Hi all 

 

Slight repost from another section, but it's not really getting any views - so apologies in advance!

 

I've just had my front tyres replaced on my Fabia at a Formula One Autocentre and the valve stems are huge on both sides. The first photo below is the front and the second is the rear (a length I would expect).

 

Is this likely to be an issue, or should I take it back? Not had this before.

 

 

Cheers

It could be the angle of the first picture but does the valve protrude past the rim itself?  If you place a spirit level or anything flat against the tyre sidewall does that foul on the valve? 

 

Also, clean your wheels 

I think that that is down to floppiness on the part of your tyre fitter, I'd guess that they have a drawer of new valves and someone has not replenished it with ones of the correct length for your car - so they are just using up what they have in stock.

 

Either that or the fitter is very lazy/not good at guessing what length of valve to use and grabbed the wrong ones and did not even bother to check if he could have got away with using a shorted length of valve lazy/stupid and avoid that place in the future.

 

What could happen now is, that valve, if you are very unlucky, cold get caught up on something that a shorter valve would not, and get damaged or ripped out, personally, I would have got them to sort out that properly.

 

Edit:- one thing to consider is, while the factory that assembled these original tyres to these wheels might only have the exact correct length of valves for each wheel, out on the aftermarket, there might only be a short range of valves so you might never get exactly the same length as fitted at the initial point where these tyres got fitted to these wheels, but still I'd expect a tyre fitter to have at his disposal a new valve that was near enough the same length as was originally fitted.

 

Another Edit:- I seem to remember that VW fitted either my 2000 Passat and/or my wife's 2002 Polo came with valve extensions from the factory, as soon as I got these cars home I removed the extensions, okay it made connecting the foot pump/compressor airline a bit harder, but not impossible!

Edited 11 April, 20188 yr by rum4mo

Rubber valves come in several common sizes.

Dumpy ones used if you are racing. TR412

Normal ones for alloy wheels or steel wheels without wheel trims. TR414 

Long ones for steel wheels with wheel trims. TR418

Other sizes are also available.

 

Your front wheels have been fitted with TR418 long valves instead of normal TR414.

As above I would want then changed for the correct size.

If they are to long they can get bent/broken when parking close to a kerb.

 

Thanks AG Falco

51 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

Rubber valves come in several common sizes.

Dumpy ones used if you are racing. TR412

Normal ones for alloy wheels or steel wheels without wheel trims. TR414 

Long ones for steel wheels with wheel trims. TR418

Other sizes are also available.

 

Your front wheels have been fitted with TR418 long valves instead of normal TR414.

As above I would want then changed for the correct size.

If they are to long they can get bent/broken when parking close to a kerb.

 

Thanks AG Falco

Learn new things on Briskoda everyday!

 

Would not have known that.

 

Davy

Ok,  I will not mention the air/water ballast valves then.

 

You know, the ones you use when you want to fill your tyres with both air and water.

 

Thanks AG Falco

Yea I thought it was odd. I was worried that I might park close to a kerb (or similar) and tear it off because it does slightly protrude the rim. I will go back to Formula One Autocentre and see if they will change it! Hopefully they will say yes :/

 

Thanks all

 

PS I will clean them - it's been a tough weather month(s)!

Edited 11 April, 20188 yr by jonboyuk

Jon, don't ask, just insist they change them. They fitted the wrong valves, period! You need the short stem type which are common as muck.

On ‎11‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 20:46, AGFalco said:

Ok,  I will not mention the air/water ballast valves then.

 

You know, the ones you use when you want to fill your tyres with both air and water.

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

These sound useful, "when  was a boy", we just rotated tractor wheels until the valves were at the top, pump in the required weight of water into each rear wheel using a stirrup pump, then added in a spot of air!

Sorry going slightly off subject.

 

11 hours ago, rum4mo said:

These sound useful, "when  was a boy", we just rotated tractor wheels until the valves were at the top, pump in the required weight of water into each rear wheel using a stirrup pump, then added in a spot of air!

 

When you have tyres with a 42 inch inside diameter there is a lot of water to put in.

The metal bolt in valve is the big TR15 size ( not the  TR13 car size ) and the normal air valve can be removed.

This is the core and the outside, which leaves you a bigger hole to use for filling with water and antifreeze.

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

... and it’s a Massey Ferguson, coz Skoda don’t make tractors - at least not full-sized ones. And you’ve got a pit of silage to roll -  before that rain arrives tomorrow . 

Do you use different valves for 100% Nitrogen than ones with cheaper 78% stuff? TBH, I didn't know there was different lengths of tyre valve. We had some metal valves on our Subaru, but they leaked around the valve base.

 

Was water filled tyres on tractors used to add more weight or to add rigidity? I'd want to do the opposite and fill them with Helium to make them lighter, I wonder if anyone has tried it.

Running special VW Heavy Air is a great upgrade, increased traction and down force.

Fold the rear seat flat as well.

 

I used to run H2o in the rear tyres of offroaders for tyros etc, but only in summer as the balance was a bit off in winter, spring, autumn and sometimes even summer.

Edited 15 April, 20188 yr by Offski

1 hour ago, Jim H said:

Do you use different valves for 100% Nitrogen than ones with cheaper 78% stuff?

 

No, but don't waste you money with Nitrogen.

Normal air is, as you say 78% Nitrogen already and they don't vacuum all the old air out.

So you don't get 100% Nitrogen anyway.

 

 

1 hour ago, Jim H said:

Was water filled tyres on tractors used to add more weight or to add rigidity?

 

Weight as ballast.  So heavy water from a nuclear power station is good if you can get it. 

 

Thanks AG Falco