Valve stem guards...

Muhammad · Feb 4, 2001

Just sitting here wondering, has anybody mounted custom valve stem guards to their R1 or R3 tire rims? I know they come standard on most R4 tire rims, but can't remember seeing an R1 or R3 rim with valve stem guards. Has anyone made them, or found them? How much $/time? Of course, if the answer is no... I guess that means you guys aren't smashing valve stems very often, huh? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Feb 4, 2001

I wish I had a valve stem guard recently when I "crushed" it accidently.

After all the calcium choride mix came out, have a new tube installed, refilled at about $120. later... (and I still mounted and dismounted the wheel myself)...

Yep... wish I had a valve stem guard then on that little Satoh R1....

Thomas · Feb 4, 2001

We have a ground department on campus,and all 4 Kubotas 3 John Deere have valve stem guards on each tire.
Our machine shop made custom guards out of 1/4" stainless steel pipe than welded the guards to the rims.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

JerryG · Feb 4, 2001

I don't have them either on my R-1s. Wish I did here a while back when I had a wheel weight come loose and break the stem off.
JerryG

Bird · Feb 4, 2001

I recall some messages over a year ago about welding valve stem guards onto the wheels; right after I ripped a valve stem out of a front wheel while pushing a pile of brush, but so far that's the only time I've ever damaged one.

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Feb 4, 2001

Jerry... Yiks! How the heck did you have a wheel loosen up/ come off?

TWINKLE_TOES · Feb 4, 2001

Muhammad,

My B21 came with front and rear valve stem guards (R4)/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Muhammad · Feb 4, 2001

Oops, that original post should have read R3 not R4! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Let me edit that......

JerryG · Feb 4, 2001

John,
It wasn't the wheel......It was the wheel weights on the wheel. The steel that was used for the weight bracket was tempered and when the weight attaching bolt was welded on, it caused cracks to form around it. That's what caused the weights to fall on the valve stem.
JerryG

cowboydoc · Feb 4, 2001

Muhammad,
I was going to say I must have got cheated on my R4's. I just popped one off two weeks ago on a bucket! They sure aren't very sturdy. My skidsteer has them on all tires and it sure is a good thing as every tire they are banged up pretty good. I was going to weld some on but didn't want to toast my new yellow rims!!! Only other idea I had was to put them on with bolts. Need to do something though.

Rowski · Feb 11, 2001

bird,

Wasn't that the post about the guy using a peice of pipe threaded on one end so you could use a cap, grind the other end to fit the contour of the rim. It protects the stem and keep the crud out. I might be thinking about something else, as you mentioned it was a while ago.

Derek

Bird · Feb 11, 2001

Derek, I recall he talked about a short piece of pipe ground to fit the rim contour and welded on; don't remember about a threaded cap, but of course, my memory's getting shorter all the time, too./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

Boondox · Feb 21, 2001

I always managed to mangle my valve stems on the 1750, usually on brush. So when I ordered my L3010 with ags I had them added by the dealer. Looks like a short section of angle iron welded right to the rim, then covered with orange paint.

Won't know how much protection they provide till the snow melts and the brush is visible again. Some time in May.

Pete

cowboydoc · Feb 21, 2001

Pete,
That's what my skidsteer has and they work great! You can tell they have served their purpose as they are all bent. I use the heck out of mine and have never had a valve stem problem with the covers. The tractors don't have them and I have broken off three valve stems.

Anonymous Poster · Feb 21, 2001

It is kind of odd, since A LOT of dealers sell brush hogs and you have to drive into the brush first with your exposed stems. Not too mention people like me that do not see a difference between my ag tractors and a dozer!

My R4's have the pipes around them, but I'm working on a way to jam a stick downward into the pipe and trash the stem.

My Ford NH with Ag tires was naked and at least once I knocked one off, in addition to jamming sticks between the tire and the rim. WHOOOOOSH!

DEL

putty340 · Feb 22, 2001

This is an interesting post, that brings me to a problem I had better deal with before the snow melts. I will be working in very thick woods, along with other things I need to do to my tractor to " woodsproof" it ,can you weld a piece of pipe on the rim just as it sits with fluid in the tires and all ? I am also thinking of somehow making a skidplate for the underside of the tractor what type and gage material would I use? Thanks

richh · Feb 28, 2001

putty- heres some photos of the skid plate that i built for my L4610 used 1/4" plate on the bottom and 12 GA. on the sides. I also have caps on the valve stems. I don't think you can weld to the wheel with ballest in the tire, at lest I didn't, Ill see if i csn find the pit.
Rich

richh · Feb 28, 2001

and heres the side

richh · Feb 28, 2001

the other side

richh · Feb 28, 2001

Muhammad , If you look close at the front wheel you ca see the pipe cap on the wheel. I do a lot of woods work with this mach. so guards are a must. I got 2, 2.5" x 4" black pipe nipples and cut them in half ground the end with out threads to fit the wheel and welded them on got 4 pipe caps and your good to go. I did paint them and now they look like they came right from Kubota.
Rich