Proper Tire Inflation Pressure?

[porthole]

Not to steal the thread... Do any of you have a recomendation for a simple to use digital tire preasure gauge which will read over 100 PSI ? I bought a unit from Walmart sold by the Green Slime folks which is a total POS. I need to return it to get a simple minded easy to use (ie ME) unit which I can use in confidence.

How much do you want to spend?

http://www.powertank.com/products/sfID1/14

 

[caissiel]

I bought a double ended digital tire gauge at Camping World. It was a bit expensive but It suits me very well.

My 10 Year old unit wore out and I truely missed in the trip.

 

[PUG]

Airing to 74 at 32 degrees, the tire will be at 80 lbs within a few miles of driving. I have documented this with my TST sensors. Airing to 85 at the charts higher temp isn't overinflating and will return to 80 pds at 65 degrees. True as you say you should run 80 at all temps but who wants to adjust pressure everytime you go to a different climate, not me. Keeping the tires within about 5 pds at all temps works for me. If you want to get really technical you should also adjust for low to high altitude.

 

[lwmcguir]

I agree. Set the pressure at the maximum noted on the sidewall when the tires are cold and get on the road. 99% of folks do it that way when you are loaded >75% of the tire capacity.

 

[jnbhobe]

My tires were set at 107 to 109 psi cold this year, I seen them go as high as 127 psi when running on the highway.

 

[JohnDar]

I fill my trailer tires to 110 psi cold (means they haven't been on the road for a day) and the truck to the placard pressures (66 front, 60 rear). Use a trucker's blade style gage to check them and leave it at that. If I have to start running a NASA computer program to check air pressures at different temps, phases of the moon, inches above sea level, etc., I'll sell the rig.

 

[jnbhobe]

How right you are John, I use my TPMS. Thats when I realized how much the preasures change.

 

[caissiel]

I inflated my truck tires at 75PSI as the placard indicates and when the trailer is on the hitch the rear tires are at 80PSI cold.

The trailer tires inflated at 110PSI cold gauge pressure will indicate 110 PSI at 70F and 114PSI at 35F as TMPS readings.

The hawkshead TPMS calibrate the tire to 70F. So that at 35F I should have inflated them at 106 PSI so they may be 110PSI at 70F.

When traveling the pressure was as high as 124PSI. I had started at 110PSI at 35F so I was already overinflated at 114PSI at 70F. So 10PSI increase while the air heated up inside the tire.

 

[Hoosier Wolverine]

Tom, do an ebay search for digital tire gauges...
Here's one similar to the one I use http://cgi.ebay.com/Garden-Tractor-...772?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5196e0e3dc
It seems to work well. There are lots of others listed.

 

[porthole]

Proper tire pressure with 2011 Ford DRW's.

Don't know if it is unique to the 2011 truck,s by I had nothing that could fit properly on the inner tires to check pressure. I will be buying a new pressure gauge but was surprised that I had nothing in the toolbox that worked.

I had to remove the outer wheels to set the inner tire pressure, that is when I found out I had a flat inner. Never would have known had I not decided to check the dealers service.

The TPMS which typically was only on the truck during trips is now a standard item.

 

[JohnDar]

That's kind of strange, Duane. At least on my GMC, a two headed truckers gage works. Straight head for the inner dually and the angled one for the outer tire. It's a little touchy with the gated rubber stems, but no real problem.

 

[porthole]

John, the stems are metal, so not at all flexible. They have the type of caps that are "self sealing" eg they allow air in but seal the stem.
With them on I couldn't get any of the chucks I had on. And it is almost impossible to remove the inner cap. I plan on ordering a gauge from with replaceable heads.

It was also a PITA to get the TPMS sensors on. The TST sensors use a tool to tighten the sensors to the wheels, an "anti theft" feature.
There is no room on the Ford aluminum wheels (made in china BTW) to get the tool on the sensors.