Page updated: 11/14/2001 10:16 AM
Klune-V Rapid Air Down (RAD) Valve StemsWritten 11/11/01
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Air down...NOW. Work performed by: Al Bsharah, Seth Markowitz, Bill Cue at Bud's garage! |
The Klune-V Rapid Air Down (RAD) valve stem system offers a quick and easy way to air down your tires without any tools what-so-ever. Simply loosen the release wheel and listen to the sound of rushing air we've all come to love! How many times have you lost a valve core as you removed it to go wheelin'? Not any more...
The RAD valve stem is a complete valve stem, able to air up, air down or work with a pressure gauge just like a regular valve stem. It is about 1" tall, and made completely of stainless steel. It has a 1" diameter, ½" thick knurled “Release Wheel” threaded down over the top, down against the base. This wheel, when loosened a turn or so, opens a valve in the base of the stem, allowing air to escape faster than if you removed the core.
| INSTRUCTIONS | |
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The system works pretty simply... The valve-stem Cap acts as a locking mechanism when tightened against the Release Wheel. Loosen the Cap, loosen the Release Wheel, and your tires will be deflated in seconds! |
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Here's the kit, pretty simple! Four replacement valve stems and a simple instruction booklet. We recommend you actually READ it, unlike our-macho-selves. Klune-V is nice enough to include a couple spare rubber grommets in case of wear or damage. |
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You will notice in the picture that each RAD has two grommets. Being the highly evolved and way-beyond-instruction geniuses we are, we decided that all the parts included must be necessary. After destroying one of the grommets because we tried to put it together our own way, the instruction booklet politely informed us that we were to use the grommet (ONE grommet) that fit our wheels. There are two different sizes. Yeah. We're cool. |
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Step #1 is to air down the old-fashioned way for one last time. Only do one end of the Jeep (front or rear) at a time, it's easier. Let the weight of the vehicle force as much pressure out of your tires as possible. Once completely empty, jack the axle up so that the tires are barely touching the ground. Thanks to Bill Cue for bringing his killer set of tire-tools, they make tire tear-down much easier. So, get 'em off the beads. Use some muscle! |
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Many wheels are different, as are the locations of the
valve stems on these wheels. An awful lot of rims have
the valve stem on the side, where they protrude outwards at
a 45 degree angle. These tend to get hooked on rocks,
so many rock crawlers use rubber ones that don't break as
easily. Since the RAD valves are made of rigid
material (stainless steel), Klune-V recommends that you
drill a hole inboard on your rim to avoid contact with pesky
rocks on the trail. They also recommend that you
position the RAD on the opposite side of the rim as your
existing valve stem for balancing purposes. A bonus to
doing this is that you can check your pressure real-time on
your existing valve stem while airing down with the RAD. Another option available to you, if you have thick enough rims, is to drill and tap a hole. Then, simply screw the RAD right into your wheel. The valve stem holes on my rims are already inboard, so I simply decided to cut out the old ones and replace them with the RAD's using the included washer and locknut to hold it all in place. |
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Take the portion of the RAD valve that looks like the above picture and feed it through making sure that the right-sized grommet is seated nicely in the hole. |
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Take the washer and locking nut from the kit and get ready to tighten things down. Be careful not to drop any of this or it'll end up in your tire! Finding those washers inside the tire isn't the easiest of things to do...better have skinny arms! |
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Keeping the tire out of the way, putting a wrench on one end and a ratchet on the other requires some coordination, so you might want to enlist the help of a friend. No, I don't have three arms. Tighten them down JUST to the point where the grommet has a little compression. DO NOT tighten them too much or you will most likely destroy the grommet. |
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While you're in there, go ahead and vacuum out all that dirt, mud, and rocks that have accumulated in your tires over the past year of wheelin'! |
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Voila. Your new RAD valve-stem system! (don't forget to repeat this process on your other four tires...ha, ha.) |
SUMMARY
One of my initial concerns was that valve stems with a built-in pressure release would leak. So far, this has not been a problem at all! The devices are made out of very sturdy stainless materials and have nice seals in all the right places, keeping the air pressure where it's supposed to be.
My other concern is catching them on rocks. I've put my Jeep through some pretty serious obstacles, and don't have any scratches on my rims near where the RAD's are mounted. However, I would like to move them further inboard at some time. I don't anticipate ever breaking the RAD's, but it's probably a good idea to carry spare rubber valve stems on the trail with you - just in case! You do that already though, right?!
Thanks very much to Klune-V and Greg Miller from High Impact Marketing for introducing this great product! Now where's that easy-to-use Rapid Air Up tool?
For purchasing information, please visit Klune-V.