Checking spare tire pressure in US 2005 Forester XT

[QX]

The full size spare tire in the US '05 Forester is mounted with the
valve stem facing downward. I see it has to be this way to take
advantage of the depression in the rim to hold the circular storage
caddy..

The problem is that when I want to check the tire pressure, I have to
take out the storage caddy, remove the items I have wedged into the
corners of the pan (directly adjacent to the tire itself), unscrew the
tire retaining bolt, and remove the tire from the body pan, check the
pressure, then reverse all the motions. I am looking for a way to make
it considerably easier..

Does anyone know source for a LONG valve extension hose that I can
screw into the valve stem and extend up and around the center tire rim
storage caddy? That way I could just attach the gauge/tire hose to the
exposed extension tube and check the air pressure in just a few
seconds and nor require removal of the tire from its home.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jack Countryman]

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?
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[John Santos]

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?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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?

 

[Jack Countryman]

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

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?

 

[Blair Baucom]

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...01/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=valve+extension

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

Blair

 

[Jack Countryman]

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?

 

[QX]

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.
http://tinyurl.com/38943d

http://www.amazon.com/Accu-gage-Che..._1_8/104-9134774-0962354?ie=UTF8&s=automotive

Here is the link to the manufacturers product page:
http://www.ghmeiser.com/accessories.htm

 

[CompUser]

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.
http://tinyurl.com/38943d

http://www.amazon.com/Accu-gage-Che..._1_8/104-9134774-0962354?ie=UTF8&s=automotive

Here is the link to the manufacturers product page:
http://www.ghmeiser.com/accessories.htm

Excellent...thanks for that post!

 

[Jack Countryman]

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?

 

[CompUser]

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!

 

[Jack Countryman]

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.
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