Valves not lined up with wheels

You seem to be missing my point that I brought this up, because it wasn't done the right way, and often enough to matter. What am I missing? Do you work for the DOT...

 

One mechanic I talked to said that's mostly what they do around their shop is reorient wheels that were put on wrong, so it isn't just me (or he was just saying that to make me think it would be done later).

 

This keeps coming up, so I've used a chuck on a pipe elbow several times (since saying none had been low... what are the chances). I know for sure the Milton S-693 chuck heads can be unthreaded from their brass pipe handles and put onto another 1/8" NPT fitting, which can be put back on the handle or coupled to whatever (just use a little teflon tape on the threads).

Looked around online also, and there are actually 90 degree chucks, which would work for this too (if you can fit your whole arm in there to press it inward). Not sure if these motorcycle types are tilt lock, but they look most compact at that angle. I'd recommend using a tilt-lock type with an inline air gauge, so you don't have to fiddle with it any more than initial placement. If you can find small diameter DOT tubing and fittings (which adapt NPT ones), I think it helps to use that for air hose, so it doesn't pop off as easily (it's probably the lightest weight stuff for 120 psi), there is a tipping point for the lock on chucks, especially at odd angles. The 3/8" pvc hose that's typically on a gladhand for truck air gets very stiff in cold weather, and there's really no reason it needs to be that large when the valve opening is tiny (air cannot flow any faster than the smallest opening allows for). There are standard plumbing bushings that can adapt a 1/2" gladhand down to any size hose. The 1/4" rubber kind works pretty well too.

Another option would be a thread-on or clamp-on bicycle type of Schrader chuck, which could be combined with an angled hose barb, or some of those are already at a right angle (and bike tires are high psi, so it should be able to handle it, if you can get your hand around the valve).

 

When were you told to do otherwise? Don't... do... it.

Not that it bothers me, as long as the wheel is torqued, but sometimes I have to slip seat with a clean freak who complains if there's dirt inside the cab on a white glove inspection, and this is a dirty job. They'd rather blow a tire methinks (I'm always around people with this attitude wherever I go, why do they drive trucks)...

 

There's another case, where an aluminum wheel is mounted in front of a steel one. The valve was showing, but its angle was off enough to where I had to get to it from between the tires. In this case it was helpful to use the longer elbow chuck (I have a tru-flate single headed one that's lower profile for these odd recessed angles). There doesn't seem to be a regulation on mixing and matching rims, so whatever, I torqued it too to make sure they played well together.