VALVE STEM EXTENSIONS When I bought my motorhome last March, I tried to get the dealer I bought it from to install valve extensions. It is a real pain to crawl under the coach to check the inside dual tire pressure. The dealer wouldn't do it, claiming they weren't safe. It appears they had one fail some time ago. They would have sold a set to me but they would not install them. Are valve stem extensions safe? Are some better than others? Is it best to have them installed, or can I do it myself? Bill Goodmon Fairfield Glade, Tennessee Longtime readers of this column, and particularly my February "Tire Time" columns, know I'm not a fan of flexible valve stem extensions Bill. They come loose, they get cut with wheel covers that rotate in the wheels and they generally do more harm than good. I appreciate the difficulty checking inflation pressures in dual tires, and have long advised longer valve stems that can be custom-bent. When Alcoa made it look simple with longer valve stems and supporting rubber grommets, I asked the major chassis manufacturers to take a look, and consider something similar. None did. Recently, Borg Equipment and Supply in Tujunga, Calif., introduced custom-bent and rubber grommet supported Duallyvalves (www.DuallyValve.com). They replace the original valve stems and have no joints to come loose and leak. Their ends both point outward and are very accessible with just about any tire gauge worth using. |