Best Valve Stems For Aluminum Wheels? Top Answer Update

06/17/2021

If you are reading this you have most likely found yourself in a situation and suddenly need to replace the air valve stems on your tires.

Or maybe you’re just the type of person who enjoys reading articles about very specific car parts, and we love you.

But if you’re the first person, we won’t waste time because we know you’re probably staring at your phone by your car, trying to figure out what to do next. Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

There are three basic valve stem types and the good news is that the first is very common and is probably what you are looking for. The second is a bit rarer but easy to spot if that’s your type.

The third type is for heavy trucks and racers that… maybe you drive a racer? But then you probably would have a pit crew to take care of it… we’ll go through it anyway, even though you probably don’t drive a race car. But you could have a huge truck!

So without further ado, let’s talk valve stems!

What are valve stems?

To just cover the basics and make sure we’re all thinking the same thing, let’s talk about what a valve stem actually is.

The valve stem is the small tube assembly that protrudes from your tire. You might recognize it when you inflate your tires yourself, it’s basically a small, self-contained doorway that lets air into your tires but doesn’t let them out.

They usually maintain air pressure using a small spring, or sometimes even the pressure in the tire itself, as we’ll see.

You can find valve stems on almost any tire, be it a bike, car, or anything else you can think of with inflatable tires.

Types of valve stems

Tubeless rubber snap-in valves

The first type of valve on our list is most likely what you will be looking for when you are in trouble. Tubeless rubber snap-in valves are the most common valves in commercial vehicles and passenger cars.

This is because the pressure rating for these valves is generally within the limits of what you want and need for commercial vehicles, which is around 65 PSI pressure.

PSI stands for pounds per square inch and refers to how much air pressure your tires can hold. Your tire most likely won’t need or want that much air pressure, but you want your valve stem to have a maximum in excess of what you need.

Tubeless snap-in rubber valves are available in a range of sizes to fit most tire options, from diameters from .453″ to .625″ and length options from .88″ to 2.5″.

By the way, this type of valve stem covers most small to medium sized trucks and SUVs. So even if you’re cruising around in something larger than a sedan, check your tire pressure requirements and see if they work for you. We’ll go over how to check your tires’ maximum pressure requirement later in this article.

This ensures that these valve stem options will fit most tires on the market and are most likely what you are looking for when you find yourself needing to replace your valve stems.

When capping rubber snap-in tubeless valves, remember that you can get plastic or metal caps. This is mostly aesthetic and depends on what you want or if you can even see the valves on your tires, but some people love that rugged metal look so we thought we’d mention it.

Tubeless high pressure snap-in valves

These valve stems are for larger trucks with high performance tires with maximum PSI ratings over 65 PSI.

High pressure tubeless snap-ins can max out at 80 PSI, which is pretty much the top of the range.

The diameter range for these is the same as the standard pressure snap action valves from before, .453″ to .625″, however the length options are slightly different.

Find length options from 1.27″ to 2″ on the snap-in high-pressure tubeless valves.

You may find that these don’t get as long as the standard valve stems as on heavy duty vehicles you usually don’t want the valve stems sticking out any more than necessary and the longer the stem the more pressure there is on the actual valve.

As the pressure gets higher, it helps to have a shorter valve stem and put less pressure on the narrow tube.

These two valve stem options will cover most of you reading this. Between the standard rubber tubeless snap-in valves and high-pressure tubeless snap-in valves, a large majority of commercially available passenger car tires and small to large truck tires will require one of these options.

But what if you need more? This is where our third valve stem comes into play.

Metal high pressure pinch valves

High pressure metal pinch valves are for riders who regularly exceed 130mph and above and need extreme tires to keep up. These valve stems have a maximum PSI limit of 200, which is significantly higher than the other two.

The stems themselves fit similarly sized holes but have lengths as small as basically nothing to two inches, with the option to stick straight out or be cornered to lay against the wheel for maximum performance.

We know you don’t reach race car speeds on commercial roads, but if you were you would need high-end, extremely performing tires, and these tires need the best of the best when it comes to valve stems.

How to find out the maximum PSI value of your tires

When you look at your tire there is a lot of information that they stamp on it.

How fast it can go, how much weight it can carry, how wide it is, how high it is, what it likes for breakfast.

(Okay, it doesn’t say what it likes for breakfast, but we can imagine most hoops like to start the day with a healthy bowl of Special K Protein.)

But it tells you what the maximum PSI rating of your tires is, and it’s pretty simple. Look around your tire and you should find something that says:

Max press. 35 hp.

Pretty easy, right? Between 30 and 50 PSI is fairly common for most passenger car tires, so it’s easy to see that a valve stem with a maximum PSI rating of 65 would easily cover a majority of tires.

Take the Nexen 5000 Plus tires for example, which have several different size options with a maximum PSI rating ranging from 44 PSI to 51 PSI.

However, if you have tires that you depend on when hauling large loads or conquering mountains, you may have a higher pressure maximum and need the high pressure valve.

Mainly hardcore tires, the Toyo Open Country A/T III tires can handle up to 80 PSI on the largest size options, meaning you may need to get some metal pinch valves.

What happens if I over or under inflate my tires?

Make sure your tires are improperly inflated. Maybe you (or someone else) accidentally overinflated them and now they’re inflated, or maybe you have a leak (that’s why you’re reading this article) and you have a couple of under-inflated tires on your hands.

Everyone has their own different problems.

Over pumped

Over-inflated tires are quite dangerous for a number of reasons.

Because they’re over-inflated, the sidewalls tend to be a lot stiffer, so you lose a lot of the traction they normally would in tight corners. This can lead to spin-outs.

There is also a risk of explosion at high speed. When the tire is inflated above the recommended PSI level, the tire itself will literally bulge, which puts uneven pressure on the rubber as you ride. This can cause rapid and uneven tread wear, which is a surefire way of blowing out a tire.

Not pumped enough

Under-inflated tires are less dangerous in the immediate sense, but are still pretty bad and should be avoided as much as possible.

When the tire is under-inflated, the center of the rubber is actually lower than the shoulders, resulting in more uneven wear on your treads.

Not only that, but because the shoulders take more pressure off the road, you end up with more traction than you want, which is good for braking but terrible for your gas mileage.

Some off-roaders ride under-inflated tires on aggressive trails for this reason, but always remember to inflate them before hitting the highway or other roads.

Conclusion

Tire valves are pretty simple once you get the hang of it, but managing tire pressure and making sure you take proper care of your tires is very important.

Don’t forget, they’re pretty much the only thing between you and your car and the pavement.

If you’re interested in exploring tire options, at RentAWheel.com we have loads of great brands with a wide range of pressure ratings. We have tires to suit everything from casual cruising to brutal off-road riding, and with our flexible payment plan options, outfitting yourself with the perfect pair of tires has never been cheaper.

Sources:

https://www.liveabout.com/how-to-read-your-tire-3234469

https://www.cars.com/articles/how-do-i-find-the-correct-tire-pressure-for-my-car-1420676891878/

https://fabfours.com/airing-down-your-off-road-tires-doing-it-the-right-way/

There are two reasons and it is due to race cars.

99.99 percent of wheels only have one valve stem because that’s all a regular car owner will ever need. Tires lose some air, fill them up again. But did you know that some wheels have two valve stems?

Bikes have two valve stems for two reasons. First, so you can use one valve stem to inject air and the other to check tire pressure with a gauge attached. And the second reason is to make it easier to refill nitrogen air. One valve stem is used to pump in nitrogen while the other stem purges regular air.

Enkei NT03s and filling/control at the same time

The most famous wheel design with two valve stems has to be the Enkei NT03+Ms.

The NT03 is a popular wheel in the import tuning crowd with a functional design. From 20 feet, the circumferential strut ring used for wheel strength and resistance to deformation makes them easily identifiable.

More importantly, they have “a racing dual-valve design that allows for close monitoring when adjusting the pressure.” The valve stem holes are right next to each other, allowing for close inspection and monitoring.

Youtuber Evan Shanks demonstrates this quite well.

Kosei K1 TSs and nitrogen refill

Kosei K1 wheels also have two valve stems, but with a different design approach and purpose.

The valve stems of the K1 are on the opposite side.

Nitrogen air is widely used in racing as it is much more stable and not prone to heat build-up in demanding racing conditions.

According to TireRack,

The two valve stems help to exchange ambient air for nitrogen. One shaft is used to vent the ambient air while nitrogen is added to the opposite shaft.

The look was so popular in Japan that Kosei carried it over to its consumer bikes.

Additionally, Kosei says they designed their K1 TSs with dual valves for “quick access and easy refilling.” Aside from the nitrogen, even if you top up with regular air, having one valve stem close to the other makes it a lot easier to top up with air.

It just looks cool

Kosei admits that the only reason they installed a dual valve system on their K1 TS is because customers liked the look. Sometimes people buy things so they can stand out and explain to strangers or friends why their bikes have 100 percent more valve stems.

It’s a flex.

Sure, you can go on and on as to why they work, but regular car enthusiasts won’t bother checking and refilling at the same time, or figuring out how to fill in nitrogen while purging air.

Also, popular nitrogen topping-up methods like Nitrofill are a set-it-and-forget-it system with a single valve stem. Computers monitor nitrogen levels and automatically purge through the same valve stem.

Do you have bikes with dual air valves? Let me know in the comments below.

Have you ever seen a car with green valve stem caps?

If so, then you’ve seen a car with nitrogen-filled tires.

In fact, you may have a car with nitrogen-filled tires in your garage or on your driveway right now.

But what is the truth about nitrogen in car tires?

Is the nitrogen charge worth the extra cost? Are there advantages to nitrogen filling? While some motorists swear by it, others claim that the only thing a nitrogen fill will do is “make your wallet easier” (we heard a service technician refer to nitrogen fill as a “wallet flush”!)

In this issue of Car Facts we take a look at the pros and cons of nitrogen filled tires and what you need to know about them.

We’ve researched the top questions people have about nitrogen tires and put together simple answers below to help you determine if nitrogen is right for your car.

Why are my tire caps green?

Your tire caps are green because your tires are (or at least were) filled with nitrogen.

Tires filled with regular air usually have black or gray vale stem caps, but if you have green caps and are wondering why, it’s the nitrogen in your tires.

What are the advantages of nitrogen tires?

The main claimed benefits of nitrogen-filled tires are:

Reduced Pressure Loss – The main benefit of using nitrogen in your tires is that nitrogen results in slower pressure loss. All tires gradually lose pressure over time as molecules escape from the tire. However, nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules, which means that, in theory, they should take longer to escape from the tiny “pores” in the walls of your tires. This in turn leads to more stable and long-lasting inflation.

– The main benefit of using nitrogen in your tires is that nitrogen causes the pressure to deflate more slowly. All tires gradually lose pressure over time as molecules escape from the tire. However, nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules, which means that, in theory, they should take longer to escape from the tiny “pores” in the walls of your tires. This in turn leads to more stable and long-lasting inflation. Reduced Moisture and Risk of “Rot” – Another argument in favor of using nitrogen in tires is that it helps reduce moisture inside the tire and decreases the rate at which the tire rots. This is achieved by pumping dry nitrogen into the tires and driving out oxygen and water. The jury is out on whether this is of any real use for normal use; You will replace your tires due to tread wear long before they rot inside out.

– Another argument for using nitrogen in tires is that it helps reduce the moisture inside the tire, which reduces the rate at which the tire rots. This is achieved by pumping dry nitrogen into the tires and driving out oxygen and water. The jury is out on whether this is of any real use for normal use; You will replace your tires due to tread wear long before they rot inside out. Improved Fuel Economy – This is a result of reduced deflation – a tire that is inflated to the correct pressure will improve fuel economy compared to an under-inflated tyre. If you want to improve your car’s fuel economy, making sure it has the right pressure is definitely an important step.

Do Nitrogen Tires Improve Your MPG?

The mere fact of having nitrogen inflated tires on your car will not save you gas nor improve your MPG.

Nitrogen’s potential MPG and fuel economy gains come from more consistent, correct tire inflation.

However, if you have tires properly inflated with regular air (and keep them at the correct PSI) and compare this to nitrogen tires at the same correct PSI, there is no difference in performance.

What are the disadvantages of nitrogen tires?

The disadvantages of nitrogen tires are:

Cost – While you can inflate your tires with regular/compressed air almost anywhere for free (most gas stations have tire pumps for example), you do have to pay to fill with nitrogen. This can vary from a few dollars per tire to more than $20 per tire.

– While you can inflate your tires with regular/compressed air for free almost anywhere (most gas stations have tire pumps for example), you have to pay for nitrogen filling. This can vary from a few dollars per tire to more than $20 per tire. Availability of fill options – as stated in our comment above, you can get a regular breath at almost every gas station in the developed world. However, if you have nitrogen-filled tires and want to refill them with nitrogen, you will need to find a suitable tire dealer.

– according to our comment above, you can get regular air at almost any gas station in the developed world. However, if you have nitrogen-filled tires and want to refill them with nitrogen, you will need to find a suitable tire dealer. Limited/conflicting evidence of benefit – along with cost, this is another element to consider. There is very conflicting evidence as to whether or not nitrogen filling provides a discernible benefit for normal motoring. The use in everyday life seems to be rather small.

Are nitrogen valve stems different?

No, nitrogen valve stems are exactly the same as regular air valve stems. The only difference is the cap color, which is only meant to show the nitrogen charge.

You don’t need green caps for nitrogen either, so if you fill in nitrogen and lose a cap or want to change it for aesthetic reasons, feel free to do so.

Do you need special tires for nitrogen?

No, you can use any normal car tire with nitrogen. From cheap tires to performance tires, special tires are not required for nitrogen inflation.

Is Nitrogen PSI the same as Air PSI?

Yes, 30 PSI (for example) nitrogen is exactly the same as 30 PSI air.

The only difference is that nitrogen molecules are larger, but at the same pressure there is no difference in the “nature” of nitrogen and air PSI.

Does nitrogen affect my car’s tire pressure sensors?

If you have a modern car with tire pressure sensors, you may be concerned that nitrogen could potentially affect the sensors and interfere with their functioning.

Don’t worry about that though – nitrogen has no effect on your tire pressure monitoring system and its proper functioning.

Can you mix nitrogen and air in tires?

Yes you can. It’s perfectly safe to fill a “nitrogen tire” with air from an air compressor at a gas station, or a foot pump, or whatever you need to use.

Remember that the air we breathe is made up of 78% nitrogen anyway. So, inflating a tire that was originally filled with nitrogen will only dilute the “purity” of the nitrogen in the tire.

While diluting the nitrogen in your tires will obviously result in a loss of the benefits that nitrogen brings (as far as those benefits are actually noticeable in day-to-day driving), it certainly won’t do any harm.

So if you are going on a car trip or similar and find that your nitrogen filled tires need to be inflated, don’t be afraid to use regular air as it will not cause any harm.

What happens when you put oxygen in nitrogen tires?

Nothing bad, you just lose the claimed benefits of “pure” nitrogen filling (slow pressure drop and reduced humidity).

In an emergency or for cost reasons, it is perfectly fine to put oxygen in nitrogen tires.

Are nitrogen tires worth it?

This is perhaps the most important question of all.

Are nitrogen tires even worth it?

Realistically they are not and are an unnecessary expense for the average motorist.

Nitrogen tires can make a difference in motorsport where anything that gives you even a split second of performance advantage over a competitor is worth the extra investment.

However, if you drive your car around town, on the highway, etc., you really don’t need nitrogen.

The only circumstance we’d say it’s worth it is if you don’t mind spending the extra money and you’re the kind of person who doesn’t need to bother checking their tire pressures regularly and inflating their tires at the gas station or at home.

In addition, you should make sure that where you take your tires to have the air replaced with nitrogen refills for free in the future.

Only if these criteria are met should you bother to consider nitrogen in your tires.

In this case, however, you’ll still need to check your tire pressure and have your tires refilled regularly, just maybe not as often.

If you’re buying a used car with nitrogen-filled tires, give them a call to see if it’s worth the extra investment.

How much do nitrogen tires cost?

The price of inflating your tires with nitrogen varies greatly depending on where you live and whether you are inflating new tires with nitrogen for the first time, replacing air in existing tires with nitrogen, or topping up tires that are already inflated with nitrogen.

Prices can vary from free nitrogen inflation (some stores will fill tires they sell and have nitrogen inflated for free as a customer service) to more than $15 per tire, depending on which dealer or service center you go to.

While the cost isn’t exactly a fortune, it all adds up. If you’re trying to save money driving, then it’s far better to have air tires (filled to the correct specification for your car) and then check them every time you fill your car and re-inflate as needed.

How can you tell if you have nitrogen in your tires?

The easiest way to tell if you have nitrogen in your tires is to look at your tire caps. If they’re green, your tires probably contain nitrogen.

If you need to double check, a tire shop can do it for you. But first, just look out for the green caps.

Can you check the pressure of nitrogen filled tires?

Yes, you can – and you should!

While one of the arguments for nitrogen inflation is that it reduces the “natural loss of pressure” in your tires, it’s still important to check nitrogen-filled tires regularly.

Incorrectly inflated tires can lead to lower fuel consumption, increased tire wear and even changed driving and safety characteristics.

Just because you have nitrogen doesn’t mean you should never check your tires.

Do you need a special tire pressure gauge for nitrogen tires?

No, you can use any tire pressure gauge with nitrogen – you don’t need a special one. We always recommend investing in a good quality gauge to keep in your car so you can get accurate and reliable pressure readings.

View our guide to recommended tire pressure gauges here.

Why do airplane tires use nitrogen?

One of the arguments we’ve seen for using nitrogen tires is that aircraft tires are filled with nitrogen, and if it’s good enough for the highly regulated world of aviation, it must be good enough for your car too.

So why do airplane tires use nitrogen?

Basically because nitrogen is less likely to expand or contract due to temperature changes and high pressure loads that an airplane can experience during takeoff and landing.

Water droplets present in the air can vaporize (i.e. turn into gas) due to the heat generated by the tires during takeoff and landing due to the extreme forces exerted by the aircraft and the speed at which it is moving.

Airplane tires run under high pressure anyway, and even the slightest pressure deviation (like extra pressure from water droplets becoming gas) can cause explosions or other problems that can be devastating.

Tragically, there has been at least one documented case where airplane tires were filled with air instead of nitrogen and caused a crash.

Mexicana Flight 940 crashed on March 31, 1986, killing all 167 occupants because a center landing gear tire was filled with compressed air instead of nitrogen.

An overheated landing gear brake caused the air tire to explode (as the water droplets turned to gas), destroying vital systems on the plane and causing a loss of control.

It should be noted that not all aircraft tires are filled with nitrogen. “General aviation” aircraft (e.g., personal use aircraft) are often filled with air.

Remember that airplanes are used in far more difficult conditions than cars. Just because nitrogen is important to aircraft safety and performance doesn’t mean it’s necessary for cars.

Are nitrogen-filled tires a gimmick?

Ultimately, we think nitrogen-filled tires are a gimmick.

Unless you have a specific need (e.g. high performance track driving) it probably isn’t worth the extra cash.

When racing, nitrogen is worth it and not a gimmick, as anything that offers even a fraction of a second advantage per lap (due to consistent tire pressures and temperatures) will make a world of difference.

However, for the average motorist it is better to invest the savings in a good tire pressure gauge and then regularly check and inflate the tire pressure.

All the benefits of nitrogen inflation can be achieved with regular air by regularly and consistently checking and properly inflating your tires.

Conclusion – Are nitrogen tires worth it?

Hopefully this article has helped you understand if nitrogen tires are worth it for you, as well as the pros and cons of using nitrogen.

We also appreciate your feedback. Are you a fan of nitrogen in tires or do you think it’s a waste of money?

Let us know in the comments below.

Quickly! What is your car’s tire pressure?

I do not know? Better go see. Which, if you’re like most people, is going out there, kicking the hoop, saying “seems good,” and forgetting it until something is clearly wrong.

Here’s a damn clever alternative: tire caps that change color when the pressure gets too low.

Tire pressure, while easy to forget, is actually a big deal. If it’s too low, you’ll waste gas (low tire pressure = extra tire touching the ground = extra friction) and possibly overheat your tire. If it’s too high, you’ll screw up your traction and make it harder for your car to come to a stop. Either way is bad news.

Using a spring-loaded mechanism housed in a sealed housing, a ring around the core of the cap changes from red to black to yellow depending on your tire pressure. Red means too low; Yellow means too high. If the cap is black, you’re good to go.

There’s a catch, though: these things need to be tuned to your tire’s optimal PSI rating before they leave the factory, which means you might need a new set if you want to swap them to another car or buy different tires. The company claims that it can set the cap to any PSI level, but it cannot be changed after production.

And what about thieves? Back in high school, a bunch of kids I grew up with would routinely grab each other’s tire caps for fun (The world’s lamest prank? Quite possibly. It was a small town. Not much to do.) Surely one would be Cap that’s a whole lot fancier than the standard 2 cent plastic stopper, an easy target?

The company is aware of this and is working on it. At the moment there’s a hex nut at the base of the cap that can be tightened to make it harder to steal without a hex wrench – but that’s not exactly a huge barrier. They’re prototyping a model with a more complicated locking mechanism, but aren’t sure how much they’d need to raise (beyond their initial $20,000 goal) to make it happen.

The price varies a bit depending on how many you want (two for a motorcycle? four for a car?), but at $30 for a four-pack they come to around $7 or $8 a cap.

RightPSI set out to raise $20,000 on Kickstarter and has almost doubled that amount since the campaign launched about two weeks ago. When they hit that $40,000 mark, they promise to add a glow-in-the-dark option for people who want to strap these onto their bikes. In any case, they expect the caps to ship in July.

When most people think of tire maintenance, they think of tire pressure. Is your tire too low, too high or completely flat? All of these aspects are important and deserve your undivided attention. However, there is one aspect of a tire that is notoriously forgotten – the tire’s valve stem. The tire valve stem is just a piece of plastic, right? So what’s the big deal? The tire valve stem cap is a crucial component of the tire as it helps maintain tire pressure.

Every tire has a Schrader valve; This valve is necessary to keep the tires inflated. The tire valve cap serves as a cap for the Schrader valve. Without the tire cap, the Schrader valve is not completely sealed. When the tire cap is not on, the Schrader valve is exposed to road elements such as water, dirt and road salt. If the valve is dirty or damaged, the tire is more likely to leak air.

Tire leaks can cause significant damage to all components of your tires and lead to a reduction in fuel efficiency. If air escapes, the tire wear rate increases. Low tire pressure can cause the temperature of the tire’s internal structure to rise, particularly at increased highway speeds. This can lead to a blowout. A blowout is a worst-case scenario, but even if a tire doesn’t blow out, you can still expect costly tire repairs depending on how worn or damaged it is. Deflating tires also causes your vehicle to burn more gasoline. An example of this would be pushing a wheelbarrow. Pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt just gets easier when all your tires are properly inflated. Your vehicle is the same. If one of your tires is under-inflated, your vehicle will be more difficult to move. As a result, the car ends up consuming more fuel than necessary.

Tire valve stem caps are small and easily forgotten, so there are a number of ways to lose them. The plastic cap may wear out while riding, loosen and fall off. Sometimes rocks or debris can knock the caps off completely. The most common way to lose a cap is when you or your mechanic forget to put it back on after inflating your tires or servicing your tires. Whether you perform tire service or not, it’s always best to check your tires frequently to make sure they’re properly inflated and all your tire caps are still on.

Tire caps are a small part of vehicle maintenance that makes a big difference. Because they are small, they can easily be overlooked. They’re likely to break off from a lot of driving or be forgotten during maintenance. Without a tire cap, the Schrader valve can become damaged and cause air to leak out. Air leaks reduce tire pressure, creating an unsafe driving experience and excessive fuel consumption. Tire caps are relatively inexpensive and available at most auto repair shops.

This article was co-authored by Howard Fleischmann. Howard Fleischmann is an automotive tire and repair specialist and CEO of Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair with ten locations in Phoenix, Glendale, Yuma and Casa Grande, Arizona. Howard specializes in full service auto repairs and tire changes, domestic/import vehicle and large truck maintenance. Howard’s commitment to Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair has earned his team multiple awards and accolades including the 2021 Phoenix Magazine AZ State 48 “Best of the Best!”, the 2020 “Best of Phoenix” in Auto Repair, the 2013 Master SBD Award , Tire Review’s 2013 National “Top Shop” Award, 2012 Diversity Champions Phx Business Journal, 2009 BBB Ethics Award, 2008 Phx Chamber of Commerce Impact Award – “Small Business of the Year” and the 2008 ASU Spirit of Enterprise forgive. Howard is often referred to as “The Car Guy” by local television stations and is a regular feature on Channel 3 Sunday, Good Morning Arizona monthly. This article has been viewed 252,293 times.

Article overview

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To install a valve stem on a tire, first remove the tire from the vehicle and deflate it by applying pressure to the center of the valve. Then remove the old valve with a valve changing tool and insert an insertion tube into the remaining hole. Next, lubricate the new valve stem with automotive grease and insert it into the top of the insertion tube. Then use the insertion tool to press the valve stem into the tire with a quick, firm motion. Finally, pull the insertion tool up with a firm jerk to engage the bottom ring of the valve and hold it in place. Read on for tips on installing a valve stem on a rim without a tire!

Valve stems are the small tubes on your rims that allow you to re-inflate a tire after it has lost pressure or after a tire has been repaired or replaced.

Logically, each valve stem holds a valve. The valve allows pressurized air – or nitrogen if used – to flow into the tire without then escaping. It also allows you to deflate your tires by depressing the valve and allowing some air to escape.

You’re probably thinking, “My old valve stems don’t leak, so I’ll just leave them on. What could go wrong?”

What can go wrong with old valve stems?

A lot: Valve stems can leak with age, even if there aren’t any now, which can lead to premature wear, punctures, or damage to a tire pressure monitoring system.

Valve stems are not meant to last forever. UV rays from the sun, salt and age can cause cracking. Improperly replaced wheel covers can damage them. Scratches on curbs or stones can also damage them. Even a slow leak means that if you don’t repeatedly inflate the leaking tire, the pressure will drop, affecting handling and potentially leading to tire failure. Low pressure can also lead to uneven, premature wear that costs you money when you need to replace a tire much sooner than if it were properly inflated.

Replace valve stems:

If you see visible damage when bending the stem.

Whenever you have a tire changed.

Are all valve stems the same?

Not all valve stems are created equal. A rim with TPMS must use a compatible stem – either a compatible snap-in rubber stem or, in some cases, an aluminum stem. Your mechanic at the shop or tire shop will know.

Length matters!

Stems come in different lengths. If your car has hubcaps, make sure the shop that installs your new or used tires uses a valve stem long enough to check the pressure with a gauge and inflate the tire without removing the hubcap. Valve stem extensions are inexpensive, but they don’t always seal properly. Improperly sealed valve stems can cause pressure loss and contamination from water and dirt, which can lead to valve corrosion and failure.

Metal handles aren’t usually necessary, but they do have cosmetic value. Some owners of high-end aftermarket rims have installed metal stems to better customize the look of the wheels. Blue metal high pressure shafts are recommended for high performance lane diving where speeds in excess of 130mph are achieved. It’s important to remember that if you’re using an aluminum stem – nickel plated, not brass – the valve must be compatible. Using an improper brass valve with an aluminum stem would cause a galvanic reaction leading to corrosion and eventual valve failure.

What about nitrogen and nitrofill?

Nitrogen inflation requires better sealing metal valve caps. These silver-colored caps often also bear a green surface, often marked N or N2 for nitrogen. Avoid increasing tire pressure in a nitrogen-filled tire by pumping air into it. It’s safe, but it negates the benefits of nitrogen, including the lower pressure drop. Nitrogen inflation costs about $10 per tire, so make sure valve stems and valves are intact on nitrogen-filled tires.