Wanted: 1100 - 20 tubes

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Russell

Yes the tube is made with a brass stub, which the valve stem screws on to.

At that time the problem I had was finding a truck tire place that was willing to take the time to find them. Several places just wanted to sell me the tubes they had in stock, which all had long stems. The place I got them is still in business, so next time I drive bye will stop in and ask if they are still available and who makes them.

Cheers Phil

[Russell Boaler]

I've made some progress on this. Screw-on replacement valve stems of assorted sizes/lengths are available as previously suggested. You need to cut the original valve stem off at the base just above the thread that secures the metal sheild. The replacement valve stem is then screwed onto this thread. There's a rubber washer that goes between the face of the replacement valve stem and the tube to create an air tight seal.

The down side for me at the moment is that the only replacement valve stems that my local tyre guy can locate at present are those used on earth moving equipment. They are a much bigger diameter than the standard valve stem (for increased airflow)... as can be seen in the attached slightly blury photo.

A quick check of the dreaded ebay suggests normal size screw on replacement valve stems are readily available from the US. Will do a bit more research but importing some replacement valve stems is probably going to be the solution.

[Russell Boaler]

In the end I bought some valve stems off ebay which are available out of the USA.

It was a fairly simple task of cutting off the old stem and screwing on the new stem. I fitted a rubber washer between the new valve stem and tube to give more flexibility on valve position when fully screwed down and applied a liberal amount of sealant over all joints. I wasn't sure what the best sealant was to use so, as I had some gasket silicone on the shelf, used that. In hindsight it might have been better with a locktite product but we'll see how they go.... can always remove them and re-seal them if there is ever a problem.

I used the 4 inch long valves stems. These are possibly still a bit long as they put the end of the valve stem roughly in line with the face of the rim. There are also 3 1/2 inch and 3 inch options available.

Perhaps this post would now be better in the softskin forum or similar for future reference?