Valve Stem Mod

Redbug · Feb 21, 2008

I was out in the woods pushing tree debris the other day. I heard a hissing sound...and the first thought was hydro line leak. The sound was coming from a front tire. A limb had rubbed up against the tire and busted off the brass valve stem. I slowly drove the tractor out and onto the trailer. A new brass valve stem cost $4 and $12 to remount the tire. I now keep a spare valve stem in the tractor toolbox. These valve stems unscrew about halfway up. The upper half is what broke off. You would think the manufacturers would think of these everyday life things and add better protection...

First pic is the OEM valve stem cover which does not protect much.

Second pic is my modification. I cut a piece of pipe, ovalled it and welded it to the OEM cover.

PSDStu · Feb 22, 2008

I like it Redbug! Thats a great idea!

weldingisfun · Feb 22, 2008

That oughtta' do it! Great idea!

N80 · May 9, 2008

I really like that. Nice work. Good protection but still room enough to get a gauge or chuck on it, etc.

Mine did not come with any cover at all. Odd thing is, I've never damaged a front one, can't imagine why not. I damaged a rear one when my lift arm stabilizer came loose and banged it up. But my rears are on the inside and that seems to help protect them.

I really wish I knew how to well.....and had all the stuff to do it...

Skyco · May 9, 2008

I've worried about that on my BX24- it has NO protection around the stems.
I noticed some of the big machinery has about a 2" pipe nipple with a pipe cap screwed on covering the entire valve stem- now THAT is protection

I wonder why nobody makes an emergency valve stem that can inserted from the outside until a proper repair can be made? Seems like it would be relatively easy to make with an expanding rubber portion. Probably afraid of liability when some doofus uses it on his SUV, drives 90 and it lets loose

BTW one doesn't have demount/remount the tire to replace a valve stem- I've used a jack under my truck trailer hitch to break the bead and shove the sidewall down far enough to reach inside and insert a new valve stem

Redbug · May 9, 2008

I got to thinking about my predicament later after all was fixed and well. I could have easily ruined that front tire for good, since I driven it out with the loose tire wobbling on the rim to a place I could get my trailer into, to load up. I was lucky. If I were thinking straight, I should have lowered the bucket, lifted the front end and drove out backwards. Possibly using the rear brakes to help turn. Anybody tried that approach?

N80 · May 9, 2008

I've driven off my front rim twice. I just lift the front end with the FEL, pull the wheel off, throw it in my truck and take it somewhere I can fix it. Either back to the cabin or to my B-I-L's shop down the road.

If I did most of my tractor work somewhere in which a shop was a long way off, I'd carry my air compressor with me.

ben2go · May 9, 2008

That's slick.I've seen those off road truck ones used, where you have valve stem that screws into a valve on the wheel.They have a screw on cap and onlt stick up an 1/8th of an inch.

PAB_OH · May 10, 2008

Redbug said:
I got to thinking about my predicament later after all was fixed and well. I could have easily ruined that front tire for good, since I driven it out with the loose tire wobbling on the rim to a place I could get my trailer into, to load up. I was lucky. If I were thinking straight, I should have lowered the bucket, lifted the front end and drove out backwards. Possibly using the rear brakes to help turn. Anybody tried that approach?

Snapped the front right stub axle on my Kubota earlier this past winter http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/grey-market-tractors/115794-front-wheel-fell-off.html. I had to drive it back up the hill in reverse using the bucket as a skid. Worked well, though I wasn't too happy to find out the way I did.

Soundguy · May 11, 2008

Redbug said:
I was out in the woods pushing tree debris the other day. I heard a hissing sound...and the first thought was hydro line leak. The sound was coming from a front tire. A limb had rubbed up against the tire and busted off the brass valve stem. I slowly drove the tractor out and onto the trailer. A new brass valve stem cost $4 and $12 to remount the tire. I now keep a spare valve stem in the tractor toolbox. These valve stems unscrew about halfway up. The upper half is what broke off. You would think the manufacturers would think of these everyday life things and add better protection...

First pic is the OEM valve stem cover which does not protect much.

Second pic is my modification. I cut a piece of pipe, ovalled it and welded it to the OEM cover.

Lots of heavy equipment have a piece of pipe welded over the stem, and it is threded to accept a cap.. this keeps it clean too.

soundguy