Vanishing chrome tire valve caps

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Old May 3, 2005 | 11:57 PM
  #1  
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From: Ft. Lauderdale
Vanishing chrome tire valve caps

This is a mystery.

I put chrome valve caps on my 2004 TL only to find the rear two missing after about a week.

I bought another set and replaced them. Within a week, the rear two were gone again.

Then, when visiting my friend in Boca, I heard a voice on the far side of my TL counting down "10-9-8-7...." I stepped around to see who was talking, and there was about an 8 year old kid with a poodle on a leash crouched next to my front wheel. I told him to get away from my car and he took off.

On the way home, I stopped at Advance Auto Parts to buy another set of 4 chrome caps. I left the store, opened the package, and replaced the rear two... only to notice the right front was now gone. Right where the kid had been crouching.

:wtf: Is this some fad or pre-teen gang initiation? I hate it when anyone even touches my car. I had assumed that the caps came off at high speed because I had gone about 130 MPH just before I noticed them missing. But only the rears?? And my car is garaged although sometimes I leave the door open.

I feel like checking the neighborhood for bikes that have chrome caps like mine and then taking them back.... by nipping the whole valve with some diagonal cutters.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 12:03 AM
  #2  
55M2G7L's Avatar
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why do you have chrome valve capsin the first place?
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Old May 4, 2005 | 12:05 AM
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hehe we used to steal those all the time when i was a kid.

They look pimp on my Dino bike.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 05:04 AM
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I put mine on both cars with a crescent wrench. They dont come off that easy.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 07:08 AM
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Originally Posted by 1killercls
I put mine on both cars with a crescent wrench. They dont come off that easy.
That's what I do too.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 07:11 AM
  #6  
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From: Ft. Lauderdale
Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Originally Posted by 55M2G7L
why do you have chrome valve capsin the first place?
Like said: "They look pimp."

And, at 50 cents each, it's not a big deal to replace them.

Sooner or later, every bike in the neighborhood will have them.

Funny thing, though. My Jeep with chrome rims AND chrome valve caps is parked on the street and they haven't taken those. But, a couple years ago, I went through about three sets on the Jeep also.

If is not kidding, then at least I know what's happening to them....

(little pricks!)
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Old May 4, 2005 | 07:26 AM
  #7  
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little knuckleheads in my neighborhood in va did the same thing...i couldn't keep caps on my tires. one of the guys in my shop's like, "my son's got 5 sets of caps for his bike"
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Old May 4, 2005 | 07:37 AM
  #8  
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I had mine taken at a mall once...and they were the cool SSR caps.

The cheapo ones from AutoZone look fine.

I also have http://www.spincaps.com but like the look of the AutoZone ones better.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 08:10 AM
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little punks, mine have always been stolen, i can picture some kid out there with a bucket full of em, kinda like the underwear knomes
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Old May 4, 2005 | 08:27 AM
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Well since parking the car back in the garage haven't had any stolen yet... Last year had to get 5 new sets cuz everytime I leave the car outside they would be gone.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 08:33 AM
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I had that problem too. I bought those locking spin caps. Never again. I couldn't get them off one day. That's good cause no little kids can get them off, but bad for me cause I couldn't get them off either. I had to take a pair of vice grips & gently brekl them loose. At least they did work. In my new place in Boca I have the acura logo ones & they have stayed on so far.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 11:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Slimey
I also have http://www.spincaps.com but like the look of the AutoZone ones better.
Don’t buy those !!!
They leak air and the FUKERS wouldn’t give me my money back for two sets.
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Old May 4, 2005 | 12:06 PM
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Damn those were the days. Stealing chrome caps (kromes as we called them) for our BMX bikes. That was the ish!
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Old May 4, 2005 | 12:26 PM
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their are valve caps that can only be removed with a special key...look into that
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Old May 4, 2005 | 12:41 PM
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My aftermarket wheels came with chrome valve caps, makes the wheels not look cheap. I had mine stolen at my old work as well. There's a golf course next to my old work and these fockin' kids would come over to our parking lot and take them. Someone almost caught them but they jumped into mommy's suv. If only we had caught them and taught them a lesson...
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Old May 4, 2005 | 01:32 PM
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my SSR's came with a extension for adding air, when you flip it around you can use the other end to hella tighten the caps.

a very small amont of loc-tite will do the trick too... j/k
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Old May 4, 2005 | 01:34 PM
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ohhhh they look "pimp" kthnx
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Old May 4, 2005 | 01:40 PM
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I got pissed when I lost a pair of Rays Engineering caps on my rims. Now I'm cruisin' with the 10 cent plastic caps I get a Canadian Tire. I don't even want to think how expensive replacement Rays caps are ...
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Old May 4, 2005 | 02:01 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
hehe we used to steal those all the time when i was a kid.

They look pimp on my Dino bike.

hahaa...they also looked pimp on my Skyway!
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Old May 4, 2005 | 03:05 PM
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Originally Posted by bl^5
Damn those were the days. Stealing chrome caps (kromes as we called them) for our BMX bikes. That was the ish!


Kromies!! I forgot about that!!! h
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Old May 4, 2005 | 03:19 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
hehe we used to steal those all the time when i was a kid.

They look pimp on my Dino bike.

I even yanked one off of a lambo once I still have it


and hence why I use those ugly black caps
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Old May 6, 2005 | 11:59 PM
  #22  
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Honestly, the black caps are inconspicuous. At least they're not white. I barely notice the entire valve itself from a small distance away.
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