Review on Colby Valve Emergency Replacement Black by Colton Scheehl

I don't usually bother with product reviews but this one really helped! When I tried to inflate the tire with air, the corroded valve stem came loose along with the cap and my tire was completely deflated. I can fix everything from roofs to dishwashers, but I've never had any luck repairing cars: I don't have enough muscles to use hand tools in cars (I have to jump up and down). a wrench to even loosen a nut), and the lack of a workshop means there isn't an extensive range of specialized power tools to compensate. The lane I parked in isn't entirely paved, so even putting up a jack isn't easy or safe. Throw in cold or rainy weather (which means numb fingers and slippery mud) and I can *may* put in new wipers. There was NO way to do a conventional valve change, not even a temporary one to take the car to the shop. I tried going to an auto parts store within range but they didn't have anything to offer. Those valve stems really seemed too good to be true, but the only other option was a tow truck, which is NOT cheap (and getting it to where I live is no easy feat either). So I ordered it and waited two days for delivery (was it that I would have gladly paid extra for an overnight stay but expedited shipping wasn't an option?). When they arrived I studied the design and instructions. It wasn't immediately clear what the instructions meant about the "black sealing edge" which was supposed to be "flush with the wheel", but after unscrewing the wing nut from the main shaft body I saw a black part on the underside of the der Tribe. The main brass body of the stem, located just below the brass disc, is actually hard rubber and is designed to push down the flared stem base and expand around the inside of the wheel to create a seal. So the "black sealing lip" is a thick round rubber lip under the brass washer, and the wing nut presses it against the flared bottom of the brass shaft. It's an extremely simple and extremely smart design (smart because it's so simple and so robust). And yes, it works perfectly and EXACTLY as advertised. All I had to do was put an old broken valve stem in the tire (it had a chipped and rusty collar around it holding it in place that I snapped off with pliers) and the Colby bailout -Insert the valve firmly into the remaining hole. I took my toothbrush and brushed around the hole as much as I could to make sure I got a good seal, but I don't know if this was absolutely necessary. I then tightened the wing nut on top as much as possible (which also exposes the threaded rod on top for connecting a pump or compressor). The tire inflated as if by magic (during the inflation process it becomes possible to keep turning the wing nut to tighten the seal, which I took full advantage of as there was nothing on hand to supplement what could be controlled with my fingers) . There are even valve caps in the package in case yours went dead with the valve like mine did. The whole procedure took about 10-15 minutes, and yes, it was in pretty nasty conditions: just above zero with a drizzle and barely enough light to see what I was doing. It wasn't 100% tool free because I need pliers to clean an old broken valve stem BUT your mileage may vary depending on how you needed an emergency valve stem replacement in the first place. In any case, most people have pliers handy or can get them relatively easily (neighbors, gas stations, convenience stores probably have them). The installation process itself is really as easy as the package promises, which is rare in my experience. It works very well too: the seal holds, you can inflate the tire and go straight away (my tire actually stayed inflated all night, but I think it depends on how well you manage to tighten the wing nut). I like that there are two in the package so I can leave one in the car for emergencies. I just wish these things were more well known and available as the 2 day prime shipping is great but an 'emergency'. means you don't have the luxury of staying that long, and most people (myself included) don't realize that not only can their tires be deflated by a puncture, but a broken valve stem, to the point of how It will happen. It's very difficult to be prepared for something you don't know about. And without the option of a spare tire (my car doesn't come standard with one and there's no room for one without installing a custom third-party kit to haul it), hell knows under what conditions and with the bare minimum of tools the cars will that all tire repair kits in the world come with will not help. So the second spare bar, along with the packaging I tried to remove intact while they ended up in my purse and I'll try to show them off at the nearest auto parts stores and gas stations and tell a little bit just for that In case they can be persuaded to stockpile them, and after that, as the eccentric's reputation will (probably) earn, he'll go to the glove box, just in case!