TPMS Cap Sensors

[fjr vfr]

After a year and roughly 5k miles I noticed the cap sensors wearing into the rim from centrifugal force. I think they spin and the little screw bosses contact the rim as they spin.
One wheel I have been adding air too recently. I brought it down to the shop and they found the valve stem leaking. The centrifugal force with the sensor caps is flexing the stems.
I ended up replacing all 4 just to be safe. I also stuck some pieces of foam on the rim in back of the stems to help support them from flexing....pictures.
I didn't find anyone locally with solid metal stems that would fit in the recess of the rim. I did see some on ebay I think will work. I will replace the present ones, but will use them for now.
If you have cap sensors, you might want to check for this. Hope the pictures post.

[slow]

After a year and roughly 5k miles I noticed the cap sensors wearing into the rim from centrifugal force. I think they spin and the little screw bosses contact the rim as they spin.
One wheel I have been adding air too recently. I brought it down to the shop and they found the valve stem leaking. The centrifugal force with the sensor caps is flexing the stems.
I ended up replacing all 4 just to be safe. I also stuck some pieces of foam on the rim in back of the stems to help support them from flexing....pictures.
I didn't find anyone locally with solid metal stems that would fit in the recess of the rim. I did see some on ebay I think will work. I will replace the present ones, but will use them for now.
If you have cap sensors, you might want to check for this. Hope the pictures post.

You will want to order yourself Haltec N-1600 metal valve stems. They are used by Ford, but because of their design they fit your aluminum trailer wheels. I also like their design because they control the amount of compression of the seal when installed and clamp metal to metal on both sides of the wheel so they are rigid. May as well balance the wheels while at it if you have not done so already.

Here is a source: https://yourtireshopsupply.com/product/512/n1600-ford-series-truck-valve-han1600

BTW, I throw away the cap and install regular caps.

[fjr vfr]

Thanks for the link. They look similar to the ones I found on ebay, but maybe a little better. I don't have time to order anything right now. We leave next week for our long snowbird trip. New tires coming in the summer.

I assume you have wheels like mine? I do like running the sensors.


Thanks again,
John

[sonofcy]

After a year and roughly 5k miles I noticed the cap sensors wearing into the rim from centrifugal force. I think they spin and the little screw bosses contact the rim as they spin.
One wheel I have been adding air too recently. I brought it down to the shop and they found the valve stem leaking. The centrifugal force with the sensor caps is flexing the stems.
I ended up replacing all 4 just to be safe. I also stuck some pieces of foam on the rim in back of the stems to help support them from flexing....pictures.
I didn't find anyone locally with solid metal stems that would fit in the recess of the rim. I did see some on ebay I think will work. I will replace the present ones, but will use them for now.
If you have cap sensors, you might want to check for this. Hope the pictures post.
I don't know what brand of TPMS you are using, but mine say specifically NO rubber valve stems, only SS or brass. I have a dually so the inners are about 4" long but I use a special extension that is some kind of composite I think. I have 25K miles and no marks on the aluminum rims. Just go to a tire shop and have them swap the rubber stems for SS or brass. My truck and RV came with SS but I changed the backwards pointing Ford stems and got new at my tire shop. They even custom bent them to make it easier to get the air chuck on them.

[Tbos]

You can usually find steel valve stems at a NAPA auto parts store.

[MarkEHansen]

I took my trailer to a local Les Schwab tire center and they replaced the rubber valve stems with metal. They did the same on my truck, with the inner dually needing an extra long (8 or 10 inch) stem. The whole process took about an hour, give or take.

You don't want to be running TPMS sensors on rubber valve stems.

[fjr vfr]

My valve stems are solid brass core rated for 80 psi. They are rubber were they seat into the rim. I found many metal screw down valve stems, but when I asked around, no one I talked to had metal screw down stems that would fit into the recess of my rims.
I have since found several online that should work. In the long term I will most likely go with the Haltec N-1600 metal valve stems that slow suggested.
I'm sure they will work fine and the price is good.
I'm confident the new stems and extra padding under them will get me by until I can get them changed.

Thanks

[slow]

.......I assume you have wheels like mine? I do like running the sensors.......


I believe so:
24463

[bobbecky]

There is always the internal sensor system that can be used and this will take the valve stems out of the equation.

https://tsttruck.com/507-series-4-internal-sensor-system.html

[fjr vfr]

There is always the internal sensor system that can be used and this will take the valve stems out of the equation.

https://tsttruck.com/507-series-4-internal-sensor-system.html


I know, but $320 for 4 and when the battery dies it's non replaceable, so you have to buy new ones for $79 each.
Thanks, but the solid metal valve stems are $2.86 each and they never need replacing once I get them installed. And I already have sensors.
Maybe would have been an option if starting from scratch.
I'm going with what slow has when I can get to it. Thanks

[Tireman9]

After a year and roughly 5k miles I noticed the cap sensors wearing into the rim from centrifugal force. I think they spin and the little screw bosses contact the rim as they spin.
One wheel I have been adding air too recently. I brought it down to the shop and they found the valve stem leaking. The centrifugal force with the sensor caps is flexing the stems.
I ended up replacing all 4 just to be safe. I also stuck some pieces of foam on the rim in back of the stems to help support them from flexing....pictures.
I didn't find anyone locally with solid metal stems that would fit in the recess of the rim. I did see some on ebay I think will work. I will replace the present ones, but will use them for now.
If you have cap sensors, you might want to check for this. Hope the pictures post.


Yes the key is to minimize the flex of the rubber stem as this can fail the stem and while the TMPS may provide a warning you will probably be on the road and the only "fix" is to put on a spare.

[Wally Dad]

You will want to order yourself Haltec N-1600 metal valve stems. They are used by Ford, but because of their design they fit your aluminum trailer wheels. I also like their design because they control the amount of compression of the seal when installed and clamp metal to metal on both sides of the wheel so they are rigid. May as well balance the wheels while at it if you have not done so already.

Here is a source: https://yourtireshopsupply.com/product/512/n1600-ford-series-truck-valve-han1600

BTW, I throw away the cap and install regular caps.

On my 2017 F350, 4 of 6 tires started to leak within the first year. Turned out that the steel valve stems were reacting with the aluminum rims causing corrosion. The two steel inner rims were fine. I ended up replacing all of mine with high pressure rubber stems on the truck. I do have metal valve stems on my trailer with a similar TPMS with no problems. I don’t know what they are made of since they are OEM.

[sonofcy]

On my 2017 F350, 4 of 6 tires started to leak within the first year. Turned out that the steel valve stems were reacting with the aluminum rims causing corrosion. The two steel inner rims were fine. I ended up replacing all of mine with high pressure rubber stems on the truck. I do have metal valve stems on my trailer with a similar TPMS with no problems. I don’t know what they are made of since they are OEM.
Obviously steel and aluminum can't be mixed (galvanic reaction), that's why I use brass as documented by my TPMS documentation.

[slow]

On my 2017 F350, 4 of 6 tires started to leak within the first year. Turned out that the steel valve stems were reacting with the aluminum rims causing corrosion. The two steel inner rims were fine. I ended up replacing all of mine with high pressure rubber stems on the truck. I do have metal valve stems on my trailer with a similar TPMS with no problems. I don’t know what they are made of since they are OEM.

Wally, were the valve stems on your aluminum wheels the Haltec N-1600 or another steel valve stem? Also, were the counterbores in the aluminum wheels painted like my wheels are?

[slow]

Obviously steel and aluminum can't be mixed (galvanic reaction), that's why I use brass as documented by my TPMS documentation.

Brass is an even greater corrosion risk with aluminum or steel wheels:
24495

Or were you referring to high pressure rubber stems with brass internals?

[Tireman9]

On my 2017 F350, 4 of 6 tires started to leak within the first year. Turned out that the steel valve stems were reacting with the aluminum rims causing corrosion. The two steel inner rims were fine. I ended up replacing all of mine with high pressure rubber stems on the truck. I do have metal valve stems on my trailer with a similar TPMS with no problems. I don’t know what they are made of since they are OEM.


While there may be some Steel stems most good stems are nickle plated brass which plays nice with Aluminum. That's why when OE TPMS first appeared (Aluminum body) the valve core changed from brass to silver color (nickle plated)


Even the "High Pressure" rubber stems can flex so keep an eye out.