Valve stem nuts

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
Just dealing with a bike which has a flat tyre. First thing I realise (other than I had never removed a hub rear wheel before and needed to find a YouTube video) was that the valve stem has no nut on it.

Thinking I must be bonkers, I checked the front wheel. Exactly the same. So I checked my bike - front and rear both have the expected nuts on them.

Please confirm that there is no new-fangled way of doing without these nuts - is there?
 

GLJoe

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 21, 2017
853
407
UK
Just dealing with a bike which has a flat tyre. First thing I realise (other than I had never removed a hub rear wheel before and needed to find a YouTube video) was that the valve stem has no nut on it.

Thinking I must be bonkers, I checked the front wheel. Exactly the same. So I checked my bike - front and rear both have the expected nuts on them.

Please confirm that there is no new-fangled way of doing without these nuts - is there?
lots of people don't bother to put the nut on.
Saves weight. Seriously .....
 
  • :D
Reactions: anotherkiwi

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,995
6,535
with no nut it can rip the valve as it cam move around and get cut on the hole.

had loads of bikes as a kid like this and then split the tube buy the valve hole even buy pumping it up with a car foot pump :rolleyes:
 

Gadfly

Pedelecer
Mar 30, 2018
53
33
Lincolnshire
My Cube Touring EXC has no valve nuts either, and without them getting an inflator adapter to latch on can be difficult. Unfortunately I have found no source of said nuts other than motorcycle types which are heavyweight in appearance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: oyster

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
My Cube Touring EXC has no valve nuts either, and without them getting an inflator adapter to latch on can be difficult. Unfortunately I have found no source of said nuts other than motorcycle types which are heavyweight in appearance.
This is a Cube and it has Schrader valves. The inner tube was pinched and has a split about 8mm long in it. Would explain loss of pressure!

Looking round other bikes, it seems somewhat random whether they have nuts or not even within a make.

Seen several threads around the web saying that the nut, or the second nut itf it has two, should be tightened up to the valve cap.

(There's me thinking this would be a nice simple queestion.)
 

chris_n

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 29, 2016
751
450
63
Niedeau, Austria
Most Schrader (car) type valves have no locknut. Presta always have provision for locknuts but they aren't always fitted. Both of my MTBs have them, my roadbike doesn't. One thing to be careful of is tightening them up with the tyre at full pressure, if you do you may not be able to loosen them when you get a puncture.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: flecc

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,786
The European Union
Don't they come with all Schwalbe tubes?
 

Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
All my shrader tubes have lock rings and from memory always have had
As for tightening them up against the valve cap that’s just pointless who ever came up with that little gem should definitely be ignored for advice :)
 
  • Disagree
  • Like
Reactions: Gringo and oyster

Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
Looks like they do but I think they are in the minority having a metal stem, most are rubber.
Schwalbe and continental are threaded I have both here as for the rest no idea
 

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
All my shrader tubes have lock rings and from memory always have had
As for tightening them up against the valve cap that’s just pointless who ever came up with that little gem should definitely be ignored for advice :)
More than one person out there recommended doing so. Backed up with something like it being standard in some form of motorbike sport. Claiming it acts as a locknut hence protects against loss of valve cap and entry of foreign matter.
 

Gringo

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 18, 2013
1,346
842
Northampton
All my shrader tubes have lock rings and from memory always have had
As for tightening them up against the valve cap that’s just pointless who ever came up with that little gem should definitely be ignored for advice :)
I've never seen or done it on a bike valve but locking two nuts together on the same thread is common engineering practice, so to an engineering mind, locking a nut and a dust cap together on a valve stem makes sense :p
 
  • Like
  • Disagree
Reactions: oyster and Fat Rat

Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
I've never seen or done it on a bike valve but locking two nuts together on the same thread is common engineering practice, so to an engineering mind, locking a nut and a dust cap together on a valve stem makes sense :p
Lol
Most Valve caps have seals in them that definitely should hold them from turning loose and those that don’t have self locking property’s in them as the plastic/nylon make up of them grips the top of the valve stem
So from an engineering point of view that should be good enough for that high stress job which is holding a poxy valve cap on :)
 
Last edited:

Gringo

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 18, 2013
1,346
842
Northampton
Lol
Most Valve caps have seals in them that definitely should hold them from turning loose and those that don’t have self locking property’s in them as the plastic/nylon make up of them grips the top of the valve stem
So from an engineering point of view that should be good enough for that high stress job which is holding a poxy valve cap on :)
What ever you say
 
  • Dislike
Reactions: Fat Rat

oyster

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2017
10,422
14,609
West West Wales
I've never seen or done it on a bike valve but locking two nuts together on the same thread is common engineering practice, so to an engineering mind, locking a nut and a dust cap together on a valve stem makes sense :p
Perhaps not the very highest reputation sites, but lots like these:

By DEATH_INC., Posted July 21, 2017
i usually wind the top one up against the valve cap once I've put it on.

By Wild Alaskan, Posted July 22, 2017

Leave the bottom one on and the top for installing the tube, then discard the top one or tighten it against the valve cap to allow the tube to shift without ripping.


https://thumpertalk.com/forums/topic/1235761-valve-stem-nuts/


JimVonBaden, Jun 25, 2010

tcourdin said:

If you snug the stem onto the rim, and then the tire slips on the rim it will rip the tube. It's better to have the stem a bit loose. I either run no nut or run it up to the cap as your friend suggested.

Nut or no nut the tire slipping on the rim will rip the tube. If that is a concern with a low tire pressure dirt bike, use rim locks.

As for the two nuts, one is a lock nut to the other, both on the outside. I have never seen a valve cap fall off, so do not see what use there is in tightening a nut against the valve cap.

Jim :brow


https://advrider.com/index.php?threads/tire-tube-valve-stem-nut.593561/
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,995
6,535
my pivot bolts fall off but i have never lost a valve cap b4 ill add some lock tight just in case. :D
 

Gringo

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 18, 2013
1,346
842
Northampton
Do you have a problem with what I have written ??

Or are you just being a troll
I was simply saying that locking two nuts together on the same thread is common in mechanical engineering. I didn't say I do it on my valve caps, merely that I understand the principal.
You disagreed with me.

Over 40 working in mechanical engineering has given me an understanding of how things work. I've also learned it's pointless to argue with people that don't understand.
So to restore some harmony I'll agree with what ever you say.