Grommet and TPMS issues with inside dually tires

[Neal]

My inner tire on the dual tire axle has a rubber grommet that holds the tire inflation valve extension in place. This grommet has been a battle to stay in place since day 1. I think the reason is the TST Tire pressure flow through valve and it's weight. Yesterday I left the CG and I had recently adjusted tire pressures due to changing temps and elevation in my travels from AZ to VA. I did not get a sensor reading on my left inner tire so I figured the battery needed to be replaced and as I had just adjusted pressures I was sure all was well. Famous last words right??? 1 mile prior to exiting for a Love's fuel stop my TST alarm goes off and shows 1 psi. Well...at least the sensor picked up but is this legit? I thought it was a false reading but I slowed down for the last mile and exited for Love's and sure enough, inner tire was flat, 0 psi!

Visual inspection although limited didn't reveal anything so I aired up thankfully with Love's air hose at the pump. My hunch was what had happened to me before as I had a slow leak on an inner tire in the past and @Chuggs offered it was likely the valve extension. Back then I torqued it slightly tighter and the problem went away. So I grabbed my pliers and after airing up I torqued it tight. The valve extension has taken a beating on the rim thanks to the TST sensor and I've been wondering when it's going to fail but I don't think it's failed yet. I have a FL service coming up and I plan to have them inspect it and change it if needed. I'm ready to leave Love's and now the question is whether or not to put the TST sensor on again. If I don't then I'll have to stop and make frequent tire pressure checks, if I install it then what will happen. I reseated the grommet that was no longer in place. The other option was to stay at Love's and see if they have a tire service person available (it's Sunday) or call Coach-net. I decided to install the sensor and hit the road, 1 hour lost so far for this. The tire pressure held fine for the 5 hours of driving.

Upon arrival at the CG site I went back to check the tire and I could hear air coming out, I'm not sure if it was the sensor itself, my hunch is that it may be compromised. I took the sensor off and no air leak noises. I checked pressure this morning and it was down 10 psi from when I arrived but it's also significantly cooler and we know while driving we're typically around +10 psi. I think it's holding.

So now I have to decide my plan going forward, to use a tire pressure sensor on the inner dually or not? I don't think the weight of the sensor is playing well with the grommet and also causing the valve extension to wear down on the wheel itself. It's a lose lose situation and I trust the tires and my concern is least about the inner dually's.

What's your experience and opinion on the above? Tire grommet issues? Sensors on the inner dually?

 

[CoreyinWP]

Neal

I have the TST as well. What I did was to attach the TST flow through directly to the inner tire and then put the extension on the other side of the tst through to the grommet. Has never had an issue.

 

[Neal]

Did you have to remove the tire to do so? I'd need access to change the battery of course.

 

[Akdare]

When I chose a TPMS system for my previous coach (EEZTire), I opted for the regular, non-flow-through sensors. The physics of the extra weight of the flow through’s looked like an issue waiting to happen; either a lost sensor or a tire valve problem. My money is on a tire valve issue exacerbated by the flow-through sensor. IMHO, I’d change to the regular sensors.

 

[Neal]

@Akdare that sounds like an option as well, good idea.

 

[CoreyinWP]

Did you have to remove the tire to do so? I'd need access to change the battery of course.

Nope just squeezed my arm/hand through

 

[Neal]

I'll take a look, last time I couldn't get in there.

 

[Joe Hogan]

I also exchanged the flow through sensor for the smaller Cap models. I did have a inner air valve extension fail on an inner rear tire but not sure it had anything to do with the EEZRV sensor. Now Carry spare valve extensions in the tool box. Chasing air pressure through the western states with all the temperature and elevation variations is a PIA. Typically I'll check pressure in the morning and verify it against the EEZRV readings once the system wakes up. Then I just use the EEZRV to monitor for the day. The grommets on the inner rear tires does work its way out over time. Just push it in each morning.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Have you checked the valvestem core for tightness? On our 2014 Ventana LE, I had a similar issue and found that the core had loosened due to vibration. It was at least a half-turn loose.

Otherwise, I would replace the flow-through sensors with non-flow-through. It really isn't much of a hassle to remove them to manually check tire pressures. That's how we've gone.

Stay safe, my friend.

TJ

 

[Neal]

Yes, I think that is the main issue and when I filled up at Love's I did do a quarter turn (it seemed). I had an issue with one a year ago leaking and that was the fix. This is clearly a TPMS issue with the weight of the new flow thru's with brass cores. I need to either do what Corey suggested or go with the non flow thru on these two tires. Not sure I ever needed flow thru's as they are just as easy to take off as the cap.

 

[Neal]

Can't get my hand between the tires so that option is out. Will try the non flow thru's, yaye for $110/pair

 

[stang37]

I use the EEZRV non flow thru sensors and haven't had any issues. I did have to install the antenna because right inter dual tire would sometimes register and sometimes not. If your talking about the black grommet the fits in the slot of the outer wheel I had one that didn't want to stay in place. I got it back in an put a couple small beads of silicone on it. No issues with it coming out in about 5K miles.

 

[Neal]

Probably time for new grommets too as this situation wore out the center hole for support of the valve stem. Will ask Freightliner when I get there for service in May.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Probably time for new grommets too as this situation wore out the center hole for support of the valve stem. Will ask Freightliner when I get there for service in May.

Check your PM, @Neal.

TJ

 

[CoreyinWP]

That is what I was going to do, order the non flow through. I called tst and they suggested the flow through directly on the valve. Has worked without issue for two years now. If I was buying new, would not order flow throughs again.

 

[J&JD]

IMHO the flo through units are way too bulky/heavy. I’ve had the non flo through units for probably 10 years now. At first I had the anti theft caps on but soon realized these were not needed and also added weight/bulk. Been running the sensors with no anti theft caps for 5+ years now on both the coach and toad with no problems. Very easy to remove to add air. When the coach or toad goes in for service I remove all the sensors so the techs don’t accidentally remove and forget to replace them or install them on the wrong wheels.

 

[CoreyinWP]

I believe I used pliers to screw in the flow through

 

[Neal]

I ordered a pair of non flow thru's today for TST as I have no intention of risking the flo thru's on the inner dually's again. It's beat up my rims enough already.

 

[AbdRahim]

I have TST flow through as wel, but the tire shop put on the flexible steel covered extender through the grommet. So far, no problems.

 

[J&JD]

I ordered a pair of non flow thru's today for TST as I have no intention of risking the flo thru's on the inner dually's again. It's beat up my rims enough already.

And take off the anti theft covers before installing. Makes the unit probably 1/3 smaller and easier to take on/off for air.