[Neanderthal]

I'm having trouble with a vibration in my new tires.

I had them road force balanced locally, and that helped but did not solve the vibe at 65+. (I had them balanced at two other stores previously.)

Back today to see if this is a balance or a tire issue. BTW, Tire Rack has already made generous offers to help solve this.

At any rate, a bit of trivia: The gal behind the counter said TPMS requires a nickel-plated valve core, and that someone had replaced mine with a brass core.

This apparently is a no-no, and perhaps Big Al or another tire person would like to chime in with further gory (pardon the term) details.

http://www.tireindustry.org/features/TPMS.asp

 

[73ChevelleSS]

The valve core is not going to affect tire balance.

 

[Triple-X08]

no it will not affect tire balance.

your valve core in a TPM system depending on the system is nickel plated.

on the aluminum stem monitors, they are nickel plated, and this is so because if they put in a brass one, then it would corrode. and you would never get it out, and everytime they do tires you would need new sensors.

in a rubber stem like GM has on the newer versions. they use a brass core. the nickel plated ones are brass core, but they are nickel plated.

personally i think the rubber stems are better. you dont have corrosion problems, and the sensors are available cheaper, and you can replace the stem where as the aluminum bodied sensors you have to replace the whole unit.

common problem people have is that the aluminum ones corrode. this is so because like i said, the dis similar metals. it causes corrosion. so thats why they put in the nickel plated cores. but.. what happens is, the idiot at bobs tire emporium over tightens the valve core, and then it cracks the nickel plating. then you have brass exposed, and you will never get it back out, and your replacing the sensor. thats why we have a certain torque that all cores have to be tightened to. and its like 4 in lbs, roughly.

but no valve cores will not throw a tire out of balance. depending on the tire- its probably the tire at fault, or a bent rim, or possibly they dont know how to balance it properly.