Chinese valve stems got me.

[Cup of Joe]

Originally Posted By: ViragoBry
Got my recall letter in the mail yesterday from Discount. Ahh..fun.


That would mean they actually knew what stem they had installed, unlikely pretty much everyone else.

My truck has long stems so it wouldn't even have been part of the recall it appears. I was also told there was a recall on the high pressure truck stems but I have not verified that.

 

[Cup of Joe]

I wanted to add another link I found. Apparently the number of valves in the market is going up and if you have an 07 ford you may have a factory installed defective valve.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2008/10/tire-valves.html#more

 

[mstrjon32]

Finally got a chance to change the other two valve stems in my Jeep today. One of the tires is a different brand from the other 3 (all 4 tires are those that came on it when I bought it used), and that one had a "Wonder" branded stem, which took a pretty good hit with the puller to get it out of the rim.

Sure enough, the other tire had a Dill-ACP branded stem, just like the one in the photo in this thread. I was able to snap it off and pull it out with my thumb, for those of you that don't know, it should not be that easy!

I'm just glad I saw this thread and thought to change the remaining two stems (the other two already failed with slow leaks) before I had a much more catastrophic failure.

 

[moribundman]

You all are talking about valve stems, but not about the valve cores. For years I was wondering why my cars and bicycles kept losing so much tire pressure over the course of just a month. I finally replaced the valve cores with a Euro-made brand. Since then pressure loss has been again minimal. The valve cores that I amusing are branded Titan Tec. They hold 100 psi in my bike tires just fine. Not available in the US, to my best knowledge.

 

[Cup of Joe]

Thats a good point Mori, the core has to be the least thought about part of the whole tire. The core and the caps which people forget about or throw away. :no-no:

From the michelin man:

Valves and Valve Caps
When it comes to proper tire pressure, the tire’s valve is a very important maintenance item. Valves are ordinarily made of rubber, so they can deteriorate over time. Replace them when you buy new tires. At high speeds, a cracked, deteriorated rubber valve stem can bend from centrifugal force and allow air loss.

The valve cap is also an important item. Buy high-quality valve caps that can help contain the tire’s air, should the core of the valve fail for any reason. Valve caps also keep out moisture, which could freeze and in turn depress the valve core, causing air loss. The cap also keeps out dust and dirt particles, which could also interfere with the proper operation of the valve core and cause air loss.

 

[Kestas]

More information on this matter:

http://links.mkt171.com/servlet/MailView...TU3S0&mt=1&rt=0

Originally Posted By: article
The AP (10/22, Thomas) reports, "The government is investigating more than one million Ford Motor Co. vehicles after receiving reports of tires leaking from faulty valve stems made by a Chinese company." A spokesperson for the automaker "said Tuesday the investigation" includes "12 vehicles from the 2007 model year." The article provides a complete list of the vehicles. The company "has received some complaints but no reports of crashes or injuries." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreed, saying "it has received 37 complaints of faulty valve stems but no crashes or injuries have been reported." According to NHTSA, "it has opened a preliminary evaluation to "assess the scope, frequency and safety consequences" of the issue. "Defect investigations can lead to vehicle recalls."

The Detroit Free Press (10/21, Hyde) pointed out that a Ford investigation "found a low rate of problems and no safety risks. But safety advocates say any threat of sudden loss of air to tires should be deemed serious enough for a recall." According to the Chinese company's subsidiary, Topseal Automotive, "the replacement valve stems were not properly protected from ozone damage, which can cause them to crack at their base and lose air after eight to 14 months in use."

The Detroit News (10/22, Shepardson) adds that, "in June, Tech International, a Johnstown, Ohio-based distributor of the Chinese-made parts, recalled six million TR413 model valve stems, offering free replacements and to pay for any tire damage caused by the defective part." A Ford spokesman "said the stems produced for Ford were made in a different part of the plant and with different materials than the ones recalled. 'We do not think this is a safety issue,'" he said. Earlier this year, "NHTSA began investigating 23.5 million Shanghia Baolong-made TR400 series tire valve stems distributed by North Carolina-based Dill Air Control Products." Officials from Dill "told NHTSA that valves made from July 2006 to mid-November 2006 may leak from cracks caused by exposure to air by a chemical."

 

[RTexasF]

Originally Posted By: ViragoBry
Got my recall letter in the mail yesterday from Discount. Ahh..fun.


Same here. I took the car in the next day and they replaced all four and had me out in 30 minutes.......can't gripe at all.