How to replace a tire valve stem
Auto repair

How to replace a tire valve stem

09.11.2022 /

Tire valve stems are valves located in the wheel of a vehicle from which the tires are inflated. They contain a spring-loaded valve core that is sealed by air pressure inside the tire. Over time, valve stems can age, crack, become brittle, or start to leak, causing more serious problems with your tire and your driving experience.

When the valve stems start to leak, the tire will no longer hold air. Depending on the severity of the leak, the tire may leak air slowly or, in more serious cases, not retain air at all, requiring valve stem replacement.

In most cases, the quickest way to replace a valve stem is to take it to a tire shop, remove the tire, and replace the valve stem with a tire changer. However, in cases where this is not possible, it is possible to remove the bar and replace the valve stem manually. In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how to manually remove a tire from a wheel using a pry bar to replace the valve stem.

Part 1 of 1: How to Replace the Valve Stem

Necessary materials

  • Air compressor with hose
  • socket
  • Jack stands
  • Wrench
  • needle nose pliers
  • Tire iron
  • Valve stem removal tool

Step 1: Loosen the clamp nuts. Loosen the lug nuts of the wheel whose valve stem is to be replaced.

Step 2: Jack up the car.. Engage the parking brake, then raise the vehicle and jack it up.

Step 3: remove the wheel. After lifting the car, remove the wheel and lay it on the ground with the outer side up.

Step 4: Lower the rail. Remove the cap from the valve stem and then remove the valve stem core with a valve stem removal tool to bleed air from the wheel.

Once the valve stem is removed, the tire should deflate on its own.

Step 5: Separate the tire bead from the wheel.. Then use a sledgehammer to separate the tire bead from the wheel.

Hit the sledgehammer on the sidewall of the tire in the same place until the bead comes off.

When the bead breaks, you may hear cracking or popping noises and you will see that the inside edge of the tire is visibly separating from the edge of the wheel.

Once the bead is broken, continue driving the sledgehammer around the tire until the bead is completely broken around the entire circumference of the tire.

Step 6: Lift the edge of the tire off the wheel.. After the bead of the tire is broken, insert a pry bar between the edge of the rim and the inner edge of the tire, and then pry up to pull the edge of the tire over the edge of the wheel.

After you have pulled the edge of the tire over the edge of the wheel, pry around the rim until the entire edge of the tire is out of the rim.

Step 7: Remove the tire. Grasp the removed edge of the tire and pull it up so that the opposite edge, which was at the bottom of the wheel, now touches the top edge of the rim.

Insert a pry bar between the bead of the tire and the bead of the wheel and pry up to pry the bead over the bead of the rim.

Once the bead is over the edge of the rim, work the pry bar around the edge of the wheel until the tire is off the wheel.

Step 8: Remove the valve stem. After removing the tire from the wheel, remove the valve stem. Using needle nose pliers, pull the valve stem out of the wheel.

Step 9: Install the new valve stem. Take the replacement valve stem and install it on the inside of the wheel. Once it's in place, use needle nose pliers to pull it into place.

Step 10: Reinstall the tire. Install the tire onto the wheel by pressing on the rim until the bottom bead is over the edge of the rim.

Then press the edge of the tire under the edge of the wheel, insert a pry bar between the edge of the wheel and the bead, and then lift the bead over the edge of the wheel.

Once the bead is off the edge of the wheel, go around the entire wheel until the tire is fully seated on the wheel.

Step 11: Inflate the tire. After reinstalling the tire on the wheel, turn on the air compressor and inflate the tire to the desired value.

For most tires, the recommended pressure is between 32 and 35 pounds per square inch (psi).

  • Functions: For more information on inflating tires, read our article How to Inflate Tires with Air.

Step 12: Check for leaks. Once the tire is properly inflated, double check it to make sure there are no leaks, then put the tire back on the car and remove it from the jacks.

In most cases, the easiest way to replace a valve stem is to simply take it to a tire shop, remove the tire with a machine, and then replace the valve.

However, in cases where this is not possible, the valve stem and even the tire can be removed and replaced by hand using the appropriate tools and the correct procedure. If you find a leak or damage to the tire, not just the valve stem, you can replace the tire entirely.

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