[AT] Was: Farmall tractor; Now, valve stems

[Larry D. Goss]

On another subject... you really need to get more stuff with the
new-fangled
tires.  The most recent census shows 156 tires on the ground at my
place,
and the most pesky are those silly little ones on the finish mower
casters.
Four on the N H and two on the Dixon.  I have the tubes, but there isn't
enough room for the stems.

George Willer

I hear you loud and clear on the valve stem problem, George.  Those
TR13's are just the wrong length and are always jammed up against the
hub.  When I was restoring a Power King this winter, I bought a couple
new tubes to put in the rear tires and the only thing available was a
tube with a TR150 stem.  This is a hard rubber stem about four inches
long that curves to the outside.  THOSE would be nice to have on those
itty-bitty mower deck gauge wheels or the front wheels on a lot of
riding mowers.  But I suppose they would get caught on stuff and
literally get ripped off while in use.  They make a small tube that has
a brass valve stem with nearly a right angle bend in it, but I've never
been able to find one stocked when I was trying to buy a replacement
tube.  I don't know what the number of the stem is.  When I had the
tubes replaced on my Kubota front wheels a few years ago, I took them in
to a tire dealer one-at-a-time simply because I was too lazy to get out
the jack stands.  One tire came back with the brass valve stem and the
other came back with a TR13.  I asked if I couldn't have the second one
with the brass stem also and the guy said they didn't have any control
over the valve stem style.  I didn't believe him, but I didn't argue the
point.  That was before I bought a tire changer from Harbor Freight that
is specifically designed for working with tires that are smaller than
12-inch rims.  Now that I have that, I do all my own tire changing for
the lawn tractors that come through my shop every year.

I'm obviously behind in collecting.  I've only got 62 tires on the
ground, and the inventory of spare tubes is down to around seven or
eight.

Larry

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