exit64 Posted March 28, 2013 Report Share Posted March 28, 2013 http://www.ebay.com/itm/LONG-bullet-valve-stem-caps-Chrome-metal-NEW-set-of-4-/330618602249?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cfa678309 Not mine and no affiliation with the seller. Enjoy. Link to comment
KlassicMotion Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 They look cool, but they will throw off the balance of your wheels. I balanced a set of wheels on my '75 Mini and found that even the standard chrome valve stem with the hexagonal cap was throwing off my balance. Same thing on my Buell. The previous owner had some half inch thick cast "skull" valve caps. They were throwing off the balance. Link to comment
BenJammin Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 ppl have been running chrome valve stems and caps virtually forever..., they can't weigh much more than standard ones. What kind of wheel & tire shop couldn't balance your wheels just because of chrome ones ? Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 They look cool, but they will throw off the balance of your wheels. I balanced a set of wheels on my '75 Mini and found that even the standard chrome valve stem with the hexagonal cap was throwing off my balance. Same thing on my Buell. The previous owner had some half inch thick cast "skull" valve caps. They were throwing off the balance.That doesn't make any sense to me. Just get the tires balanced with the caps on. :P 2 Link to comment
Dawa Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 those things are too long. & im always hesitant on buying 'nice/expensive' valve stem covers because they would be so easily pilfered Link to comment
Z chopper Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 just imagine those some how coming off the valve stem while at speed, either going under your tires or another vehicles tires or even through a windshield, I have seen it happen at low speed and it wasn't pretty Link to comment
sick620 Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 those things are too long. & im always hesitant on buying 'nice/expensive' valve stem covers because they would be so easily pilfered yeah i hate it when damn riff raffers pilfer my goods! Link to comment
KlassicMotion Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 ppl have been running chrome valve stems and caps virtually forever..., they can't weigh much more than standard ones. What kind of wheel & tire shop couldn't balance your wheels just because of chrome ones ? I was balancing my own wheels on a $10,000 Hunter tire balancer with "Force Matching". I suspect a tire guy would get it close and call it good. I'm a perfectionist though, and they did make a difference. ***I'm not sure why, but I took this personally.... After going back and reading it, I don't see it that way anymore. This is one of those comments that I wish I could remove from history, but sadly I was quoted below!!** :blush: Link to comment
JoeCool Posted March 30, 2013 Report Share Posted March 30, 2013 I was balancing my own wheels on a $10,000 Hunter tire balancer with "Force Matching". I suspect a tire guy would get it close and call it good. I'm a perfectionist though, and they did make a difference. I've done lots of tires, bet I could make them zero out with the caps on. Never seen any valve stem cap throw balance off, unless installed after balancing. I have been doing tires for probably 15 years. Link to comment
jvb5577 Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Caps would make no difference if balanced with them on. Whole point of balancing a tire is to get rid of the heavy spots. As for "Force Matching" all your doing is measuring the movement of the tire while it has a load on it and finding out where if will be a more perfect match to the wheel. A cap would have little effect. Now you can feel a little off balance when doing 90+ mph but who does that in a Datsun frequently? Link to comment
KlassicMotion Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Yes, balancing with them on would be the way to go. I just wanted to bring up the point that someone who buys these would want to consider this, in the event that they don't, and they notice their tires are out of balance. I think my issue was the 12" Mini wheels.... They just wouldn't balance out until I took the chrome caps off... I couldn't figure anything else out. Link to comment
Dawa Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 one new years eve my friend and i had a piss fight. it was fun and funny, we didnt actually piss on each other though, just at each other Link to comment
KlassicMotion Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Well, that's one way to lighten the mood.... Link to comment
KlassicMotion Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 I've done lots of tires, bet I could make them zero out with the caps on. Never seen any valve stem cap throw balance off, unless installed after balancing. I have been doing tires for probably 15 years. Caps would make no difference if balanced with them on. Whole point of balancing a tire is to get rid of the heavy spots. As for "Force Matching" all your doing is measuring the movement of the tire while it has a load on it and finding out where if will be a more perfect match to the wheel. A cap would have little effect. Now you can feel a little off balance when doing 90+ mph but who does that in a Datsun frequently? I think we all said the same thing in our own way. I was merely trying to inform someone who has not balanced a tire before, that if they purchase these caps, there is enough mass there that they will more than likely find they will need to have their wheels balanced with the caps on...... Link to comment
BenJammin Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 That was a fair and balanced reply B) Link to comment
KlassicMotion Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 That was a fair and balanced reply B) Clever. I roll with what you said there. :rolleyes: 1 Link to comment
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