Tire monitor system question

Airstreamer67 wrote:
That looks like it could work.

The problems I have with the ready-made variety are the length of the stem and the configuration of the bottom.

I could use the Drimmel to shape the bottom, I presume, but I don't know if the material they are made of would shape as well as my water-pipe specials. I don't have a flat surface on my wheels at the bottom of the stems, so I need to reshape to make the stem fit securely.

So, I didn't reinvent the wheel, just the wheel stem covers.

Boy Scouts Can Survive.

The covers are made to fit standard length valve stems. As long as the cover contacts the rim on the circumference of the wheel, the stem would be stabilized against the centrifugal forces that could potentially distort the rubber stem due to the extra 1/2 ounce or so of the sensor.

That looks like it could work.

The problems I have with the ready-made variety are the length of the stem and the configuration of the bottom.

I could use the Drimmel to shape the bottom, I presume, but I don't know if the material they are made of would shape as well as my water-pipe specials. I don't have a flat surface on my wheels at the bottom of the stems, so I need to reshape to make the stem fit securely.

So, I didn't reinvent the wheel, just the wheel stem covers.

Boy Scouts Can Survive.

With metal valve stem covers readily available at a nominal cost, I don't think I would expend too much effort "reinventing the wheel".



TPMS Tire Valve Stem Cap & Sleeve cover chrome set

BurbMan wrote:

Airstreamer67 wrote:
I got a piece of thin plastic pipe that fits over the rubber valve stem, cut it to size to allow the sending unit to screw fully on the valve stem, modified the bottom of the plastic pipe with a Drimel to fit the curve of my wheel, and placed it over the rubber valve stem. It keeps the PressurePro sender from flexing the stem, thus making it "act" like a steel valve stem.

You should sell that idea to PressurePro, they can package them with their product.

The reason I made the valve stem cover was my tire dealer didn't have the size of steel valve my travel trailer needed. Most steel valves go on truck tires, and my rims are a different size and configuration. He said he could try ordering them, but I was going on the road and didn't have time to wait.

So, I went to Ace and bought a 10-foot length of half-inch plastic pipe, a Schedule Something-or-Other which had thin walls and was lighter.

I used a pipe cutter to cut the needed length to fit my particular rubber valve stem and used the Drimmel to carve the shape needed for the bottom of the pipe to fit my particular wheel. The length was cut so that the PressurePro sending unit can screw fully on.

It took maybe 10-20 minutes to cut and shape the first one, and each subsequent one much quicker since the cut dimensions and shape are identical for each wheel.

With the pipe in place, the stem is held taut by the screwed-down sending unit and cannot flex.

Now I got about 9.5 feet of pipe left, which I figure should be good for another 115 tires.

Just a note: Ordered the TST system Wednesday and got a notification this morning that it will be here Friday, that is fast!!!

K.Reeve wrote:
ok, not a tire guy, so I want to know, do they mount the tire then apply a vacuum to purge all the air out of the tire without sucking the sidewalls off the rim, and then fill with nitrogen? or do they just mount the tire like any normal shop, then just fill with Nitrogen? if so why are we paying a premium price for this service? air is already 78-79% Nitrogen already, so really your Nitro filled tires are what %? at what cost? ill stick to old fashioned air thanks.

Ah, so there's at least one more guy thinking about it on this Forum.
Atmosphere is 14 psi when the tire is filled. the tire is then pressurized to 45 psi. One third of the pressure contains 80% nitrogen and 2/3 contain 100% Nitrogen = 93% nitrogen. It's not exactly like that because more volume of N is introduced to make up the difference in pressure but there is still some dilution.

I will believe nitrogen is better when someone can explain to me the value of putting a green cap onto the stem. ;)

I'm liking that stem cover idea, though. I thought I told the tire shop to use metal stems but that didn't happen. I bet I could buff up some aluminum tube to look pretty good.

ok, not a tire guy, so I want to know, do they mount the tire then apply a vacuum to purge all the air out of the tire without sucking the sidewalls off the rim, and then fill with nitrogen? or do they just mount the tire like any normal shop, then just fill with Nitrogen? if so why are we paying a premium price for this service? air is already 78-79% Nitrogen already, so really your Nitro filled tires are what %? at what cost? ill stick to old fashioned air thanks.

Airstreamer67 wrote:
I got a piece of thin plastic pipe that fits over the rubber valve stem, cut it to size to allow the sending unit to screw fully on the valve stem, modified the bottom of the plastic pipe with a Drimel to fit the curve of my wheel, and placed it over the rubber valve stem. It keeps the PressurePro sender from flexing the stem, thus making it "act" like a steel valve stem.

You should sell that idea to PressurePro, they can package them with their product.

powderman426 wrote:
I would put on the metal valve stems and use the 80% nitrogen mix.

Wow sounds expensive where do you get the 80% mix?

Airstreamer67 wrote:
I got a piece of thin plastic pipe that fits over the rubber valve stem, cut it to size to allow the sending unit to screw fully on the valve stem, modified the bottom of the plastic pipe with a Drimel to fit the curve of my wheel, and placed it over the rubber valve stem. It keeps the PressurePro sender from flexing the stem, thus making it "act" like a steel valve stem.

Excellent idea. I hope you patent that idea and make a gazillion bucks selling those.

Would love to see a picture if you can post one.