Checking spare tire pressure in US 2005 Forester XT

Dual tires on the rear of medium to heavy trucks are mounted that way on the vehicle...inside tires have valves pointing toward the differential. There used to be a thing you could buy to extend the valve, so you could read the inside tire's pressure from the outside of the set of dual tires, so you didn't have to crawl under the truck axle to get to the valve. It was a length of hose, with a female fitting to screw/lock over the valve core, and a valve/cap with mounting clamp that was then looped around and extended through the outside wheel/tire and clamped somewhere. These were installed in place of the valve cap and the cap was put on the outside end of the hose...and then it was left in place till the wheel/tire had to be removed for whatever reason (flat tire, etc.). I've not been driving that heavy a truck for some time...but would try farm or truck supply places, or perhaps motor home/camper van type places? Perhaps JC Whitney or other catalog outfits? Sears used to have catalogs of farm/truck supplies but I'm not sure that they still offer those catalogs. They did have the disadvantage of being relatively vulnerable to getting snagged, or whatever, but that should not be an issue with a spare that sits in the spare tire bay of the vehicle as it would be protected and not exposed as much? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 2/16/07 8:43 AM, in article snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, "QX" wrote:

This shouldn't be an issue for a spare, assuming you take the extension off before using it, but wouldn't this cause a wheel balance issue on a truck with dual wheels? Or do you balance the wheel with the extension hose attached but flopping around, figuring the slight difference in its final position won't affect the balance much?

They don't balance them at all usually....

Good idea, as I have a 2005 Forester also. These come as a pair for $29.99. Maybe can find them cheaper.

Blair

Or, since each of us would only need one, and they sell in pairs, we could split the costs? As with the rest of you, I could use one in my Outback wagon...but would not really need two. If I order the pair, anyone interested in the second one?

Thanks to all for the help. I just needed the right search string.

Here they are through an Amazon.com partner, and only $7.00 The hose on this one is not stainless steel braided, but then for Subaru use, it isn't exposed to the elements so it shouldn't be a problem.

Here is the link to the manufacturers product page:

Excellent...thanks for that post!

I got one of these hoses from Amazon in today, and will be trying it out soon. It is quite a bit longer than the stated length of the steel ones from JCWhitney...which would likely allow it to extend up to or through the cover over that area...and make it easier to get to...if you find some place to secure the end of the hose. I'll play with it one of these days when we have warmer/drier weather that's conducive to such things. I may reinforce the area of the hose that could rub on the rim...perhaps a piece of rubber hose or metal tubing over the hose to protect it where it comes through the wheel?

Good idea. Some split wire loom and tape should do the job!

I got one of these hoses from Amazon in a while back. Since the weather warmed up, I took time to play with it last night. The hose is long enough to come up through one of the bolt holes in the rim (so the clamp through the center hole of the rim doesn't interfere) and run under the side piece of the deck and come up the corner, putting the fill valve in the indentation for the hold down clamp in that corner. That puts the fill valve handy, but relatively out of the way. Wait and see...hopefully the hose seals well enough to the valve stem to not leak air out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>0

>>>/

10101/Nty-1/p-2004010/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-10101/tf-Browse/s-10101/Nt>>>> k