When I installed the extenders on my 1996 class C on a ford E350. I went to a auto parts store and got a piece of heater hose that the extenders will go through. Then I taped the oue side end that way it dont slip. If & when they get wore I can change the hose with out removing the wheels. the is like insurance but don't cost much.
Don Schram
Hummmmm. Maybe I'm risking something. I have Alcoa aluminum wheels with the small hand (well -- finger) holes. I bought the braided SS extenders from CW and then they remained in a drawer for a year. The holes are too small for the brackets. I also have rubber valve stems. Well, eventually I decided to do a little modification of the sprung steel brackets and went ahead and installed them. I check everything each time I stop. I've put 1,500 miles on the rig and find no deterioration to the rubber stems. I am going to have the bearings repacked next spring though and will install metal stems just to be safe. Does anyone know of stems and extenders specifically for Alcoa Wheels. That would be great.
Steve and Denice Little and "Cookie" a rescued 16 y/o Long Haired Doxie/Papillon mix
2001 40 Ft. Gulfstream Scenic Cruiser - Cummins ISC, Allison World HD, Spartan w/Granning IFS, Onan 7.5K QuietDiesel
2002 Chevy Tracker ZR2 - "The Pup"
First, thanks to all who have responded to this
thread. I still haven't got any extenders on
The Beast due to getting Workforce Managemented
out of a 24 year job and things have been
slightly, uh, hectic. So much for a medical
plan..... Yes, the thought of selling off
houses, cars, and JUNK to go full-time NOW has
been given much thought but *we* probably aren't
ready to be nomadic quite yet.
I tried the same extenders that Steven "modified"
the mounts for.... the slots on The Beast's
steel wheels being way too small for those spring
things. What I'm looking into, money and time
permitting, is to get it done right using:
http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~tire-man/valve.html
which, Steven, may also work on your alum wheels.
The other choice I've found that doesn't require
drilling/pop riviting extentions on is:
http://www.jaeeagle.com/airinflation.html
that look like they'll work for me.
We had a low tire in The Beast last week and had
to ask the RV CG to give one tire a shot of air.
While at the dealership a coupla days before,
we asked them to air up all the tires to 85 lbs
cold. It was then that we discovered that the
brand new $17 dual chuck stick type pressure
gauge we bought at CW would read 135 lbs with
the straight-in chuck and 70 lbs on the reverse
chuck. WEIRD! Anyway, that Taiwan P-O-J will be
going back and I'll be getting a real gauge/valve
chuck-on-a-hose assy from a real 'Merican mfr.
I'm still looking at air compressors and after
all the info I've rec'd from here and other
sources, will probably get something like a 120V
medium-duty Campbell-Hausfeld ~250 lb compressor
or, if I can find one that is small enough, a
~2 HP compressor with *SMALL* tank. The basement
compartments that have been, uh, "assigned" to me
are big but not as big as those monsters under
that Wander(Wunder?) bus-thing parked a coupla
slots down from us at CG. Those things could hold
full-sized gas station compressors and tanks!
Just getting all this stuff should assure that The
Beast will never have any tire problems, right?
That law holds true for RVs too, doesn't it?
Anyway, thanks to the forums and for youse 'guys'
help, I'll finally get the right stuff for the
MH. I hate not being self-sufficient on the road.
Uh-oh, that was one of the gene requirements
for buying the MH to begin with, huh?
Maybe those things will fit your alums, Steven,
call them?
Newby Bill, The Wife Unit, & The Beast
(Hopefully with a bouncing baby compressor on the
way.)
Had the most expensive valve extensions, known to man..connected to the center hub..Made everything so easy.. untill one broke loose and started flopping around, without me knowing it..In a short period of time, in failed..Flat inner dual..ckecked the other side, it was also starting to become loose..removed both..I now have an "inverted foot" pressure gauge..and tire filler, similar to the ones used by the tire shops. Connected to my 110v Air compresser, usinig the genset. I can easily ck. and adjust the pressure any time I want..Pat
Patrick and Christine
and Maggie, the cocker spanial puppy
1995 Damon Ultrasport 3470 F53 Ford 460
1995 Ford Windstar-toad
We have a dually Silverado 3500HD. We finally bought a small Craftsman compressor ($90.) and a long double chuck and conversion nipple and with just a very small hassle I can reach all the valve stems, which do not have extenders.
I also bought a long double chuck tire gauge.
We have an inverter, so on the road, if necessary we can pump up the tires. It takes one minute to add 10 lbs. of pressure.
I bought my motorhome used. The previous owner added the braided extenders to the inside rear wheels. Checking the pressure was a heck of alot easier than on my previous motorhome that had no extenders.
While the extenders made the tire pressures easier to check, I found that the inner tires were continually low, despite the fact that the extenders were tight.
The solution was simple. I chucked the extenders and have no regrets. Now it is a little more difficult to check the pressure but I find the inner tire pressures no longer vary from the outer tire pressures.
On the open road I also no longer have to worry about those beautiful braided stainless steel extenders coming free an whipping around wildly between the tires.
A good use for these extenders is to put one on the spare tire stored in the trunk of your car. Since that tire doesn't move, the extender can stay tight and it makes it easy to maintain the pressure in the "donut" tire. When is the last time you checked that tire?
That's a R.....V.....Clark!
Jayco 17Z
Ford E-350 V-10
Roughin' it Cheaply
The Original Cousin Eddie
Has anyone found as answer to not using an extension for the Inner Dual tire? I believe The Tire Man in Ridgecrest will have the answer within 60 days. www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~tire-man/valve.html Chuck the owner says there are Extra long truck valves being Manuf. Should be available by late august 2003. I will be testing the proto types on our dually truck.
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