How to Install Valve Stems on Tires

A leaky valve stem flattens tires as easily as nails.

If one of your car's tires begins to lose pressure for no apparent reason, the problem may not be in the tire itself; it may be a leaking valve stem. The valve stem is a synthetic rubber or plastic tube that pokes out through your car's wheel rim, where you connect the air hose to your tire when you're adding air. On most modern tires, it's a snap-in unit that incorporates the valve.

Things You'll Need

• Crowbar
• Valve stem
• Lubricant
• Rubber mallet

Instructions

1. Remove the wheel from the car, then remove the tire from the wheel by laying the tire and wheel flat on the ground and "breaking the bead"--the seal between the tire and the wheel--with the flat end of a crowbar. After the seal is broken, use the crowbar to pry the tire up over the edge of the wheel rim to remove the tire from the wheel.

2. Remove the old valve stem by pulling it out from the inside of the tire with pliers. "You may have to cut the valve stem to break it loose, but don't cut the tire," a spokesman for the NAPA Auto Care center in Cookeville, TN, said.

3. Lubricate the new valve stem so that it slides easily through the valve stem hole in the tire. No glue is necessary, according to Ron Morris, owner of R & K Auto, a NAPA Auto Service center in Cookeville, TN. "The valve seals itself in place; you just need to get it through the hole," Morris said. "Liquid dish soap or spray lubricant works."

4. Put the tire back on the wheel rim using a the crowbar as a lever. A rubber mallet may be useful--beating the wall of the tire will help ensure a good bond between the wheel rim and the tire. Inflate the tire according to the manufacturer's directions. The correct tire pressure can be found in your car's owner's manual, on the face of the tire or on a placard on the driver's door post.

Tips & Warnings

• A thin film of liquid soap as a lubricant on the "bead" of the tire will help in the process of returning the tire to the wheel rim.

• Do not over-inflate or under-inflate your tires; improper inflation causes uneven tire wear. Some vehicles have tire pressure monitors. The sensors for the system may be associated with the valve stems on the tires. If your vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system, professional replacement of the valve stem is recommended.

References

• Ron Morris, ASE; R & K Auto Service; Cookeville, TN

Resources

• Bridgestone Tires: Tire Maintenance