Colby Emergency Valve Stem – in use

Posted: May 21, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Everyone should carry one or more of these on your rig.

I touted these in the past when they first hit the market. See link below. That was 5-years ago and until the other day, I hadn’t needed one.

Colby Emergency Tire Valve | The ‘Other’ Rubicon (theotherrubicon.com)

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I tore a valve stem on my Jeep. I knew immediately it had happened. You can’t miss the sound of air rushing out. I’d love to tell you a story of the difficult terrain I was in that resulted in a rock reaching in to my wheel and ripping off my valve stem. The truth is, I was in my driveway washing my Jeep.

So, yes, the valve stems were probably ten years old. Yes, the tires are almost ten years old. New ones are on order but 2-months out. I actually hit the valve stem with the brush I was using and tore it at the base.

I tried to pull off the torn valve stem and the whole thing came out. The usual procedure is to push the remaining bits in to the wheel.

Since I heard it immediately, I threw a jack stand under the axle and finished washing the Jeep.

In comes the Colby Valve stem. Nothing like an unsolicited trail by fire.

The Colby valve stem slipped right in. This is the “emergency” version so it doesn’t require tools. The wingnut is turned to tighten the stem in to place.

Once tightened, is works like a normal valve stem.

After tightening it up, since I was in my driveway, I ran the hose from my air compressor reel out to the rig and filled it up. Now I have to wait for my tires to come in so I can retrieve my emergency valve stem!

Again, everyone should carry one of these. If not for you, then for the guy you’re wheeling with or the guy who broke in front of you.

Available everywhere, here’s a link to Amazon. I was not compensated in any way by Colby or Amazon.

AmazonSmile: Colby Valve Emergency Valve Stem Replacement (Black): Automotive

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Rubicon Ronin

Side Wall Blowout

Posted: June 30, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Maintenance, Travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Sooner or later it will happen to all of us. This is my third off-road flat.

This morning, I headed out on the Rubicon to try and clear a water bar on Cadillac Hill and to try to improve the mud hole on the Tahoe side.

Staging Area at 8:30; the 03-04 intersection by 9:02. but at 9:40, I blew out the sidewall of the front right tire.

This is just past the Barker Meadow OHV Route and just before the usually wet obstacle before Hummer Bend.

Double throw bottle jack underneath, rather than a Hi-Lift jack under the bumper. Tire under rig for safety.

I tried to refill it, hoping I just lost the bead long enough to flatten it, but upon closer inspection, I wasn’t going to fill it.

10:08 I was back on the trail. Not the same tread but the same size. I turned around and headed home. The maintenance will wait.

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Rubicon Ronin