RE: [Chrysler300] Flat tire related to valve stem failure?

["Rich Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

I believe the noises emanating from wheels with wheel covers are most
certainly due to the normal flexing of the wheels and some resulting
movement of the claws holding the wheel covers to the rim.  Every wheel
cover I've ever had made this noise and most crept since the wheel
deflection is a rolling deflection.  Some claw designs held better than
others as they dug into the paint and steel of the rim.  Mixing brands such
as putting Olds Fiestas on a Ford rim resulted in the greatest problems.
The bumps and cleats design should minimize wheel cover creep, but the
screeching/clicking noises will continue.  My first car was a '40 F**d with
hub caps and snap on beauty rings.  I think even those little beauties crept
and made strange noises.

I thought I'd eliminate this very obvious noise from the wheel covers on my
1955 C-300 wheels when I installed a set of Motor Wheel wire wheels.  But,
the repro snap on hub caps that cover the open center sections fit very
loosely and rattled loudly until I applied some weatherstrip to the caps to
keep them snug. I've bought several used C-300/B wheel covers and notice
that most have the points of the claws rounded from 50 years of wear.  I've
visualized a project to sharpen all these rounded claws with a little
grinder or file so they would bite better but do not look forward to that.

My 1986 Chrysler LeBaron T&C convertible came with either cast aluminum
wheels or wire-type wheel covers.  I have a Chrysler bulletin for the
aluminum wheels that says the snap on hub caps that cover the open center
section may snap off on rough roads and that one should apply blobs of RTV
sealant to the wheel-to-cap mating surfaces to keep the hub caps in place.
The wire wheel covers have a center security Allen-head bolt that fastens to
a cage held by the lug nuts and the covers' claws really fit tight and have
to be rubber-hammered into place.  The wire wheel covers also have a snap on
center cap that fits snugly and silently.

It would appear that wheel cover design has been challenging for years and
we have all noticed that hub caps and wheel covers must be removed at the
drag strip and race track.  However, I've seen pictures of Chrysler 300's
lined up to make high speed runs with their handsome Imperial-type wheel
covers in place.  When new, the C300/B/Imperial wheel covers must have been
good for 130-150 MPH!  The ultimate solution seemed to be the styled steel
or aluminum road wheels such as came on my '69 Dodge Coronet 500, '00 Jeep
Sahara and '05 Durango.  Attractive, strong and no screeching or clicking.
But often difficult to keep clean.

Applying little blobs of RTV sealant to mating surfaces would seem to be an
appropriate method to help prevent creep, squawk, rattle and valve stem
deflection.

C-300'ly,
Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA
1955 Chrysler C-300





-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Tony Rinaldi
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 6:24 AM
To: rob kern; Chrysler 300 Club
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Flat tire related to valve stem failure?

Hi Rob,

The answer to the question below is yes a creeping wheelcover can cause the
stem to fail.

My question to you is:

Do your wheels (or at least the one in question) have the 2 bumps on either
side of the valve stem opening?

If they do, make sure that the cleats that interface with them are bent out
enough to engage the bumps when the wheel wants to creep.

If no bumps, get the new radial wheels.

Was once told, the clicking noise heard when the car is close to a barrier
are the wheelcovers creeping?

Regards,
Tony

Ps Metal valve stems is an answer, but would think that the pressure is
still there.



From: rob kern <robkern@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: rob kern <robkern@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:13:08 -0500
To: <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Chrysler300] Flat tire related to valve stem failure?

Can a creeping wheelcover cause the stem to fail?


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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