Tire Valve Stems

Posted by Jim L. in OR On 2013/7/13 21:53:00

I'm still looking for the car keys to my '55 but took time off to go to the store today, or tried to. I decided to take the '51 but when I walked into the garage the first thing I saw as a flat tire. Realizing that the Packard Gods do NOT what me to drive a Packard this weekend I gave in and took the DD instead.

When I got back I went to change the tire. What I saw when I looked over the tire gave me the feeling of ice cubes sliding down my spine. The tire valve stem has a big crack in it that is deep enough to let the tire go flat. I saw that the stem was bent a little off to one side when I went to take the wheel shell off but I never dreamed the stem was rotten enough to crack through like it did. When the Wheel Shell was off, the crack disappeared.

This is a car I usually let loose on the freeway at least once every two weeks and run between 60 - 70 mph and the car seems like it wants more when I'm doing it. The tires that are on the car came with it so I'm not sure how old they are but I'm going to find out. My guess is they are newer than the stems.

In the mean time! I'm going to check the stems on each and every one of my cars and that includes the DDs before I go anywhere in any of them.

You all might want to do the same!