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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - tyre valves - rubbish rubber

I noticed that (again) my tyre valves have cracks in them on all four wheels - two were noticeable even with my poor eyes when I was polishing the wheels (not something I do often nowadays), the other two I had to look harder and slightly bend the valves to see the smaller cracks in them

I had this with my previous tyres but this time the valves have only lasted less than 12 months before I've noticed last time they lasted over two years before I noticed
Nigel Atkins

Gday Nigel Thats it for me then no more wheel polishing obviously wheel polishing causes the rubber to degrade LOL Seriously I have never seen this in newish tyre valve stems, 10 years old maybe. What are you polishing them with? LOL cheers
Rod
R W Bowers

G'day Rod,
I'm not polishing the perishing tyre valves, I'm polishing the wheels, next you'll want me polishing the underside of the fuel tank !

I've never seen 10 year old examples, I mean who would have !?! :)

I was actually using AutoGlym Alloy Wheel Seal, it tell you not to spray on to brake components but nothing about avoiding tyre valves

I don't go looking for these crap parts they just so readily present themselves as such
Nigel Atkins

Nigel your a magnet for this stuff then? Spare wheels tend to be this old perhaps an object lesson to us all to check the stems on our spares
cheers
Rod
R W Bowers

Rod,
once that wheel is put on the car it's no longer the spare it's one of the four very small contact areas with the road

don't worry I never seen, or heard about, crap tyre valves until 3 or so years back and that was only with me

I never wonder "why me?" as I know it's to balance out the fact I've been so blessed in life with good looks, athletic body, great charm and modesty
Nigel Atkins

Hi Nigel

Last winter when I was prepping the race midget I checked the one year old tyre valves which looked badly cracked when I flicked one it snapped in half and blew off needless to say I had them all replaced and check them before every race, I think some of the rubber used these days is crap not sure if it is because of differing processes due to elf and safety or corner cutting but not good.

Gary
G.J. Puxty

Hi Gary,
thank you, you're the first person to I've heard of with the same problem

I'm getting mine change again, hopefully under warranty but if not they'll be changed anyway

yes, I'm always banging on about rubbish rubber - gaiters and TRE boots that don't last 6 months, etc., etc. - I think it's more a case of (initial) cheapness
Nigel Atkins

there you go it's not just me

there are two of us in the whole wide world that have noticed this

I had the 4 valves replaced today so it'll be interesting to see how long these replacement valves carry on for (as unfortunately it looks like the tyres could last for many years)
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 26/08/2013 and 03/09/2013

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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