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Topic: Dicor tire valve extenders (Read 4 times) previous topic - next topic
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Dicor tire valve extenders
Yahoo Message Number: 19349
Mike R. back in post #16276 you were talking about the Dicor valve extenders. You mentioned that you had the part numbers available.
Could you enlighten me as to the ones you would get if you were doing it over. (I have a 2003 on order, can I assume that it will have the same wheels you have on yours?) After visiting Camping World last week, the choices are very confusing. The folks at Camping World also said that the valve stems on the wheels might need to be replaced before adding the extenders; does this mean the tires have to be dissmounted and then rebalanced when the extenders get put on? Thanks, Steve
Steve K

2003 Mid-bath
 
Re: Dicor tire valve extenders (long)
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 19361
Steve, You're correct in assuming that the wheels on the 2003 are the same as those on my 2001 LD. I believe CW only carries the Wheel Masters line of extenders and some of those are very heavy due to the type of rubber hose inside the stainless steel reinforcing braiding but not any better than some other brands and designs that use a different type of hose inside the braiding. Their ZIP extenders are the only ones I would get but their brackets would have to be riveted to the wheel liners. LD uses the same type bracket for the ones they sell but use a large hose clamp to mount them instead of the rivets that require you drill holes in the liners to rivet them in.
 I'll give you the part numbers for both the "airless" or "live stem" (Air Gard) style and the standard (Air Gard II) universal type and let you decide which ones you'll want. Since it actually works out cheaper to get the "airless" or "live stem" type that is most likely what you'd want but they are a special order item at most RV parts dealers that sell them. I'll also give you the Dicor P/N and the Coast Distribution Systems P/N that all their dealers use. If I were buying them now I'd go the live stem type for several reasons.

Air Gard rear inner: Dicor# LS-534N-1FC  Coast# 38645 Price:$24.95 Air Gard rear outer: Dicor# AG125C  Coast# S/O     Price: $12.95 Air Gard front: Dicor# AG45C   Coast# 34780   Price: $8.95 Air Gard II Universal: Dicor# UHS-4C  Coast# 38871 Price: $53.95 (Includes inner braided stainless and outer AG125C)
 Regarding these prices, the prices for all Air Gard are from the 2002 catalog and the AG125C was quoted to me last summer by my local independent RV service and parts store, Central Florida RV. The Air Gard II price is from their website and that price has gone up by $3.00 from the 2002 catalog. Central Fl RV told me today that they would charge me the 2002 prices on all of these items if I placed the order with them on the phone. It takes only a couple days to receive the special order items.
 Looking at the Dicor website it doesn't list the AG125C but does list a LS-95, 95-degree "live stem" for the outer rear. The AG45C and AG125C are solid stainless steel valve extenders like the Wheel Masters type sold at CW but the rear 125-degree outer has a much longer extension after the 125-degree bend. The ones Wheel Masters sells won't allow you to fill the tires any easier than none at all in fact it makes it more difficult. I had tried that route and returned them and the single rear inner extenders I got at CW but kept the front 45-degree extenders. The solid front and outer rear AG#s were not the "live stem" design but the new LS-95 is. I don't know what the price is for that part# but on the Dicor site on the prices page it shows it as $11.00ea. The prices on that page though don't correlate with the prices in the Coast catalog and they are spare (replacement) parts. Just to put that in perspective each of the Air Gard rear inner extenders cost $17.00 without the spring clip as spares but a set is $24.95 and has 2 plus the clips!

You should replace the rubber/brass OEM valve stems with stainless steel ones when using extenders for the best and safest results.
There have been instances where people have used them with the OEM stems and the rubber moves in the hole or is ripped due to the centrifugal force and added weight of the extenders and air leaks out. For many people that complain about extenders loosing air that could be they installed them on the rubber/brass stems, they didn't install them correctly, or they never checked and retightened them after driving several hundred miles. They should be checked when checking lugs for correct torque or occasionally when checking air pressure because they can loosen especially when first installed.
Many people have had no problems with using them on rubber/brass stems but since there have been problems many mfgs now recommend that you only use them with solid brass or stainless steel stems. To do this does require you to have the tires dismounted and then remounted and rebalanced. That is something you must decide for yourself. LD and many other mfgs and people feel not doing so can be dangerous if a rubber stem fails and they are more likely to especially as they get older. The cost to do it is not a large cost and often the cost of replacing the stems and labor is around $100-125. I know LD only sells sets of them and that doesn't give you enough for all 7 tires including the spare. Should you need to use it or if you want to rotate it with a front tire for more even wear on all tires it should also be replaced with the metal type.

Here's the link to Dicor if you'd like to view them.
http://www.dicor.com

You need to wait for the java menu frame to load and then choose Wheel Accessories and then Air Inflation Products. Mine are like the VHS series and I'd thought about replacing them but after a couple calls to Dicor to get some info they sold me the STA-1F spring clips at $3.00ea. It was a steep price for these but I was tired of slicing my hand on the sharp edges of the brackets when washing them without my wash mitt on and sometimes when removing or reinstalling them. It was worth the $12 to me to avoid that and make the wheel liners a bit easier to reinstall. There just isn't much thread left on the Ford lug bolt studs for the jam nuts to catch and with the VHS style brackets it was even harder!

Mike