Community Forums

tinseast · 09-04-2018, 09:48 PM

I'm on day 23 of a cross country trip having logged 3600 miles. I read a lot of forums and posts while preparing for the trip. Several posts refered to the chrome wheel covers rubbing and crimping the valve stems. I put nylon zip ties on the covers then (on the recommendation of another post) I put stainless steel zip ties and secured them to the steel wheel and even slotted the wheel covers so to give plenty of clearance around the valve stems. Well today while on I-15 in Utah I got a low pressure alarm (ez tire system) on the right side inner rear tire. Anyone who has traveled this road know there can be quite a distance between exits. I got off at a farm exit (ramp goes to gravel road) and found a wide spot to pull over. As soon as I knelt down at the tire I could hear air leaking. I closer look found the wheel cover had sliced a groove in the valve extension and caused the leak. I removed the wheel cover and both valve extensions on both rear wheels (junk) If you have these covers on and think you have them secured you better check them everytime you stop! I will try to add the picture.
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tinseast · 09-04-2018, 09:52 PM

can anyone out there tell me how to add a picture?

SSTraveler · 09-05-2018, 05:57 AM

The key is that you need to resize your photos to less than 900x900 pixels and 500mb. I use a free Photo & Picture resizer app by Farluner, downloaded from Google Play. I resize the pictures I want to post first then when I'm on the Sprinter Forum I just select the Paper Clip icon at the top of the message board menu. Then I upload the resized pictures I want to post. You are allowed up to 5 pictures or pdf documents. Sometimes if you have lots of pictures or a big project, people create a pdf document to write it up and include all the pictures and then upload the pdf document. That's always an option if you feel more comfortable posting your pictures that way as well.

SSTraveler · 09-05-2018, 05:59 AM

On my last trip a similar thing happened to me but fortunately I caught it before my stem got a hole in it. Almost 2/3 of the way through my 5000 mile trip one of my rear wheels was reading low. So at one of our stops I went to air it up and saw that the rim had slipped and had cut a grove into my TireMinder TPMS sensor and was nearly through and was very close to breaching my Borg stems from Yourtireshopsupply.com. I retighted my 170lb tensile strength black nylon zip ties and at the next stop rechecked the Simulator and stem for movement and again the simulator was contacting the Borg stem. I have rubber discs installed to support the stems but when the Simulator moves it forces the disc under the stem hole and allows contact by the Simulator. I had bought these much larger 250lb tensile strength cable ties, https://www.amazon.com/BuyCableTies-...s=Buycableties, and keep them in my storage compartment in case of an emergency. When I added 2 of these all Simulator movement stopped. They are super strong, 2 evenly spaced on my Simulator really locked it down. I then started looking at all my wheels to try and figure out why none of the other Simulators were moving and I realized that on all the other wheels the Simulator holes and steel wheel holes were aligned perfectly so the zip ties where perpendicular to the holes. The Simulator that moved I had the holes misaligned so the zip ties were at an angle and I think that angular pressure as well as the increased diagonal length allowed the Simulator to slip. I did find 2 holes equidistant from each other that were aligned in which to add the 250lb zip ties to and that solved my problem. I aired up the tires and no more issues. So my lesson learned is use 250lb cable ties and install so they are perpendicular to the holes in the wheel and Simulator, not angled, straight up and around.
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SSTraveler
2014 Unity Murphy Bed/2014 MB Chassis

retiredusps6 · 09-05-2018, 06:14 AM

I do not know if this might help. They use to sell a rubber block called tube savers on tube type tires that slid over the valve stem and kept it from being pulled it the rim when you had a flat.Maybe these would help.They were about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. Any place that still does tube type truck tires should have them.

dennish2024 · 11-17-2018, 04:05 PM

I'm getting to the point of doing a nice paint job on the wheels that matches the paint on the MH and getting rid of the hub caps.

SSTraveler · 11-18-2018, 07:36 AM

Since I changed all my lighter weight cable ties (170lb tensile strength) for these 250lb tensile strength and much heavier weight, https://www.amazon.com/BuyCableTies-...s=Buycableties, my Simulator/Wheel covers have stopped moving completely. Make sure they are perpendicular (90 degrees) through both sets of wheels (inner and outer dually) and Simulator. I found if they are at any angle then the Simulator can still move enough to come in contact with the stem. I have the one piece metal Borg Stems with TireMinder TPMS. I also made rubber discs to stabilize the stems in the Simulator holes.

luvlabs · 11-18-2018, 08:02 AM

Two suggestions for you - 1) get yourself a set of Borg Dually valve stems. They are metal and are not easily cut; 2) get rid of the rear simulators. If you want to dress the wheels up, get yourself some chrome trim rings.

dennish2024 · 11-19-2018, 09:40 AM

Trim rings a great tip, thanks! Already have the steel stems.

tinseast · 11-19-2018, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinseast

i'm on day 23 of a cross country trip having logged 3600 miles. I read a lot of forums and posts while preparing for the trip. Several posts refered to the chrome wheel covers rubbing and crimping the valve stems. I put nylon zip ties on the covers then (on the recommendation of another post) i put stainless steel zip ties and secured them to the steel wheel and even slotted the wheel covers so to give plenty of clearance around the valve stems. Well today while on i-15 in utah i got a low pressure alarm (ez tire system) on the right side inner rear tire. Anyone who has traveled this road know there can be quite a distance between exits. I got off at a farm exit (ramp goes to gravel road) and found a wide spot to pull over. As soon as i knelt down at the tire i could hear air leaking. I closer look found the wheel cover had sliced a groove in the valve extension and caused the leak. I removed the wheel cover and both valve extensions on both rear wheels (junk) if you have these covers on and think you have them secured you better check them everytime you stop! I will try to add the picture.
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