Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Roger-hatchy]

A member on a club forum has just posted this.

Thought it worth a mention as it is easy to forget the humble tyre valve.
OK most on here will probably be on tubed tyres.

Also how often do / did valves get change with a change of tyres.

Copy and Paste from wwwessex-classics.co.uk
Quote:
"
Took the coupe out yesterday to see chap foose,(by the way the orange s looks better in real life than the pics)its the furthest the cars been since 1984,about 30 miles.Fastest its been too on the A12.
Anyway on the way rollig slowly in traffic around romford comming home i could hear a clear hissing noise,then it went,"was it the new car next to me with new fuel pump" little further along ,the noise came back,"was it a puncture,mm bit noisey for puncture,noise then stopped,must have been another new car next to me".
No noise anymore,just going under M25,opened the car up,(only to 60mph officer) and (this bit was quick),the hiss came back,the steering wheel pulled right,and i pulled over quick..
No it wasnt a puncture,the valve had popped out from the rim.
Now in the rubber world,this is tyres not condoms or gimp world,they say tyres only have a 10 year perishing life and have some kinda date code on them.This is open to interpertation,how theyve been stored,looked after etc.My tyres are 27 years old (happy birthday),but have only covered a thousand miles or so, they look good,and you cannot get that size anymore,or theyre bloody hard to find.so they stayed on.
The valves however are a different matter,now ive inspected,look good on the top,but the inside had perished,(once i got back i had them changed).the warmth of the tyre going on its run,softened the perishing valve and pop!
Just a warning for anyone buying a set of original wheels and tyres,or driving home a long standing motor...
Thought it would never happen to me.....What if it happened at high speed?? and the mother in law was in the car!!!
"
end quote

[Riley Blue]

27 year old tyres are scary enough for me thanks - I wouldn't consider driving on them for a split second!

[PACresta]

[SV8Predator]

[Roger-hatchy]

AH! But what you must notice is Essex

As you all say, for the cost of a set of tyres.
And these days with new tyres and sensible driving they could last a long time.
The person in question has just spent 3 years restoring the car, a p5b coupe, and how much for a persons life?

Not far from here so will keep a wary eye out for him.

[SV8Predator]

[Roger-hatchy]

Just hope the latest comment and advice take hold

[AustinAnnie]

This is worth noting on a modern-car basis as well.

I'm seeing an increasing number of cars that have had new tyres fitted at other fast-fit centres and have not had the valves changed at the same time - I can only surmise that this is because some centres charge separately for valves and balancing (you often find that the wheel with an old valve is the wheel with the old balance weights).

It's worth learning how to read the date code (though this is probably teaching a lot of you to suck eggs ) - though because the code is only printed on one side of the tyre it's often unreadable unless you remove the wheel. You'll find the date coding after the DOT coding right towards the edge of the mounting flange. It'll be a 3 digit code for the eighties (two digits for week, 1-52 and 1 digit for year ie 42 week of 1982 equals "422"). Three digits followed by an arrow means the nineties, and four digits means anything from 2000 onwards.

The DOT code and date looks "stamped" - because it's not part of the general molding process it looks a bit different to the rest of the markings on the tyre. Don't worry about the rest of the DOT code as that's more to do with USA regs than anything.

first week of 2001 = 0101
29th week of 1998 = 298<
17th week of 1986 = 176

the oldest tyres I tend to see are from caravans and classics (although we don't do a lot of classic tyres, we sure as hell do a lot of caravans) - low mileage vehicles where the tread hasn't had a chance to wear out but the rubber has gone to the consistency of a dog's ball left in the garden for ten years. I used to keep the worst in a "hall of shame" but frankly it was too depressing for words and I chucked them.

[Jim.Walker]

I think all the relevent comments have been aired, though from the English(?) the item is written in, the education or IQ of the original author might be questioned!
This has brought to mind a valve defect I found on my caravan only last week (the very day the posting above was made).
The 'van has aftermarket plastic wheel trims with an inner steel ring to support the fixing "claws". Checking the tyre pressures prior to leaving for a break in the Isle of Wight and around the South Coast, I noticed one valve seemed strangely close to the rim. Removing the trim (previously undisturbed by me) I found the valve was the wrong side of the steel ring. The ring had worn a groove almost through to the central air hole. Obviously I changed it promptly. After the holiday the speedo told me I had covered 1018 miles in ten days - probably around 700 with the van on tow and much of it on motorways. If I had not found it and changed it????!!!!
Jim.
_________________
Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Roger-hatchy]

OH DEAR

Sorry if I didn't go to Eaton.

GOG

[Riley Blue]

[Roger-hatchy]

[quote="riley541"]

[Jim.Walker]

[Roger-hatchy]

No problem mate, hence the spelling.

Like the Goons sketch



I've been to Eton

What the collage

No mate I was a grocer

A green grocer

No mate more of a dirty yella colour.

[lowdrag]

I guess I am as bad as the next person in ignoring the date codes on tyres, but then mine usually wear out before six years are up. But what on earth is this chap doing with a car that has done 1,000 miles in 27 years? It isn't only the tyres here that would scare me, but the whole of the car.

Now off to check the codes on the trailer