Valve stem protectors

[IslandTractor]

Ohhh, I did not know...You were talking about that kind of protector!!!!

Handsome dog. Looks like he is still a puppy too.

 

[BJN644]

I just went back and re-read the post responce and not sure how you folks do it but up here they put the ballist inside the tube,... You dont want calcium in a wheel unless it is inside a tube or soon 10 or 15 years you will be buying new wheels.They do in some places use a non corrosive ballist but it is not availabe where i go.

Jeff, you're right between 2 Whittamore & Sons locations, they use the non-corrosive ballast. It's either ballst star or rim guard, both beet juice stuff. Better for your rims and environment.

 

[Redbug]

Hi Island...Yes, Pal was just a pup when I took that pic. He is almost 3 years old, now.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Yes i have heard of the Beet juice based stuff i may look into it some day.Whittimores is a really good place by the way bought my bush hog there and a sister to my Partner 5000 plus god i've cut a forest of trees with these two saws ,when i go into the woods i have seen trees actually get up and sneak away.

 

[grsthegreat]

my new kioti dk45se hst has valve stem protectors on the front tires only...i cant figure out why there not also on the rear tires. there filled with rimguard now...so i cant do bubkiss about it now. if they ever shear off, im welding ones like they have on the front.

 

[IslandTractor]

my new kioti dk45se hst has valve stem protectors on the front tires only...i cant figure out why there not also on the rear tires. there filled with rimguard now...so i cant do bubkiss about it now. if they ever shear off, im welding ones like they have on the front.

If I recall correctly, the valves on the rears are on the inside (near the axle) and pretty well protected. If your valves are on the outside like in the front, it may be that your rears are not set to the widest stance.

 

[Oldpath05]

Since 07, when I bought my tractor, never had a problem with a valve stem braking, until now, on a brand new rear tire. After 600 hrs. I had new tire's put on because on the 4 ply tire, the tread was getting down and one rear tire had a real bad 2" cut in it, and leaking, it was fixed once 4 years ago. When I bought the tractor, I thought some day when I replaced the tire's, I would weld on stem protector's, but never did brake the rear stem, and I haul out my firewood every year and logs, the stem has had sticks hit it before, but the difference now is, my old tire's were tubeless, filled with RimGaurd and had lot stronger valve stems. Now I have tubes in the tires, filled with calcium, and the tube valve stem breaks real easy if a stick hits it.

So to make/weld on valve stem protection, I have to take the tires back off the tractor, take them back out to the tire garage, (30 mi away) dismount, bring the rims back home, take rims back out another $100.00 +, didn't really want to do that. I thought if I look on TBN, I could find someone, anyone, anybody, who made clamp on bolt on valve stem protectors, so I could have some idea what to make, then I came to a conclusion, there's no such animal. So I spent all day last Saturday trying to come up with something, anything, now I have these to test out, I just don't want to take the tire back off, and the moral of the story is, if your putting tubes in the tires, while the tire's are off, weld on stem protectors before the new tire goes on.

 

[IslandTractor]

Since 07, when I bought my tractor, never had a problem with a valve stem braking, until now, on a brand new rear tire. After 600 hrs. I had new tire's put on because on the 4 ply tire, the tread was getting down and one rear tire had a real bad 2" cut in it, and leaking, it was fixed once 4 years ago. When I bought the tractor, I thought some day when I replaced the tire's, I would weld on stem protector's, but never did brake the rear stem, and I haul out my firewood every year and logs, the stem has had sticks hit it before, but the difference now is, my old tire's were tubeless, filled with RimGaurd and had lot stronger valve stems. Now I have tubes in the tires, filled with calcium, and the tube valve stem breaks real easy if a stick hits it.

So to make/weld on valve stem protection, I have to take the tires back off the tractor, take them back out to the tire garage, (30 mi away) dismount, bring the rims back home, take rims back out another $100.00 +, didn't really want to do that. I thought if I look on TBN, I could find someone, anyone, anybody, who made clamp on bolt on valve stem protectors, so I could have some idea what to make, then I came to a conclusion, there's no such animal. So I spent all day last Saturday trying to come up with something, anything, now I have these to test out, I just don't want to take the tire back off, and the moral of the story is, if your putting tubes in the tires, while the tire's are off, weld on stem protectors before the new tire goes on.

http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Oldpath05/media/IMG_20140606_202504_zps2a637dd8.jpg.html

http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Oldpath05/media/IMG_20140611_170341_zps3643e050.jpg.html

http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Oldpath05/media/IMG_20140611_170315_zps18548f7d.jpg.html

Why not just block the rear axle, open the valve to release all pressure, then weld on a simple protector? You just need a few short beads of weld. No reason you cannot weld on a mounted wheel so long as pressure cannot build up. To be even more secure, add some water or WWF to the tire and weld below the fluid to absorb the heat.

 

[rd_macgregor]

There are some very educational videos on pyrolysis (here's and example: Wheels of Fire Training Video - YouTube ). Note the narrator says tires have exploded even with the stem core removed and even with the bead broken before welding! I'm not sure if filling with water would protect against this risk or not.
Bob

 

[IslandTractor]

There are some very educational videos on pyrolysis (here's and example: Wheels of Fire Training Video - YouTube ). Note the narrator says tires have exploded even with the stem core removed and even with the bead broken before welding! I'm not sure if filling with water would protect against this risk or not.
Bob

Interesting video but it was of a pressurized tire. The announcer says it can happen without a valve core but I don't see how heat could be transferred so rapidly if at all if the area being welded was "under water" as heat would be dissipated rather than starting pyrolysis.

 

[Oldpath05]

It's because of that video that I wont weld on a rim with tire still mounted, plus now I have a $50.00 inner tube inside the tire, don't want to burn that, (Murphy's Law might apply here), even on loaded tire's with no tube, I think I would still be to nervous to weld after watching that video.

That left me with 2 options, take tires back out to Stratham Tire, 30 miles one way, bring rims back to weld on a piece of pipe, paint rims, take rims back out with $150.00, bring back the loaded 11.2-24 need 2 people tires. Or spend all day Sat. scratching my head, cutting up a bunch of card board, measuring, looking for what steel I had, by the end of the day after getting upset why it's taking me so long, I have a bolt on valve stem protector, ready for a 6 month trial run, but as I watch the paint, I all ready see how to make them better.

 

[IslandTractor]

It's because of that video that I wont weld on a rim with tire still mounted, plus now I have a $50.00 inner tube inside the tire, don't want to burn that, (Murphy's Law might apply here), even on loaded tire's with no tube, I think I would still be to nervous to weld after watching that video.

That left me with 2 options, take tires back out to Stratham Tire, 30 miles one way, bring rims back to weld on a piece of pipe, paint rims, take rims back out with $150.00, bring back the loaded 11.2-24 need 2 people tires. Or spend all day Sat. scratching my head, cutting up a bunch of card board, measuring, looking for what steel I had, by the end of the day after getting upset why it's taking me so long, I have a bolt on valve stem protector, ready for a 6 month trial run, but as I watch the paint, I all ready see how to make them better.

Yeah, an inner tube makes welding in place a non starter.

 

[ovrszd]

Yep, I agree with Island. No welding on a tubed wheel.

Otherwise, no concerns on my part at all. As said earlier, just a couple spot welds. Pour water on it right after welding. No worries.

Looks like your option is the fix!!!!! Shouldn't have that problem again!!!

 

[cabinetman1955]

Why not use JB weld to put your stem protectors on. Clean the parts very well and cement them together using the JB weld.

 

[ovrszd]

Why not use JB weld to put your stem protectors on. Clean the parts very well and cement them together using the JB weld.

Maybe. Never thought of that.Welcome to TBN!!!

 

[Oldpath05]

I gave JB weld a thought, also epoxy on a piece of PVC pipe, and thought about fiberglass to protect the valve stem, then I thought about a 20 degree day, on a nice sun shiny January Saturday afternoon in 2 feet of snow cutting firewood, having a happy happy happy time, then I hit one little branch, and there I am, a mile down in the woods with a flat tire, and cant go no where, that would really spoil my weekend. So I'll give these brackets I made till November to see if they hold up, they should with 2 half inch grade 8 fine thread bolts.

I had one valve stem break so far on my front tire, but that's a 16" tire, easy fix with my manual tire changing machine, if it does break again, before I put a new tube back in, I'll weld a piece of pipe on the rim.

 

[ovrszd]

Great post. I was right there with ya in your description of that Winter breakdown. That's how I always look at homemade projects. Might be overkill, but it'll never fail me.