 bucks at a wally world..

[Codycobra84]

Heck 9 times our of 10 I don't even charge people to swap the stems if they bring the wheel/tire in and I don't have to put it back on to the car. I know it sounds like I'm lazy...mainly b/c I am lazy but that's not important.

 

-Cody

[cracker]

Just pop the bead at your house. Unless it is a load Range E tire, they are pretty easy to do yourself. You could even use a hi-lift jack to get the bead to un-seat.

[navigator]

Heck 9 times our of 10 I don't even charge people to swap the stems if they bring the wheel/tire in and I don't have to put it back on to the car. I know it sounds like I'm lazy...mainly b/c I am lazy but that's not important.

 

-Cody

 

That's not lazy, that is good customer service. That guy will remember you when he needs a set of tires.

 

I worked in a tire shop when I was in high school and college and we had a hand tool that could pull them out without breaking the tire down if the valve stem was in decent shape. WE also had an air tool that would shoot them in from the outside. It was pretty slick.

 

if you want to do it yourself though, you can get a little valve stem tool for a few dollars. It has a little T handle that you can pull it in the hole with. Use a little soapy water as a lubricant. It also has a core remover which you will likely need to get enough air volume to get the tire bead to re-seat. If you don't have a tire hammer to break the bead, I had a guy tell me one time that you can prop a board on the bead and use it like a ramp and use a car do drive on the board to break the bead. I've never tried it before so i am not sure, proceed with caution.

 

BTW, if it is a large tire/wide rim, it is a real pain in the rear to get a bead to re-seat if you don't have the tools and know what you are doing. The air will just escape from around the side of the rim. If you keep the one side seated it is possible to lay the tire down flat facing up and lift up on the tire at the same time having someone put air in it, again it can be a pain.

You might also be able to prop up the tire edges with blocks and such and put the air in yourself.

 

so if you like doing painful stuff for cheap (like most jeepers) you can get a tool for $3 to remove the stem and get a stem for $3 and spend 30 mins doing it yourself or you can take it to a shop and get it done for $5-$10.

[Sir Sam]

Once on a volvo I was able to replace a stem without un-beading the rim.

 

I don't know how exactly I was able to do that, and it defies all logic.

[Deleted user]

Just pop the bead at your house. Unless it is a load Range E tire, they are pretty easy to do yourself. You could even use a hi-lift jack to get the bead to un-seat.

 

Any thoughts on how to pop the bead?

Heck 9 times our of 10 I don't even charge people to swap the stems if they bring the wheel/tire in and I don't have to put it back on to the car. I know it sounds like I'm lazy...mainly b/c I am lazy but that's not important.

 

-Cody

 

That's not lazy, that is good customer service. That guy will remember you when he needs a set of tires.

 

I worked in a tire shop when I was in high school and college and we had a hand tool that could pull them out without breaking the tire down if the valve stem was in decent shape. WE also had an air tool that would shoot them in from the outside. It was pretty slick.

 

if you want to do it yourself though, you can get a little valve stem tool for a few dollars. It has a little T handle that you can pull it in the hole with. Use a little soapy water as a lubricant. It also has a core remover which you will likely need to get enough air volume to get the tire bead to re-seat. If you don't have a tire hammer to break the bead, I had a guy tell me one time that you can prop a board on the bead and use it like a ramp and use a car do drive on the board to break the bead. I've never tried it before so i am not sure, proceed with caution.

 

BTW, if it is a large tire/wide rim, it is a real pain in the rear to get a bead to re-seat if you don't have the tools and know what you are doing. The air will just escape from around the side of the rim. If you keep the one side seated it is possible to lay the tire down flat facing up and lift up on the tire at the same time having someone put air in it, again it can be a pain.

You might also be able to prop up the tire edges with blocks and such and put the air in yourself.

 

so if you like doing painful stuff for cheap (like most jeepers) you can get a tool for $3 to remove the stem and get a stem for $3 and spend 30 mins doing it yourself or you can take it to a shop and get it done for $5-$10.

 

Yeah i though about tryin it with the 4 wheeler just didnt think it was heavy enough..

[jtdesigns]

I know you can re-seat a bead pretty easy with a can of hairspray and a match.. Spray some hairspray (or other flammable liquid ) after you put the stem in and then throw a match on it,, It'll pop your bead right on. Kinda violent, but effective.

[jpnjim]

I have a cheap, used tire machine now ($100 from a tire shop that went out of buisness),

 

but before I got it, I used to pop beads & break down tires with a bottle jack, and a long 4x4 post.

 

:D ****** :no: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK :no: ************ :D

 

 

I'd stand the 4x4 up on the edge of the tire bead, put the bottle jack on top of the 4x4, and slip the whole thing under a support beam in my basement.

 

After I got good at it, maybe 10% of the time, the bottlejack would still try to slip out, and take my head off :nuts:

But the other 90% of the time it would smoothly pop even the toughest beads off.

Eventually I made a metal plate to go over the end of the 4x4, and that seemed to help.

 

(FWIW, even when I had a heavy @ss J4000 FSJ, I was never able to pop beads with just the vehicle weight on a highlift, or using a plank, YMMV)

 

 

In the long run, finding that $100 beat up old tire machine probably saved me some cuts & bruises, and maybe even a few teeth. :D

Check out Craigslist, I bet there's a couple cheap machines in there right now.

 

BTW, all of your valvestems are probably ancient if one popped, think about replacing them all. :D :smart:

[Deleted user]

I know you can re-seat a bead pretty easy with a can of hairspray and a match.. Spray some hairspray (or other flammable liquid ) after you put the stem in and then throw a match on it,, It'll pop your bead right on. Kinda violent, but effective.

 

ive done this to reseat four wheeler tires on the trail (my friends all give me grief cause its in the "KIT") i know it works i just can't figure out how to get the bead off..

[mvusse]

The most redneck way I have personally witnessed to pop a bead was to jack up the truck to take the tire off, then lay the tire under the truck with a 4x6 on it against the rim. Line it up with the frame and drop the truck down onto it. Then jack it back up to retrieve the tire. :nuts:

 

Putting a board on it and drive a vehicle on it sounds lot more controlled. Or you could go to harbor freight and buy a bead breaker. They only cost like $40.

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have used the hi-lift to pop a bead many times on the trail. Using the hi-lift jacking the vehicles weight to pop the bead and my CO2 to re-seat it once repairs are complete.

 

Its cake doing it in the driveway!!

 

CW