Understanding Tyre Valves
A vehicle’s tyres function is pretty straight forward – to provide traction between the vehicle and road, while cushioning some amount of vibrations over irregular road surfaces. How much you know about them could save you a fortune. Find out how!
Valve operation
Most tires utilize compressed air to absorb minor shocks although some like those used by heavy machinery are made from solid rubber to withstand rough usage. To keep air from escaping, valves are in placed to only allow air flow into the tire.
Schrader valve and stem
Of the various types of valves out there, the Schrader valve is most common consisting of a removable spring loaded poppet valve core and valve stem. Schrader units integrated onto tire tubes like those inside motorcycle wheels, have threads on the valve stem’s external for a nut to help keep both tube and stem in place; whereas the ones fitted onto tubeless wheels have a smooth stem except for the part which the cap is screwed on. The other end of the valve stem is much thicker with a grooved ring that would fit snugly around the rim’s valve opening.
Schrader valve core
This mechanism’s pièce de résistance is its valve core screwed into the stem. Built from brass or protected with corrosion-resistant coating, they are designed to withstand most weather elements, dirt and shocks. Depending on the type of core used, it usually has two rubber or silicone gas gaskets, one for preventing air from escaping around the core, and another to close the opening when the core’s pin is released. A spring help holds the pin in closed position unless when the pin is pushed downwards.
Bling your vehicle, even at night
Although valve cores rarely need replacement, it is always recommended to fit a valve cap to protect contaminants from entering the stem. Often sand or metallic particles get lodged between the gaps which may rust and jam the mechanism over time. There are numerous options out there ranging from basic no-frills plastic cap, multi-functioned with a grooved end to unscrew the valve core, die-cast colored alloy caps, to aesthetically pleasing self- illuminating ones that glow while on the move.
Pictures from SchraderInternational, Wikipedia and YellowWaves.com
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