Ever wonder why there are two types of valve stems?

Well, we had the pleasure of speaking with Weds Wheels, Sales Specialist, Taz Yeh, who was able to give us some helpful insight. To give you a bit of background, Taz Yeh is a former veteran, professional driver for Federal Tires in the Asian race circuit.

We asked Taz what are the benefits of the two types, the standard rubber valve stem vs. the fancy metal stems. Needless to say, Taz’s answer was very informative and eye opening. Taz chooses the rubber stem because it has more forgiving properties, making it ideal for wheel-to-wheel racing applications.

Taz explained "If another vehicle comes into contact with your wheels, the chances of a rubber stem breaking is significantly less."

After having this educational talk with Taz, we found that a metal valve stem has a good advantage over a rubber unit also. The solid structure of the metal valve allows tire pressure checks quickly and with one hand, leading to quicker pit stops vs. a rubber stem requiring the use of two hands to set the air nozzle.

Taz recommends that any valve stem in a motorsport setting should be swapped out for new stems every other tire change or when replacing your tires. We agree, and we follow these practices in our shop.

Our recommendation is to use whichever valve stems were included in your aftermarket wheels. Our preference is the metal type because ... it just looks good.

If you are still indecisive on rubber vs. metal, Taz recommended checking your local track rules. Other sources are checking the SCCA rules and regulation or the grand Daddy, the SFI rule book.

We hope this article offers you some helpful insight as to which valve stems are best for you.

We like to thank Taz for giving us the time to talk about this topic and giving us his professional opinion and please follow Weds Wheels.