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Posted by: 914Sixer Sep 28 2021, 06:16 PM

I has been 3 years or more since I bought tires. The "body in Black" car came in with roller tires on it. One had already went flat in 24 hrs. So I was going the cheap way out and got four $49 195/65/15 tires. As you well know EVERYTHING IS EXTRA. So I got the tires mounted and balanced along with new valve stems. Went to to pick up the tires and noticed NONE of the new valve stems had black plastic caps. So I was polite and asked what was the deal. It now seems valve stems DO NOT come with caps. Don't know if it is a Wal-Mart thing, shortage thing or sell them to me thing. Times are changing,


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Posted by: stownsen914 Sep 28 2021, 06:20 PM

It's not like they grow on trees ...

Posted by: L-Jet914 Sep 28 2021, 06:28 PM

The valve stems that we supply at the Toyota dealership I work for as a technician come with new caps. So I don't know why the ones and Walmart don't come with them unless they remove them so they can quickly remove the valve cores while mounting the tires to the wheel.

Posted by: nditiz1 Sep 28 2021, 06:31 PM

When I got new tires on the beetle earlier this year from Walmart they came with the caps. Not sure why yours didn't.

I will say that Walmart has the best price for tires. They may not be the top brand names, but the driving school puts the Douglas on their cars which see tons of driving. Good enough for the beetle I occasionally drive. Probably good enough for the 6 if they have the correct size.

Posted by: davep Sep 28 2021, 07:11 PM

That is the way it is with the biggest retailers. Every year the corporate buyer for a widget gets shuffled, and the task for the new guy is to get a better price on the widget or lose his job. The manufacturer under constant pressure thinks to himself that costs are rising but volume isn't so the only way to reduce the price is to remove something. Hence the valve cap gets dropped. In two years time expect the valve core to be an optional extra. So start hoarding those used caps and cores now, they will become collectors items in years to come.
Remember the days (about 1985) and radios were being stolen left, right and center? Bet you see missing valve caps on more cars soon; maybe cores too.

Posted by: Front yard mechanic Sep 29 2021, 06:35 AM

You could upgrade and get the hello kitty valve stem caps

Posted by: 73-914 Sep 29 2021, 07:01 AM

It is Walmart ,probably just didn't put them back on

Posted by: lesorubcheek Sep 29 2021, 08:02 AM

Most likely. I've bought a few packs of valve stems recently (for lawn mower tires) from Walmart, and they certainly came with caps. Most probably the idiots just didn't think to put them on and then they fed you a line of bull as a weak excuse for their incompetence.

Dan

Posted by: rhodyguy Sep 29 2021, 08:13 AM

Still can't figure this one out. So they sold you a pack of 4 caps or you grabbed 4 used ones in the parking lot?

Posted by: Front yard mechanic Sep 29 2021, 09:15 AM

Found these

Posted by: Root_Werks Sep 29 2021, 09:17 AM

Posted by: 914Sixer Sep 29 2021, 11:19 AM

Here is a picture of the thread protector that came on valve stems. TISSUE paper thin and surely not UV resistant. You can see how thin they are because threads are showing in side view



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Posted by: mepstein Sep 29 2021, 11:29 AM

Lightweight version. Should cost more.

Posted by: fixer34 Sep 29 2021, 08:40 PM

Just be careful of the metal logo caps. My daughter bought some for her truck, after a winter they had corroded to the valve stem threads and we just about had to destroy them to get the caps off. Only plastic ones now.

Posted by: ClayPerrine Sep 30 2021, 11:08 AM

And dumb@ss kids will try to steal them because they have the Porsche logo on them.