What is the Torque Rating for Installation of the Americana Metal Bolt-In Valve Stem  

The quality of these valve stems is the best, however there was no information provided as to how much torque to put on the nut during install. You can tighten them until they squash out of shape on the inside surface of the rim, the rubber grommet and you do not know how much torque is needed for a good seal. I guess it is a judgement call. Any info there would have been helpful. First, make sure the valve stem hole in your wheel is .625 inches diameter. If not, the AM20906 valve stem is not the correct part for your wheel and should not be used for safety reasons. You would need the # AM20903 valve stem for a wheel with a .453 inch valve hole, which is normal for a 13 inch wheel. If your valve hole is .625 inch, the the process for tightening the valve stem in the wheel is not related to torque. We have a gentleman here that sold custom wheel and tire combinations for many years, so I asked him exactly how he would go about tightening the bolt in valve stem. He said that there is not a set torque rating that he knows of, but that he always tightened down the nut until the rubber washer flattened out enough that it was flush with the steel washer provided with the valve stem. That should create a good seal without over-tightening and distorting the rubber washer. Once installed you should monitor tire pressure closely to be sure that there are no leaks, and tighten in 1/8th turn increments until the leak is stopped. He stated that rarely did he ever find a leak at the rubber seal after using this method of tightening. I added a photo showing where the rubber seal should expand to and the area where the seal needs to fit in the valve hole in your wheel.

asked by: R.W.