Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Hi everyone...

Have not been active for a while, but had to share this with you.
Recently did a 2 500km "zig zag" trip between the West Coast, Upington and back - all via back and farm roads.
Found that my left rear tyre kept on loosing pressure, like less than 500mb per day - so nothing to get anxious about, but still.
I constantly checked for a leak of some sort, even putting some moisture on the valve opening - but nothing obvious.

Until at a "pit stop" about halfway between Pofadder and Niewoudville and some 90km due West of Brandvlei (as the crow flies) I decided that the tyre pressure is just not right - something did not feel right. You know, you "mos" sometimes get that feeling...
Anyway, I hauled out the compressor, connected up the air hose and pulled on the hose to get closer to the power point, when I noticed this continuous hissing.
Thinking it was the normal deflating that you get when you connect the air hose I did not take notice until I got back to the tyre and I was just about to switch on the compressor.

Low and behold, the metal insert of the valve was actually busy coming out of the rubber valve body...
As I touched it, it popped right out - imagine it happened at about 100km/h on one of those dust roads...

Thanks for that little voice inside my head...
Listen to it... you might just live to tell the tale...

How did you fix it?

Never seen that before? Are those the valves from nissan?

Herrie wrote:How did you fix it?

Hi there Herrie...
Used some glue from my "patch kit" as a temporary measure.
But I replaced that wheel with the spare just in case and had the valve replaced when I got home.

...

Tinus lotz wrote:Never seen that before? Are those the valves from nissan?

Hi Tinus

They are standard SupaQuick issues.
Were replaced when the BF Goodriches went on.

...

Just found the same thing happened to the diesel bowser trailer on site on Monday as well.

I have seen this before it happened on a cruiser, we did much the same as you. So this does not relate to only patrols. I carry spare complete valve stems just in case, I fitted a TPMS and these have alloy stems and I am worried I will break one on a trip on rock or something like that.

AndrewA wrote:I have seen this before it happened on a cruiser, we did much the same as you. So this does not relate to only patrols. I carry spare complete valve stems just in case, I fitted a TPMS and these have alloy stems and I am worried I will break one on a trip on rock or something like that.

Good point, thanks. I will start carrying spare valve stems as well since I also have those aluminium stems with the TPMS.

Hey guys

Just reading the responses reminded me...
I also carry a few valve stems including valve inserts and caps as a matter of course.
Such a simple thing... but such terribly difficult job to accomplish in the middle of nowhere.
Who carries tyre levers et al, when you are this close to civilization?

So there I have all the spares, but near enough to a tyre shop to have it repaired for 50 bucks later the same day. And no stress for me.

Enjoy the ride...

Good day. I carry the normal tyre stuff to do a repair and a bead breaker. That is a very handy tool. Helped myself and allot off other people.