Metal Valve Stems on 2015 GMC 3500HD SRW

[onekla]

Has anyone put metal valve stems for TPMS on a 2015 GMC 3500HD SRW? If so what size and where did you get them?

[Lkelly3400]

My truck already had them, but the Montana did not. I just took it in to Les Scwab and they took care of it. Th metal valve stems need to be put in from the inside of the tire so the tire has to come off. The whole thing, including the valve stems was not expensive.

[WaltBennett]

Both truck and Monty had them - until a Firestone tire person replaced the trailer ones with rubber. Since we're planning long trips for the next several years and already have about 18k miles on the Montana tires, I'll have the valves replaced with metal ones when we get new tires. Don't have a TPMS system yet, but after experience with trying to put 80 lbs with the rubber ones, I wouldn't have anything but metal for that reason alone.

[bigred715]

I don;t feel totally safe going down the road if I can't look up and moniter my tires for air pressure and heat with my TPS system. Les Schwab also installed the metal stems for my trailer.

[DmaxDually]

I have been through the metal valve stem issue on my truck and camper. It was a lot of research and trial and error on my part to get the right ones that I wanted. Here's my experience. I have a 2012 Silverado 3500HD dually. Our trucks due come with "high pressure valve stems" from the factory and they are considered "metal" valve stems for all intensive purposes. They are not full metal valve stems. It is a metal valve stem covered with rubber and attached to a rubber base. They are your standard pull thru valve stems designed to handle higher tire pressure.

A couple of years ago I decided to install TPMS on my truck. I decided on TST with the flow thru sensors. On their website it said that the flow thru sensors require metal valve stems. I thought the same thing,no problem our truck come with metal valve stems so I'm good. I installed them on my valves and all was good for about 7-8 months. Then I got a flat on one of my inside rear tires. Come to find out the valve stem failed (cut) right where it comes through the rim. That's when I learn our valve stems are not a true (full) metal. I removed the tpms off the rest of my valves and waited till my tires needed to be replaced before I messed with them. But started the research on valve stems so I would be ready.

Cutting to the chase. After a lot of online research and talking to my local Good Year dealer I decided to go with the Enkie Bolt bolt on valve stems. They have 2 rubber grommets, one on the outside of the rim, one inside and two nuts to lock it down. I am sorry I don't remember what length or angle I used for each wheel. There are a lot of different valve stems out there. This is what worked and fit perfectly for me and I am very happy with them.

But a word of caution if you do decide to use them. Make sure the shop or person installing them knows what they are doing and has experience installing them (Enkie valve). They come with double nuts.The nuts have to be installed one at a time and torqued to the proper specs. If they over tighten it they will crush/deform the grommets and they will leak. This happened to the first one they installed because the kid didn't know how install it. The experienced guy came over and installed them with no problem. The first nut is to secure the valve in place and the second nut is a there as a lock nut so the first nut won't back off or get loose. They have been on my truck and camper too ever since with out a problem.

I hope this helps. If you have any custom wheel shops in your area stop in and ask them about it. That is how I learned. I stopped in a few different custom wheel shops and asked them. Don't go to your regular tire shop because they will sell you the brass pull thru truck valve stems and tell you that what you need. The Good Year shop in my area also sold custom wheels
and had a lot of experience with valve stems. That's why I used them.Sorry for the long post. Hope this gives you some insight.

[DonandBonnie]

We added them to our Ford F350. We had to get angled metal valve stems for our dual rear wheels so that the sensors could be installed. We searched numerous auto parts stores and truck tire stores until we found them at NAPA. Even then the clerk had to look them up in their catalog and special order them.

FYI, several years ago in our pre-MOC days, we had a rubber valve stem snap off from the weight of the spinning sensor on the end. Metal stems are a must.

[sapest]

What you need depends on the OEM wheels you have. Not all wheels are the same! As stated above, to do this right you need to go to a tire shop that knows what they are doing and have them break down one wheel and determine the style of valve stem you need. You may need the dual nut style or you might be able to use the more common TR501 single nut. 1 1/2" length should clear your wheel covers if that is the style of wheel you have. Since you are going to have to take each wheel apart to change the valve stems, consider the in wheel TPMS sensors? Buy an extra stem, in case you need one 'on the road' - whatever you require will be a 'we can order that for you' adventure.
If you use the single nut style of stems, your maintenance list gets another item - check the stem nut tightness at every tire rotation.

We have a dually and rotate the tires, so angled valve stems dont make sense. I have used angled metal extensions for 3 yrs without problems for the outside rr wheel. I have given up on the flexible extensions for the inside rr wheels, now its make sure the rr's are put on with the valve stems 180 degrees apart, and fight with the air hose and gauge, or take the outer rr off to get at the inside one.

-Steve

[onekla]

Thanks. We're going to get on this at a local custom wheel & tire shop. As always, thanks for all the info.

[RKassl]

On my 3500HD when I purchased new tires I had them install metal valve stems, the trailer has G16's also with metal stems all work great with the Pressure Pro TPMS.