Steel Valve Stems Needed for Aluminum Rims?

[TurboDiverArt]

Hi All,

Someone once told me that you needed metal valve stems in aluminum rims when using an E rated tire because of the load capacity and pressure. Is this true? I know the Hummer H2

[DA BIG ONE]

[QUOTE=TurboDiverArt]Hi All,

Someone once told me that you needed metal valve stems in aluminum rims when using an E rated tire because of the load capacity and pressure. Is this true? I know the Hummer H2

[diesel65]

Check the rating on those Hummer rims, they might not be rated for 80psi.

[DmaxMaverick]

Which "rubber" valve stems are you talking about? There are several types, and steel stems are not required, nor desired for offroading in most cases. If an all metal stem is the only option, brass is better than steel, for corrosion and durability reasons. The Brass stems may look like steel, as some are nickel clad.

If the stem is rubber all the way to where the open end of the cap would end, and it is very flexible, it is a "normal duty" stem. If the rubber is narrower and more stiff (still a little flexible), and there is brass stem extending further, it is a heavy duty/high pressure stem. Even some all steel/brass stems are rated for "normal duty". A "normal duty" stem can be pulled out through the wheel (like the shop will do to remove it), but a HD stem has to be driven back through the wheel (it has metal extending into the wheel, and a flange). I can post a pic if necessary, but I don't have a vehicle with the HD stems here now, but will later today. (5'er in the shop, truck went shopping w/o me)

I prefer to use HD rubber stems. With the all steel/brass stems, one rock or tree limb can leave you with an instant flat tire. The rubber stems are much more forgiving. In a worst case, you could be left with either a 1/2" hole in the wheel, or just a slow leak, depending on which stem you have.

[TurboDiverArt]

Which "rubber" valve stems are you talking about? There are several types, and steel stems are not required, nor desired for offroading in most cases. If an all metal stem is the only option, brass is better than steel, for corrosion and durability reasons. The Brass stems may look like steel, as some are nickel clad.

If the stem is rubber all the way to where the open end of the cap would end, and it is very flexible, it is a "normal duty" stem. If the rubber is narrower and more stiff (still a little flexible), and there is brass stem extending further, it is a heavy duty/high pressure stem. Even some all steel/brass stems are rated for "normal duty". A "normal duty" stem can be pulled out through the wheel (like the shop will do to remove it), but a HD stem has to be driven back through the wheel (it has metal extending into the wheel, and a flange). I can post a pic if necessary, but I don't have a vehicle with the HD stems here now, but will later today. (5'er in the shop, truck went shopping w/o me)

I prefer to use HD rubber stems. With the all steel/brass stems, one rock or tree limb can leave you with an instant flat tire. The rubber stems are much more forgiving. In a worst case, you could be left with either a 1/2" hole in the wheel, or just a slow leak, depending on which stem you have.

Thanks for the explanation!

The reason I was asking this is that I'm having my new Load Rated E tires mounted on my H2 rims tomorrow. The tires were purchased through the Firestone that is mounting and balancing them onto the truck as well as doing the alignment (I only provided the rims). I hope they know what to use but I thought that if there is something I need to ensure, I'll ask. I would think that they would know that an 80psi Load Range E tire needs this HD/HP stem. Sounds like I should not mention steel stems but instead say to them I want to ensure they are using a HD/HP rated stem that is appropriate for the tire.

My mistake was thinking that the type of stem used was based upon the type or rim, not the type of tire/pressure. I think I now understand.

Art.

[DmaxMaverick]

First, I suggest verifying the rating of the wheel as mentioned above. That may set the rating for everything else. You can install a higher rated tire, but your actual rating will be the lower of any component. Also, if the wheel is rated lower than the tire, the air pressure should never exceed the pressure of a tire for that rating.

I also recommend using a HD stem for any application over 50 PSI. Another nice thing about the HD stems is deterioration. Even if all the external rubber rots off, it will still remain effective. The seal is between the metal/rubber below the surface of the wheel, and the external rubber is for insulation purposes. Also, there will be no galvanic (dissimilar metal) corrosion to worry about, as opposed to a steel stem, not to mention wrench marks.