Strange flat tire tire, never happened before.

[pdqdl]

I picked up our one-ton today from the dealership for a VERY expensive diesel engine repair. It needed fuel to get back, and I told my driver (at the station) that he had a low tire and needed to add some air before he got back on the road. The truck has no history of having a slow leak on that tire.

20 minutes after I left (WHY so long ?), my driver called me and said that the tire went flat when he tried to add air, that the valve stem pushed into the wheel and dissappeared !

This is so unusual, I have never had that happen. I am inclined to think that he might have done it on purpose, but I wouldn't think you could that to a valve stem unless you worked at it real hard.

Has anyone else ever had this happen ? Opinions on the event ?

It took me at least an hour to get back to him, and much time was lost.

[By the way, I fixed the tire in a REALLY cool way: I bought a new valve stem, whittled the fat "stopper" part into a cone with my pocket knife, and then I slowly, tediously pushed it back into the little hole in the wheel from the outside with my Leatherman super-tool. I never dismounted the tire or broke the bead, and I didn't have to return to the shop for any tools. MUCH time saved over a full repair.]

 

[treemandan]

What did you have fixed at the dealer?
Valve stems have a mind all their own( so do drivers) I would think it a tough nut to crack to try to jam one into the tire, probaly dry rot and old. If its not that then it ceratinly sounds strnge.
get your tire fixed properly now.

 

[pdqdl]

It was an engine repair at the dealer.

It was a front tire that went flat, and now that I think about it, it is possible that a mechanic stomped on the valve stem climbing/reaching over the hood.

All the other valve stems are in good condition, so dry rot is not an issue.

By the way: when we fix the tire properly, I will check to see if there is a valve stem inside the tire, and what condition it is. That might tell me if the guys story is true.

 

[treemandan]

It was an engine repair at the dealer.

It was a front tire that went flat, and now that I think about it, it is possible that a mechanic stomped on the valve stem climbing/reaching over the hood.

All the other valve stems are in good condition, so dry rot is not an issue.

By the way: when we fix the tire properly, I will check to see if there is a valve stem inside the tire, and what condition it is. That might tell me if the guys story is true.

What part of the engine? Just curious.
Witness marks baby, FIND EM. I just took a lift back to the rental yard, stopped the truck and got out. I went inside while the monkies unhooked it from the truck. They come in a few minutes later to tell everybody how I busted up the machine. Well all go out and start looking for the witness marks.
We found em! New paint chips on the ball on the forklift told us that these two monkies lifted the mahine from a bad place and tried to pin it on me.
there is usually a witness. Like the guy who watched the guy fixing your truck drive it into the two post lift at the dealer... he knows what happened.
Lets hear about what you had done to your truck and , why not, lets hear about your truck in general. When you say very expesive repair I get curious. Turbo, heads, front cover?

 

[paul soccodato]

what type of stem? rubber , metal?

valve stems usually require some effort to remove and install, they dont just fall out like that.

 

[pdqdl]

Well...

Since it is gone, I am only speculating that it was a rubber valve stem. All the others on the truck are.

 

[paul soccodato]

who knows.

maybe the mechanic did step on the stem, cutting it and when your driver touched it, it blew.

 

[Pete M]

Is there any chance that tyre has previously been repaired using an inner tube? If it has, and no valve stem lock nut was fitted, then it would be easy to let the remaining air pressure out when trying to push on the airline, and when a tube is flat the stem can push straight into the tyre.

 

[TDunk]

I seriously doubt the driver would have been able to push the valve stem in with out a hammer or something. I'd be more inclined to think that the tech. at the dealership stepped on the rim of the tire to reach under the hood, thus stepping on the valve stem and tearing it. Only ever seen that happen once.

 

[Brimmstone]

I vote for tech stepping on stem and tearing it. Happened yesterday at work when a coworker was working on a truck. He stepped on the rim and tore the stem. Thankfully the boss saw the tire was low and caught the stem before the customer left. Unfortunately I was the luck man who got to fix it. I HATE fixing tires.

 

[pdqdl]

Sure, blame the mechanic, but...

Just one problem: My driver INSISTS that the entire valve stem disappeared into the wheel. If the stem had been broken by being stomped by the mechanic, then my driver would have been hanging onto the broken stem.

Either my driver is not telling the story right, or a VERY unusual flat occurred.

I personally think my driver broke off the stem by accident, and didn't want to admit that he broke it, not even aware that it was probably torn already by someone else.

 

[panhead9]

See what the stem reveals when you dis-mount the tire, the truth shall be fruitful

 

[LTREES]

My $.02

If the mechanic broke the stem it would have been on the ground when filling the tire with air. I vote for a tube inside. Groundie put too much air in it and the tube blew, sucking the stem inside. Being embarrassed he just said the stem went inside the tire. I had a flat and tried to put air in the tire, it had no stem. the tube popped due to the rust inside the rim, got new
( used ) rim.

 

[pdqdl]

There is NOT a tube in the tire !

 

[Crofter]

Maybe wrong size of stem was in there. Usually there is such a shoulder of rubber in front there is not a hope in hell of pushing the proper size stem back into an inflated wheel but an undersized one with very low pressure backing it up could get pushe in. Let us know what you find when you pull it apart.

I have had a valve core stem break in two and half blow in and half blow out but that is something else.

 

[JeffL]

Why on earth do you keep insisting that the driver purposely flattened the tire? Because he didnt have anything better to do and didnt want to get home on time from work that day and just wanted to make your life a little harder?

 

[treemandan]

There is NOT a tube in the tire !

Are you sure? You don't sound very convincing.

 

[serial killer]

Stuff happens. Any tire guy has seen much weirder. There is actually a tool for replacing a valve stem without breaking down the tire. It is a little funnel cone that sticks into the hole in the rim and a handle that you use to push the valve stem down through. Takes a little bit of grunt and a lot of soap, and impresses the heck out of a customer when the tech has the repair finished before the service writer has even finished filling out the paperwork.

http://www.stridetool.com/tools/autospecialty/braketools_01.html

 

[pdqdl]

Why on earth do you keep insisting that the driver purposely flattened the tire? Because he didnt have anything better to do and didnt want to get home on time from work that day and just wanted to make your life a little harder?

Actually, I think I have been pretty fair about this. I haven't yet accused nor insisted that anything was done on purpose or negligently. In fact, I was seeking the opinion of some of my peers to see if any others thought this an unusual situation, or if I was just being paranoid.

I guess it would help if you knew the driver: often absent, predictably slow when not supervised, and he is always ready with an excuse for whatever delay or problem was pointing at him.

Please note that it took him 20 minutes to discover that he could not put air in the tire. How long does it take to drive 150 to the air line at a truck stop ?

Also: I arrived BACK to the truck about one hour after he called me. He was not to be found. I fixed the tire unassisted (10-15 minutes ?), and then was forced to wander around the truck stop looking for him in every nook and cranny. I eventually found him, but there was NO reason why he couldn't have been sitting in the A/C looking out the window, watching for my return.

 

[Frank Boyer]

A good rubber valve stem can be bent over to touch the rim and not crack. It sounds like an old valve stem or a tube in the tire. Get the tire taken apart and properly repaired.