hatch
Full Access Member
Okay, so here's the story after a conversation with TuffAnt -- and I'm guessing the same applies to the Terrafirma.
The steel construction leaves less room on the interior of the wheel barrel. So, while the OEM and similar TPMS sensors can be mounted in the valve hole, there is not enough resulting clearance to do anything with them once they're mounted. A TPMS sensor with a rubber valve stem (not the OEM sensors) can mount on the steelies and be useful, but those with fixed/unbendable valve stems cannot.
It appears as though there are VDO TPMS sensors with rubber valve stems @ 315mhz that supposedly work with the LR4 models which use this frequency. There aren't sensors at 433mhz made by VDO or other manufacturers that offering auto-program that come with a rubber valve stem. There appear to be some other brands making "universal" 433mhz sensors with rubber stems, but whether they'll play nicely with the LR4 and/or whether they need a GAP Tool or the like to get them setup, I can't say.
The alternative to finding a rubber valve stem, compatible sensor and sorting out the setup/programming issues is mounting the entire valve and sensor assembly on the center of the wheel using TPMS bands/straps. With good tape and a proper install, this supposedly should work just fine.
For my part -- I've decided just to ditch the LR4 TPMS system. Given the cost to buy new sensors that might play well with LR4 or might not (anywhere from $140 to $250) and the cost/hassle of finding out whether they work (have to be fully mounted and drive over a certain speed before most sensors can be read ... meaning if it doesn't work, tires have to be pulled off) and, most importantly, the fact that the LR4 TPMS system is unintelligent/of limited use to begin with (no pressure reading, just PRESSURE BAD), it all seems like a big effort for little reward. I suppose I could strap mount them, but the same issues with testing/umounting exist and I've read plenty of feedback from users who had strap-mounted sensors of this sort come unstuck and start spinning on the barrel. And all this for what? Unintelligent sensors?
So my plan is to go with the much more intelligent valve-cap sensors mentioned earlier in this thread and find a way to disable my TPMS on the dash. Hopefully I can find some other way besides buying a GAP tool.
The steel construction leaves less room on the interior of the wheel barrel. So, while the OEM and similar TPMS sensors can be mounted in the valve hole, there is not enough resulting clearance to do anything with them once they're mounted. A TPMS sensor with a rubber valve stem (not the OEM sensors) can mount on the steelies and be useful, but those with fixed/unbendable valve stems cannot.
It appears as though there are VDO TPMS sensors with rubber valve stems @ 315mhz that supposedly work with the LR4 models which use this frequency. There aren't sensors at 433mhz made by VDO or other manufacturers that offering auto-program that come with a rubber valve stem. There appear to be some other brands making "universal" 433mhz sensors with rubber stems, but whether they'll play nicely with the LR4 and/or whether they need a GAP Tool or the like to get them setup, I can't say.
The alternative to finding a rubber valve stem, compatible sensor and sorting out the setup/programming issues is mounting the entire valve and sensor assembly on the center of the wheel using TPMS bands/straps. With good tape and a proper install, this supposedly should work just fine.
For my part -- I've decided just to ditch the LR4 TPMS system. Given the cost to buy new sensors that might play well with LR4 or might not (anywhere from $140 to $250) and the cost/hassle of finding out whether they work (have to be fully mounted and drive over a certain speed before most sensors can be read ... meaning if it doesn't work, tires have to be pulled off) and, most importantly, the fact that the LR4 TPMS system is unintelligent/of limited use to begin with (no pressure reading, just PRESSURE BAD), it all seems like a big effort for little reward. I suppose I could strap mount them, but the same issues with testing/umounting exist and I've read plenty of feedback from users who had strap-mounted sensors of this sort come unstuck and start spinning on the barrel. And all this for what? Unintelligent sensors?
So my plan is to go with the much more intelligent valve-cap sensors mentioned earlier in this thread and find a way to disable my TPMS on the dash. Hopefully I can find some other way besides buying a GAP tool.