The smallest part on a big tire
An OTR tire costs a great deal and the valve that holds its air costs very little. A surprising amount of equipment downtime starts at the valve rather than the tire.
On a machine working in rock, mud and brush, the valve stem is exposed in a way it never is on a road vehicle. It gets knocked by debris, packed with dirt, bent against the rim, or snapped clean off. A cracked stem or a core that no longer seals leaks slowly, and a slow leak on a large tire is easy to miss until the machine is visibly sitting low on one side, by which time the tire may have been worked underinflated for days.
A few habits deal with most of it.
Use a proper cap. A sealing cap, rather than none, keeps dirt out of the core and adds a second seal. Replace lost caps rather than leaving the stem open.
Look at the stem every time pressures are checked. Bent, cracked, or packed with debris all count as a reason to replace it.
Treat a slow leak as a stem until proven otherwise. Before assuming the tire is damaged, check the stem and the core. It costs very little to rule out.
Protect stems on machines that need it. Some equipment and rims have guards or a stem position that keeps them clear of debris. Ask about it if stems keep getting damaged.
Fitting, repair and supply
When a tire does need attention, the work here covers fitting, assessment of damage, and supply across the OTR range. Rims behind the tires are wheel refurbishing, and an operation wanting its equipment on a schedule can set that up through fleet services. The national OTR services page covers the range in more detail.
About this store
The De Soto store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Cathy Bequette.
See the national OTR services page for all 41 locations.