What is it? - Wheel Edition (picture heavy)

So I got a sweet set of new to me wheels. Real Racing 16x12" Wide Fives.

But they have something I've never seen, and therefore don't understand and fear. On one side there is a valve stem (2 o'clock in the above image), but then there is this other fitting (6 o'clock).

Shot from the front

Shot from the back

The front is has female threads.

For comparison's sake, here is what the valve stem looks like:

Shot from the front

Shot from the rear

You guys are smart... what the hell is it/is it for?

High flow nitrogen fill evacuation port

i dunno, but i wanna borrow your Henry Rollins book... Black Flag FOR THE WIN!!

John Brown wrote: High flow nitrogen fill evacuation port

If that's true, those wheels just got a million times cooler.

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: i dunno, but i wanna borrow your Henry Rollins book... Black Flag FOR THE WIN!!

If you haven't, you need to read that book. Amazing perspective on life on the road back then. EDIT - I didn't look at my shelf. I thought that was "Get In the Van" which I also have and is rad. That one is "The Portable Henry Rollins". Also good and has chunks from "Get In the Van" in it.

Is that a big pile of GRM's too?

Vigo wrote: Is that a big pile of GRM's too?

Indeed it is... gotta have good reading material. But the most recent one is just a little further down the hall where it is more urgently needed.

Pressure bleeds, i'd wager. The pressure can be set higher at the start of the race, and as the tire heats and the pressure rises, it will bleed off pressure to avoid too much stagger change.

Streetwiseguy wrote: Pressure bleeds, i'd wager. The pressure can be set higher at the start of the race, and as the tire heats and the pressure rises, it will bleed off pressure to avoid too much stagger change.

That's interesting. Didn't think of that. I wonder how you know how much pressure it vents.

Any other ideas? We've got high flow nitrogen fill evacuation port and pressure bleeds.

I'll second a pressure bleed, but I wouldn't guarantee it.

It's easy to test; once you have tires mounted, keep filling with air until you see/feel/hear it open up. Stop at 60 psi, just in case. I can't imagine it being any higher than that anyway.

They usually look like this...

Just stumbled across this in the TRUECHOICE catalog...

maybe yours is missing some pieces? Different manufacturer? Completely inaccurate diagnosis?

If it IS a pressure relief valve, it's mounted in a bad spot anyway. They're supposed to go on a radial surface so centrifugal force doesn't force them open. I'm starting to think it must be something else...

I think pressure bleeder is the right ticket, but the "plunger" (for lack of a better term) is pushed from the outside in.

In other words, I can push the center from the outside (with a key) and the silver piece in there center

Moves into the pressured area of the wheel.

I'd think if it were a pressure bleeder it would have to work the other way, going off the picture Tom linked (I assume the spring puts pressure against the valve, keeping it closed until air pressure overcomes it).

Is the assembly something the former owner could have turned around? Mean disassembled it, and switch it from inside pressure release to outside, thus stopping it from releasing pressure?

Andrew

duke said: i dunno, but i wanna borrow your Henry Rollins book... Black Flag FOR THE WIN!!

Hopefully Gimp has a girlfriend, because I see Sookie Stackhouse novels on the bottom shelf....

digdug18 wrote: Is the assembly something the former owner could have turned around? Mean disassembled it, and switch it from inside pressure release to outside, thus stopping it from releasing pressure? Andrew

I'd say that is unlikely. I'll email the previous owner to see if he knows anything about them, but looking at it compared to the other pictures here I'd say they are installed correctly. Plus, there are no threads on the other side that anything could attach to.

maroon92 wrote:

duke said: i dunno, but i wanna borrow your Henry Rollins book... Black Flag FOR THE WIN!!

Hopefully Gimp has a girlfriend, because I see Sookie Stackhouse novels on the bottom shelf....

The real question is how did you know what those were?

they are def pressure bleeders used to keep the air pressure at a certain pressure. we use em on the modified and our pro stock. when they are set up right they are great.. but if you dont now how to set em up correctly they will make you pull yur hair out. they look like they got installed properly. and are adjustable via spring that go in em.