this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
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Does it actually work, or is it one of the hundreds of internet tricks that keep getting reposted because they sound like they would?
It does, if performed correctly. You can tell by giving the stem a listen. The escaping air will be quite audible.
So our independent lab testing on our own private vehicles in controlled conditions reports, anyway. My lawyers told me to add that last part.
I have the best results using BBs. Metal BBs, not airsoft pellets.
Yeah except for all you’ll do is give them a blowout on the highway putting other innocent peoples lives at risk.
This is an absolutely retarded way to vandalize someone’s property.
It'll take a couple minutes for the tire to be completely flat. If they drive past that, they're not making it to the highway. If you're doing it on a car that'll drive away within minutes, there's likely an agent nearby and you've got bigger problems.
It can take hours or days for a slow leak to become noticeable.
Where do you get the notion a tire would be flat on minutes from a valve stem leak lmfao?
We're not talking about a slow leak, were talking about putting a pebble (or lentil) into the valve cap and screwing it on. That pushes down on the valve, opening it up. I've personally witnessed that at a protest, being done to some idiot who was honking and insulting people walking by. A group of people walked up to his car and did exactly that, by the time police where interviewing him a few minutes later his tyres where noticably starting to flatten.
Here's a video demonstrating the process: https://youtube.com/watch?v=K0fq_kJHIWw
What you’re saying produces a slow leak.
Why lie that it deflates in minutes? Go do it to your tire, a pebble that fits in, can only produce a slow leak. Now removing the entire valve stem core and removing the cap, that’ll deflate it in about 10-15 minutes. That’s still vastly longer than the claimed “minutes”.
Post a video, prove it dude. So removing the core and cap takes over 10 minutes, but somehow magically a pebble reduces that to minutes? Prove it dude, your anecdotal evidence is clearly a made up lie.
I'll admit I've mostly been mindlessly scrolling this thread to this point, so I'm not 100% sure what others have said, but removing the valve stem core will deflate a tire in seconds. You might want to unscrew slowly, to avoid the core launching across the parking lot as the air pressure behind it will likely send it flying, but once it's removed a tire should be completely flat in 15 seconds or less.
https://youtu.be/0E-z3DTdpKU
It’s not a few minutes, why the obvious lie?
Anyone who has actually tried this know it’s not that fast.
Yeah, the speed of the rock/bb in the cap will vary a lot depending on how far it depresses the valve stem core, and the tightness of the thread on the cap. Minutes seems absolutely unrealistic though; at the rate of the video you shared that's probably a good 6-8 hours. I'm sure with some optimization (larger "rock" to press the valve in further and a maybe some cuts in the the thread to allow faster release of air), you could get that down to the hour or two range, but you'd also risk someone finding it easily as the noise of escaping air would be quite a bit louder.
Are 10 minutes not minutes to you? Should I've said 1/6 of an hour?
I posted a video already of the process, you can hear loud, audible hissing. This is not a slow leak. Here is another one:
https://youtu.be/DlzH9UsS-w4
And here is a blog post talking about doing this as a prank, claiming it takes about 2 minutes of time. It's the same process as letting air out using a screwdriver to push down the valve pin.
Are you claiming that takes hours, too?
I've not done this, nor do I intend to, but your claim that someone is going to come to their car, not notice the tyres are and have been loudly hissing for hours, drive away and crash on a highway are, quite frankly, ridiculous.
Your video doesn’t show a tire deflating in either case…
https://youtu.be/0E-z3DTdpKU
This video says over night and shows it’s a slow leak. So now we both have video with claims that contradict each other… huh, if it takes minutes, why can’t you provide a video showing this…? Yet mine shows without a doubt, it’s a slow leak. Can you prove otherwise……?
Why the hell do you continue to lie and post shit that doesn’t remotely prove your point lmfao. Nothing you’ve provided as source supports anything you’ve said.
As you’ve said you haven’t done this, if you actually have, you would know it doesn’t take a few fucking minutes like you’ve claimed and provided 2 sources that doesn’t corroborate… you got any concrete proof? Or are you gonna show again how you aren’t the sharpest crayon in the package…?
Two sources and neither show a tire deflating on minutes, you seriously still want to claim the same asinine thing while providing nothing to back it up?
I provide proof it takes more than a few minutes and point out both of your sources show neither, and now you insult me and call me the idiot? Look in the mirror, I’m not the one spreading lies and posting videos that are unrelated and don’t support my point. You realize the audio could have been added in post in yours… yeah…?
If it takes minutes, why can’t you post a video that proves this…? Because you’re fucking wrong.
The air is like a flock of sheep - as soon as one finds a way out, they all immediately rush out too.
Even a tiny nick on the stem, the tyre would be flat before they've fastened their seatbelts.
That’s not how tires work at all mate….
Yes, yes it is. The tyre is at a higher pressure than the atmosphere so any hole will allow the air to equalize but the difference is how that air comes out:
Stab the sidewall (big hole, rapidly) air rushes out with a big bang.
Snip the stem, smaller hole, air rushes out slower but still very quick. Likely flat in under a minute. Different structure/strength that sidewall which is why it doesn't pop/explode.
If you get a puncture, the reason it doesn't leak as fast as snipping the stem (nor pop) - usually the nail/screw is still in the tyre, keeping it plugged somewhat, the distortion of the tyre under weight means this hole can open and close as the car rolls letting out a little at a time.
Source: have had punctures that take hrs to run flat, have watched tyre techs clip stems on an old tyres, seen videos of tyres being stabbed.
https://youtu.be/0E-z3DTdpKU
See the slow leak a pebble provides?
See the much faster leak really messing with the valve stem provides? This would be even faster if snipped rather than just removing the stem core
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbpz-JHFtO0
If you snip the stem off, the tyres will be flat very quickly, they will immediately notice this when pulling away unless they're completely clueless and ignore the car handling like shit