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Valve cap conundrum
File this with “little things mean a lot.”
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An emergency field tire kit costs less than $20 and includes a small air compressor, pliers to pull nails and a plug kit. Bottom: The metal tire cap at left makes it easier to see debris that can hide in the standard black plastic cap. Photos by Scott Nesbitt |
We were putting a heavy load on a trailer. We checked the pressure in all the tires before leaving. Halfway to our job site, the towing vehicle started pulling to the right. By the time we reached the work site, the right front tire was almost flat. While two helpers unloaded the trailer, I jacked the tire off the ground and searched for a nail, but nothing showed. The tire was fairly new and hadn’t needed any air.
We keep a small 12-volt air compressor and tire repair kit in all the vehicles, so I hooked up the compressor and let it inflate the tire while I helped unload the trailer. After a few minutes the tire looked OK. I lowered the jack, stacked the compressor, put the valve cap back on and helped finish unloading the trailer.
A half-hour later, the trailer was empty, and so was the tire. We’d left the spare tire behind to make room for cargo.
Out came the jack and compressor again. The re-inflated tire showed no holes when I dribbled water on the tire. The wind was picking up and rain clouds were forming. It was looking like a short hauling job was turning into a day-long disaster.
The workers started walking back to fetch the spare, and I turned back to the troubled tire.
In a stroke of luck, the birds stopped chirping and the wind stopped blowing just as I was screwing the valve cap back on. In that quiet moment, I heard the tiny hiss of escaping air just as I tightened the cap onto the stem. The hissing stopped as I unscrewed the cap.
Eureka! Inside that standard black valve cap was a tiny piece of black stuff deep inside the cap. It was probably a piece of dirt that got into the cap when I put it on the ground while checking the tires.
Lessons learned?
• Don’t put valve caps on the ground when checking tires. Put them in a pocket or someplace where they’ll stay clean.
• Invest in nice shiny metal valve caps that have the red rubber seals. You’ll be able to see any gunk that gets inside.
• When you’re looking for the source of a problem, start with the small stuff before you turn a tiny problem into a time-wasting project.
Eagle One Golf Products recently added its Treefrog overshoes to its line of safety and maintenance outerwear. The nonmarking shoes won’t crack or fade even when left in direct sunlight, the company says. Pyramid-designed spikes create nonslip soles that are easy to clean. Treefrogs are resistant to chemicals and fertilizers, stretch without tearing and are machine washable. Sizes range from small to extra large. Contact Eagle One Golf Products, 800-448-4409 (www.eogp.com). Clean Plus soft hand wipes from the Clean Plus Product Group are nonabrasive, hypoallergenic and lipoprotective. Ideal for use when soap and water are not available, the wipes remove all types of dirt and are available in 150-, 400- and 800-wipe buckets. Antibacterial and biodegradable, Clean Plus soft hand wipes do not freeze. Contact the Clean Plus Product Group, (www.cleanplus.com/shop). |
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