What is this tire valve?

[Ryanbmw]

I have done some searching on this site and with Google and cannot seem to find what the deal with this valve stem setup is. I bought a set of 5 mrap wheels and tires from 98G the other day. Thanks again for driving them up. I was going to swap the tires over from the mrap wheels to my A3 wheels but have decided against that. I ordered the adapters from Peashooter instead. My main question is what is the tire valve setup? 98G was going to take one apart to see, but does anyone know what it is? There is a small valve on the side the device, but I was hoping for a large bore valve. It also looks like that is the place where the tire valve goes through the wheel. Nothing comes through the rim flange. The only thing I can find on it is some article about a protection piece the military had to design because the stem kept breaking off. http://defensetech.org/2013/10/17/ref-lab-finds-fix-for-mrap-weakness/ On another note, anyone know if those are available?

 

[Jeepsinker]

That looks like a ctis valve.

 

[Ryanbmw]

That was kind of my thought but do you know if there is a way to adapt it to a large bore tire valve?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yup, I agree.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I'm not sure if it is possible. Why won't you just switch over to A3 rims? Have you already got the a3 rims or no?

 

[Ryanbmw]

My truck currently has A3 rims on it. I like the mrap wheels better. Plus, I would not look forward to swapping the tires with beadlocks and runflats over to 5 A3 rims. The A3 rims have small bore valves on them right now too so I it is not a huge deal to have the small bore. I just thought large bore would be more convenient.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Alright. Keep in mind you have a lot fewer failure points with the a3 rims. You would need a bada** compressor to see the real benefits of the large bore valve stem.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Quick tip, take your valve stem out when filling the tire/rim combo. As long as you have the stem and tool sitting there, you can install it after filling the tire and only loose 1-2 psi.

I have found its best to keep the small bore as NOBODY has big bore stuff when your out in the boonies and get a flat, and can't find the stuff you "normally" keep on the truck!

 

[Ryanbmw]

I do have a valve stem tool. Amazing how much ore air you can flow without the stem in.

 

[cranetruck]

The compressor can handle two tires at the same time with original valves. Made a splitter several years ago and it speeds up airing up...

 

[peashooter]

I also agree its a CTIS valve. I think other members that have gotten MRAP wheels with that valve on have been able to leave it in place as it still has a standard Schrader valve on the front. I haven't played with one personally but someone was telling me about them, I think he said it was a good design and had some fail safe features built in so it wouldn't allow a tire to go flat if some other component of the ctis system failed and leaked out. There should be a hole in the rim on the backside of that valve where it would be able to connect to a ctis system on the proper mating hub.
Also I think that the Schrader valve on the front is a little tough to find a replacement for since it uses a small 1/16 NPT rather than the far more common 1/8 npt thread. Someone mentioned they had to get replacements directly from Hutchinson, neither one of us could find them anywhere else. The closest thing I could find was a fuel rail fitting that might have worked.

 

[98G]

I pulled one apart this morning.

I make it to be the side with the light colored plastic thingy is the pressure side. The hole is where it dumps. And the valve that I removed controls the dumping.

I can't see a reason to do away with the valve. My recommendation is to leave it in place and use the integrated shraeder valve.

I will comment on those shraeder valves. They are fragile and prone to breakage. I have broken 2 of them, both in the same day within 20 minutes. Be careful when stacking tires. Stack them with the valves down. Otherwise when you place the next wheel and tire on top you run the risk of breaking off the valve.

 

[Ryanbmw]

Peashooter,

Do you think you could fab up some of those protection devices the military created? I can't find an NSN number for them or find where to buy them.

 

[peashooter]

Peashooter,

Do you think you could fab up some of those protection devices the military created? I can't find an NSN number for them or find where to buy them.

Yeah I'm sure many of us could make something like that, I think the cost would be a bit steep (considering its use) if we machined it like they did. It would also throw off the balance of the wheel some and looks like it might be tough to get different types of air chucks into it.
Rather than try to make a guard for that ctis valve, I'd probably first look into removing it and seeing if I could just tap one of those holes to make a valve stem fit into it directly..... without the additional height of that ctis valve I'd think you would have enough protection to prevent those things from braking off in the first place. Which one of those 2 holes goes into wheel and which one goes through the wheel to a ctis connection point?

 

[Ryanbmw]

It looks like the hole next to the one with the plug goes directly into the wheel.

 

[Ryanbmw]

How do you order the 1/16 npt valves direct from Hutchinson? Wouldn't mind picking up a few just in case while I try and decide what I am going to do. I might try and attempt to make the guards out of a small block of aluminum with my drill press.

 

[peashooter]

How do you order the 1/16 npt valves direct from Hutchinson? Wouldn't mind picking up a few just in case while I try and decide what I am going to do.

The member that was looking for them gave up trying to find the valves anywhere else after a week of searching, finally decided to just call hutchinson and hutchinson said they would give him a couple of the valves if he just sent them a picture of his deuce with their wheels on it .... This was a couple years ago now and was probably the first time they had heard of their MRAP wheels getting mounted to a Deuce so I wouldnt think they will be giving free ones away again but you can call them up and ask how to buy them http://www.hutchinsoninc.com/CMS/index.php?page=wheels-new