Is there an easy solution?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 860
Likes: 2
From: Naples. FL.
Is there an easy solution?
I have calmed down now but boy was I mad 2 hours ago and actually for the last few months. I have a 360 forged wheel set-up and whats been really driving me mad is trying to get my hands through one of the 12 spokes(the fronts are impossible) to get to the air valves (when I need to fill her up with air) as I have the 3" lips and the valves have been placed(all at different positions would you believe) inside the well of each wheel. As you can imagine, I have to move the car back and forward to get to the exact placement for the air compressor, as sometimes(actually all the bloody time) I can't get to them as either they are hidden behind the calipers on the fronts or at an awkward angle on the rears and this evening I nearly went beserk as I brought a new portable Viair compressor and the nozzle is too big on their product for me to put air in the front tires..I just can't get the right angle to do this...................
So, is there anything I can do?.............obviously the easiest but most expensive way is to get myself a new wheel package..however, is there a way of getting say a flexible rubber extension which I can leave on permanently which would enable me to have an easier life...................all suggestions most welcomed as my knuckles are raw and my brain is frazzled.........
So, is there anything I can do?.............obviously the easiest but most expensive way is to get myself a new wheel package..however, is there a way of getting say a flexible rubber extension which I can leave on permanently which would enable me to have an easier life...................all suggestions most welcomed as my knuckles are raw and my brain is frazzled.........
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
leave a hose on? no, I wouldn't recommend that.
I would suggest that since nitrogen doesn't seem to expand/contract quite as much as regular air, you might try that one.
and as to the wheels and the location of the stems, that's ridiculous, not meaning to offend.
I would suggest that since nitrogen doesn't seem to expand/contract quite as much as regular air, you might try that one.
and as to the wheels and the location of the stems, that's ridiculous, not meaning to offend.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 860
Likes: 2
From: Naples. FL.
No you are not offending................it is ridiculous.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,448
Likes: 4
From: Sarasota Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
How often do you have to air up? I do that like 2-3 times a year. I do use N2 on initial fill, maybe that helps.
Another example that all changes from stock have consequences, however minor. Good luck with it.
Another example that all changes from stock have consequences, however minor. Good luck with it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,493
Likes: 809
From: West coast CA
This is an unacceptable design defect. I'd sell the wheels. Fortunately, used OEM wheels can be had for cheap.
Good luck.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 943
Likes: 0
From: Ho Chi Minh City
I am not certain why they would design a wheel like that. Are they on backwards? Just joking, but could you provide some pictures? Maybe you could put a Dual Foot Air Chuck on your compressor. If I am picturing your problem correctly, you may be able to reach your valve stems from the front of the wheels with something like this.
Or this?
Or would this work?
Or this?
Or this?
Or would this work?
Or this?
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 860
Likes: 2
From: Naples. FL.
I am not certain why they would design a wheel like that. Are they on backwards? Just joking, but could you provide some pictures? Maybe you could put a Dual Foot Air Chuck on your compressor. If I am picturing your problem correctly, you may be able to reach your valve stems from the front of the wheels with something like this.
Or this?
Or would this work?
Or this?
Or this?
Or would this work?
Or this?
Thx very much all..when I have time,(next few days) will take some shots of each wheel and post them.....but the above is worth looking into,(thx for your help, much appreciated) but convinced now..my set-up is faulty.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,969
Likes: 8
From: NJ
Got the same problem with my I Forged. Its just one of those things ya got to live with.
Here's my anecdote.
I used to date high maintenence women. Beautiful, everybody stared, I was a rock star. But, you have to put up with the crap. My wife is just as beautiful, but she will sit down and eat a hotdog, drink beer out of a bottle and get greasy working on a car. So, I found a great compromise.
The point?
These wheels are high maintenence. Everybody stares, I'm a rock star. But I have to put up with crap. Factory Z wheels are beautiful but they will eat a hot dog... you get the point. Right now I'm still at the point where I'm willing to put up with the crap. Still worth it to me.
And, to answer your original question, I have not found an easy way to get at the stems. I have 5 spokes so its easier than yours, but still a pain. Have to do the 4 wheel dork dance to get at all the stems.
Here's my anecdote.
I used to date high maintenence women. Beautiful, everybody stared, I was a rock star. But, you have to put up with the crap. My wife is just as beautiful, but she will sit down and eat a hotdog, drink beer out of a bottle and get greasy working on a car. So, I found a great compromise.
The point?
These wheels are high maintenence. Everybody stares, I'm a rock star. But I have to put up with crap. Factory Z wheels are beautiful but they will eat a hot dog... you get the point. Right now I'm still at the point where I'm willing to put up with the crap. Still worth it to me.
And, to answer your original question, I have not found an easy way to get at the stems. I have 5 spokes so its easier than yours, but still a pain. Have to do the 4 wheel dork dance to get at all the stems.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Champaign IL
---Matthew Hicks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,493
Likes: 809
From: West coast CA
This statement is incorrect on two accounts. One, nitrogen escapes through the rubber slower than oxygen does (http://www.getnitrogen.org/pdf/graham.pdf). This means that you have to refill the tire less. Two, you mis-applied PV = nRT. The constant n is different for oxygen and nitrogen. Nitrogen has a smaller value for n due to its larger molecular size. This n acts as a scaling factor for temperature. Due to a smaller n, a nitrogen filled tire's pressure has a smaller slope with respect to temperature change than does an oxygen filled tire.
---Matthew Hicks
---Matthew Hicks
Differences in P/T slope between 78% nitrogen (a.k.a. air -- nobody runs an "oxygen filled tire") and 100% nitrogen are completely negligible. Humidity in air will change the slope, too, but again all these effects are trumped by ambient temperature.
I brought up the Ideal Gas Law to counter the often-made suggestion that nitrogen is somehow immune to thermal expansion, which it is not. Bottom line: nitrogen isn't going to help this guy at all. He needs proper access to his valve stems.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 924
Likes: 7
From: Smith River CA
Variation in temperature will affect tire pressure much, more than than gas loss due to the permeability of rubber. Shame on the nitrogen-upsell industry for attempting to snow customers with papers about what in practice is a non-issue. Why not, while they're at it, bring up relativistic effects on tire performance, and provide a PDF of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity?
Differences in P/T slope between 78% nitrogen (a.k.a. air -- nobody runs an "oxygen filled tire") and 100% nitrogen are completely negligible. Humidity in air will change the slope, too, but again all these effects are trumped by ambient temperature.
I brought up the Ideal Gas Law to counter the often-made suggestion that nitrogen is somehow immune to thermal expansion, which it is not. Bottom line: nitrogen isn't going to help this guy at all. He needs proper access to his valve stems.
Differences in P/T slope between 78% nitrogen (a.k.a. air -- nobody runs an "oxygen filled tire") and 100% nitrogen are completely negligible. Humidity in air will change the slope, too, but again all these effects are trumped by ambient temperature.
I brought up the Ideal Gas Law to counter the often-made suggestion that nitrogen is somehow immune to thermal expansion, which it is not. Bottom line: nitrogen isn't going to help this guy at all. He needs proper access to his valve stems.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,659
Likes: 828
From: FORT LAUDERDALE FL
Variation in temperature will affect tire pressure much, more than than gas loss due to the permeability of rubber. Shame on the nitrogen-upsell industry for attempting to snow customers with papers about what in practice is a non-issue. Why not, while they're at it, bring up relativistic effects on tire performance, and provide a PDF of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity?
Differences in P/T slope between 78% nitrogen (a.k.a. air -- nobody runs an "oxygen filled tire") and 100% nitrogen are completely negligible. Humidity in air will change the slope, too, but again all these effects are trumped by ambient temperature.
I brought up the Ideal Gas Law to counter the often-made suggestion that nitrogen is somehow immune to thermal expansion, which it is not. Bottom line: nitrogen isn't going to help this guy at all. He needs proper access to his valve stems.
Differences in P/T slope between 78% nitrogen (a.k.a. air -- nobody runs an "oxygen filled tire") and 100% nitrogen are completely negligible. Humidity in air will change the slope, too, but again all these effects are trumped by ambient temperature.
I brought up the Ideal Gas Law to counter the often-made suggestion that nitrogen is somehow immune to thermal expansion, which it is not. Bottom line: nitrogen isn't going to help this guy at all. He needs proper access to his valve stems.
on this one.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 860
Likes: 2
From: Naples. FL.
Is there an easy solution wheel photos of problem
As promised, pics of the wheels, the following is roughly what I sent 360 as they kindly asked if they could help...
Very difficult for you to appreciate this from the pics but all the stems are adjacent to the rotors and not in front of them, so not only is it difficult to get your hands through but there is no room to manouever!!
Front Driver
Rear Driver
Front Passenger With Flash. THIS SHOWS THE DIFFICULTY CLEARLY>>>>>>>>>>>
Front Passenger Without Flash
Rear Passenger
Because the stem valves have all been placed at different locations on each wheel, you can imagine the fun and games(not) I have..also they are placed well into the wheel well, so although it's difficult to see from the pics(the one without flash gives you a better idea) the fronts are nigh impossible and when hidden behind the rotors, you cannot get to them and as I said on the board, I have brought a new compressor and cannot get the right angle...I need to find an attachment that someone posted...but surely this isn't right?
Very difficult for you to appreciate this from the pics but all the stems are adjacent to the rotors and not in front of them, so not only is it difficult to get your hands through but there is no room to manouever!!
Front Driver
Rear Driver
Front Passenger With Flash. THIS SHOWS THE DIFFICULTY CLEARLY>>>>>>>>>>>
Front Passenger Without Flash
Rear Passenger
Because the stem valves have all been placed at different locations on each wheel, you can imagine the fun and games(not) I have..also they are placed well into the wheel well, so although it's difficult to see from the pics(the one without flash gives you a better idea) the fronts are nigh impossible and when hidden behind the rotors, you cannot get to them and as I said on the board, I have brought a new compressor and cannot get the right angle...I need to find an attachment that someone posted...but surely this isn't right?