When I got home from my last trip I noticed the camper leaned left at the back, i.e., the driver's side was way too low. I pumped it back up, but had a slow leak. Before taking it back to the folks who installed the air bag suspension 9 years ago, I removed the valve assembly and put it in a glass of water. Sure enough I could see bubbles coming out from between the main body and the ring though which the tubing is inserted.
I tried applying 5-minute epoxy in the gap where the air was leaking (after deflating the bag). I wasn't optimistic that would fix it, so jumped on Amazon to look for a replacement. I was pleasantly surprised there were several that claimed to be the Firestone F3032 replacements. I ordered a package of two figuring a spare for the other side would be smart.
Sure enough the epoxy didn't hold, so when the valves arrived I parked in the shade and cut off the old valve, jammed the clean tubing into the new valve and set about remounting it in my bumper. I was struggling to thread the old mounting nut on. Long story short—the threads were not standard Schrader valve threads—must be some sort of "close enough" metric thread that isn't really close enough. The valves did come with a mounting nuts and caps which I used.
I could have returned the valves for a refund, but the truck is my only vehicle and Firestone warns agains driving with a under inflated bag. My air compressor which I carry in my truck has a threaded chuck, but screwing that on and off the tires is so inconvenient that I'd purchased a pair of clamp-on chucks. I used one to create a de-inflator, but never got around to mounting the other on the compressor... until now.
So the caution: if you buy the TORQUE DOT Air Inflation Schrader Valve for 1/4" OD Air Line Tubing with PTC (Push to Connect Style) (DOT Approved) (2 Pack) (2 x TR14IV) know the threads are not standard. If you use a pump with a clamping rather than threaded chuck you will be fine, if not... not. I believe there were others, at about twice the cost, that may be actual Firestone replacement. It's been about a week and so far it is holding pressure, so there's that.
