What size nut goes onto a typical US passenger tire Schrader valve?

wrote on Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:04:43 -0500:

> They do seal better on boyh steel and alloy
> because the rubber seal is compressed much more positively than the
> rubber stem, forming a VERY tight seal.

That what I would have thought.
Thanks for confirming that the quality of seal is better.

wrote on Wed, 07 Dec 2016 21:34:34 -0500:

> In Canada we are never far from a "Canadian Tire" store and they
> almost always have something decent on sale that will do the job
> without breaking either the bank or your knuckles.

That is another "proof" of my point that price is meaningless when
comparing quality of objects.

The quality of an object whether or not it is on sale, is the same, right?

That's proof alone that price is not an indicator of quality.
Never was.
Never will be.

Price *is* an indicator; but not of quality.

Scott Dorsey wrote on 7 Dec 2016 21:06:25 -0500:

> There is a cellphone alignment tool? I have done the string and measuring
> tape thing (and generally been more satisfied with it than I have been by
> sending it to shops with expensive tools operated by high school kids),
> but I'd be willing to spend a couple hundred dollars to do a better job.
> Tell me more!

There are three jobs almost nobody does at home, all three of which I'd
love to learn how to do because they can't be as hard as people think:
1. Paint your car
2. Replace & balance tires
3. Align your suspension

Depending on the car, the suspension issue is twofold:
a. You have to *understand* what you're doing
b. You have to *measure* what you've got

An alignment, like changing oil, should be done as often as you can do it,
but, like changing oil, in reality, alignments are done far less than
people say they do them.

Why?
Because they're expensive (about $100 on sale where I live but I know the
price varies greatly) and they take effort (an hour minimum but more like
three hours from leaving the house to getting back to the house).

The main problem people have with alignment is self made.
They *think* they need a tool that costs $100K.

But that $100K one-man-operated alignment tool has, just as an example, a
$20K lift and a $10K laser system and $30K of software to handle all cars
and a $5,000 printer option, etc.

None of which a home garage mechanic needs.
That tool is made for a different purpose - which is to get a huge variety
of cars in and out of that shop in no time fast by one guy.

Also, that $100K tool measures stuff that you can't do anything about, such
as tracking and ackerman angles and steering axis inclination, etc.

My sedan only has 3 settable items:
a. Front toe
b. Rear camber
c. Rear toe

That's it. Nothing else is adjustable (although camber plates can be put
nio the front struts).

So, from that perspective, home tool only needs to measure toe & camber.
Nothing else.

Toe is relatively easy, especially with a helper.
So is camber.

Camber is just an angle, and toe is just a distance.
Smartphones can measure angles easily.

I just googled for Android angle-measurement apps and these came up:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ode.clinometer
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....anglemeterpro
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ira.protractor
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ode.isetsquare
etc.

The only thing a home owner needs are knowledge and jigs.

The lack of knowledge is the *real* reason most homeowners don't do
alignment at home, but the lack of jigs slows them down.

For example, you need a jig to measure the midpoint of the tire treads
wheel to wheel (or worse, wheel to centerline of the vehicle).

And you need camber plates (yes there are redneck methods) to adjust
camber.

But the *real* reason most people don't do a home alignment is that you
have to *think* real hard to do it because the measurements are *always* in
the wrong units from what you're measuring.

This post is long enough, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 02:37:42 -0000 (UTC), Leon Schneider
> wrote:

wrote on Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:06:20 -0500:
>
>> Just make sure the repair is done properly. Anything bigger than a
>> nail hole I consider to be NOT REPAIRABLE on today's radial tires.
>> (and I spent many years in the auto repair and tire businesses)
>
>I do have one question about that tire repair but this is probably not the
>thread for it.
>
>But since you brought it up...
>
>1. Here is my patch kit on top of the holed tire.
> http://i.cubeupload.com/TE6Td2.jpg
>2. One question I have is what's the difference between a "radial" patch
>and a patch that doesn't *say* it's radial?
> http://i.cubeupload.com/0Q8NO3.jpg
>3. Here is the hole from a screw, shown from the inside of the tire
> http://i.cubeupload.com/8XKp9m.jpg
>(yes, I know the rubber chafed from driving on it for a mile when low)
>4. Here is the final picture of the patch
>(yes, I know that the t-shaped patch would have been better)
> http://i.cubeupload.com/JWrrfh.jpg
>
>I have a bunch of technical questions, but before I ask them, I do know
>that the tire is toast and that the t-shaped patch would have been better.
>
>The only reason I didn't put in the t-shaped patch was that I didn't feel
>like reaming out the hole, since the hole was so tiny I could barely get
>that tent-pole stringing wire through it that you see in this pictu
> http://i.cubeupload.com/8XKp9m.jpg
>
>My *technical* questions are the following:
>
>1. What the heck is the difference between the patches in the patch kit
>labeled "radial" and the very similar looking patches not labeled radial?
>
>2. Would a drill work as a reamer? Those hand tools are a bear to use.
>
>3. Where can I get more tubes of that cement? It always seems that these
>are single-use only (no matter how large they are) because when I need
>them, they're always dried up.
>
>
The radial tire patch is a re-enforced patch - a tube patch is not -
it needs to stretch with the tube. I have not seen a "non-radial" tire
carcass patch in years. A radial tire needs to be patched "all the way
through" - plug the hole and seal the liner. Combination patches are
best. I have been "guilty" of patching nail punctures with a simple
plug - and gotten away with it.
The reamer in a tire shop is usually mounted in an air operated "die
grinder" or drill.

An alternative to a "plugpatch" is installing a plug, then buffing the
interior and putting a patch over it.

No patch within an inch of the edge of the tread, or in the sidewall.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 02:44:16 -0000 (UTC), Leon Schneider
> wrote:

wrote on Wed, 07 Dec 2016 17:53:48 -0500:
>
>> and the inch, foot, mile, fehrenheit temperatures, lbs and ounces and
>> tons (as compared to tonnes)and a whole lot of other measurements you
>> did NOT change.. Your fluid measure was changed to short-change the
>> brits.
>
>Until this very moment, I had alays thought a tonne was just a British
>spelling of ton!
A TONNE is a metric ton, or a "long ton" - 1000 Kg or 2200 lbs.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 02:44:19 -0000 (UTC), Leon Schneider
> wrote:

wrote on Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:12:53 -0500:
>
>> Sorry - I just checked again, and you can buy the chinese rubber
>> snap-ins for about $0.50 apiece on e-bay - if you don't care what
>> quality the rubber is.
>
>The problem with price is that you can get anything for any price in that i
>paid about $2 each for the four valve stems I bought where on the net
>they're probably 20 cents each.
>
>My point on price is that the stems are exact the same quality at two
>dollars as they are for twenty cents.

They MIGHT be. They might not. And looking at them they will look the
same. Without knowing their provenence or DNA, you don't know.
Buying from a reliable supplier gives you a better chance of getting
the "good stuff"
>
>What you're paying for is not the quality of the valve stems, and, it
>seems, from my experience, you almost never (if ever) get good quality
>stuff at a auto parts store (where I bought mine).

We have been our own worst enemy, because we systematically shop by
price. The auto parts stores, just like Walmart, carry what YOU as the
consumer wants - low price. (Which usually translates to low quality
on non-perishables)

On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 03:03:53 -0000 (UTC), Leon Schneider
> wrote:

wrote on Wed, 07 Dec 2016 21:34:34 -0500:
>
>> In Canada we are never far from a "Canadian Tire" store and they
>> almost always have something decent on sale that will do the job
>> without breaking either the bank or your knuckles.
>
>That is another "proof" of my point that price is meaningless when
>comparing quality of objects.
>
>The quality of an object whether or not it is on sale, is the same, right?
>
>That's proof alone that price is not an indicator of quality.
>Never was.
>Never will be.
>
>Price *is* an indicator; but not of quality.
"you only get what you pay for - and then only if you are lucky"
pretty well defines today's market place.

Generally speeking we overpay for junk - because it costs the same to
warehouse and inventory junk as it does quality goods. The price we
pay for goods includes the cost of the goods (which varies with
quality, to some extent) plus the cost of warehousing, inventory, and
handling - which is the same for junk as for jewels.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2016 03:03:55 -0000 (UTC), Leon Schneider
> wrote:

>Scott Dorsey wrote on 7 Dec 2016 21:06:25 -0500:
>
>> There is a cellphone alignment tool? I have done the string and measuring
>> tape thing (and generally been more satisfied with it than I have been by
>> sending it to shops with expensive tools operated by high school kids),
>> but I'd be willing to spend a couple hundred dollars to do a better job.
>> Tell me more!
>
>There are three jobs almost nobody does at home, all three of which I'd
>love to learn how to do because they can't be as hard as people think:
>1. Paint your car
>2. Replace & balance tires
>3. Align your suspension

Trust me, painting your car is a lot harder than it looks -
particularly to do a decent job "at home"

Replacing and balancing tires requires either reasonable equipment or
a lot of sweat and sometimes blood and tears to go with it. Doing a
proper accurate ballance job requires complex equipment.

Alignment is another story - not hard to measure and adjust toe. Not
terribly hard to check camber, but measuring caster requires special
tools.
>
>Depending on the car, the suspension issue is twofold:
>a. You have to *understand* what you're doing
>b. You have to *measure* what you've got
>
>An alignment, like changing oil, should be done as often as you can do it,
>but, like changing oil, in reality, alignments are done far less than
>people say they do them.

Alignments on today's vehicles really only need to be done if the
vehicle is damaged. or parts are replaced. They don't "go out of
alignment" unless something bends or wears.
>
>Why?
>Because they're expensive (about $100 on sale where I live but I know the
>price varies greatly) and they take effort (an hour minimum but more like
>three hours from leaving the house to getting back to the house).
>
>The main problem people have with alignment is self made.
>They *think* they need a tool that costs $100K.
>
>But that $100K one-man-operated alignment tool has, just as an example, a
>$20K lift and a $10K laser system and $30K of software to handle all cars
>and a $5,000 printer option, etc.
>
>None of which a home garage mechanic needs.
>That tool is made for a different purpose - which is to get a huge variety
>of cars in and out of that shop in no time fast by one guy.
>
>Also, that $100K tool measures stuff that you can't do anything about, such
>as tracking and ackerman angles and steering axis inclination, etc.
>
>My sedan only has 3 settable items:
>a. Front toe
>b. Rear camber
>c. Rear toe
>
>That's it. Nothing else is adjustable (although camber plates can be put
>nio the front struts).

And if you cannot measure the caster and camber you don't know if
there is anything wrong - but your tires wear and the car pulls to the
left or right. You can't tell if the car is tracking properly or if it
has a bent or twisted uni-body or sub frame.
I've had to shift the subframe to balance the canber on many a vehicle
- and I've had to grind out mounting holes to tweak and shift parts to
optimize alignment on many vehicles. I've had to replace struts and
spindles to get alignment back into spec after someone kissed a curb
or bounced through a pothole - or after colission repairs that were
not done properly - very often on vehicles someone had recently
purchased - not knowing it had been previously damaged.
>
>So, from that perspective, home tool only needs to measure toe & camber.
>Nothing else.
>
>Toe is relatively easy, especially with a helper.
>So is camber.
>
>Camber is just an angle, and toe is just a distance.
>Smartphones can measure angles easily.

And not always terribly accurately - and you still need to know the
car is sitting level to start with -
>
>I just googled for Android angle-measurement apps and these came up:
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ode.clinometer
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....anglemeterpro
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ira.protractor
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ode.isetsquare
>etc.
>
>The only thing a home owner needs are knowledge and jigs.
>
>The lack of knowledge is the *real* reason most homeowners don't do
>alignment at home, but the lack of jigs slows them down.
>
>For example, you need a jig to measure the midpoint of the tire treads
>wheel to wheel (or worse, wheel to centerline of the vehicle).

What do you need that for? The inner edge of the rim or the outer
edge of the rim works just as well, if not better than the "center of
the tread" and is how real alignment equipment works - and it checks
to make sure the rim is "true" and compensates if it is not - - -
>
>And you need camber plates (yes there are redneck methods) to adjust
>camber.
>
>But the *real* reason most people don't do a home alignment is that you
>have to *think* real hard to do it because the measurements are *always* in
>the wrong units from what you're measuring.
>
>This post is long enough, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Only less than 1 in 1000 people is "capable" of doing a proper
alignment without proper equipment - and only about 1 in 4 (being
charitable here) mechanics can do it WITH the proper equipment.


That's my story - and I'm sticking to IT. As a former mechanic and
former service manager and shop foreman who has had a few very good
front end men, and a lot more who would starve to death doing it flat
rate and choke on their come-backs.

You are obviously a lot less fussy than the average customer.

wrote on Thu, 08 Dec 2016 00:19:22 -0500:

> A TONNE is a metric ton, or a "long ton" - 1000 Kg or 2200 lbs.

Thanks. I didn't know that. It never occurred to me to look.

So I will remember that by thinking that a tonne is "longer" than a ton by
two characters, or 200 pounds!

wrote on Thu, 08 Dec 2016 00:23:31 -0500:

> We have been our own worst enemy, because we systematically shop by
> price. The auto parts stores, just like Walmart, carry what YOU as the
> consumer wants - low price. (Which usually translates to low quality
> on non-perishables)

Yup. We agree. I've seen people buy EE friction grade (cold/hot) brake pads
for more money than FF or GG pads cost. They don't know what they're doing,
and the auto part store guy doesn't know any more either.

Pretty much, I go to the auto parts store for stuff that I need now, and
that's pretty much all I get there.

Certainly I never buy any replacement parts there (e.g., never an
alternator or a radiator) but I might get belts there if I need them now.