Tire Pressure - Another lesson learned.

[KIC]

I found out several months ago that the dial air pressure guage I had been using was giving an innaccurate pressure reading. It was showing a higher than actual reading.

 

I purchased a good digital and corrected all my vehicles and trailer's pressures. Or so I thought.

 

After reading a current thread about tire life and air pressures, I started to wonder if I had re-checked my bike's pressures. I usually check them monthly, but with my work travel schedule, time flys and things got off of schedule.

 

I went out and checked them. The rear was at 24 PSI and the front at 22.5 PSI.

 

So... I filled them to 40 PSI rear and 35 PSI front. Then I went for a ride

 

WOW....... it rolled faster out of the garage. It cruised smoooooooothly down the road. Seemed to shift a little easier, turned nicer and just seemed like a different bike. The only down side seemed that the brakes were just a little less.

 

Amazing how just a little air like 16 lbs in the rear and 11 lbs in the front can make such a difference.

 

Next thing you will know is that if I fill the gas tank to the top the guage would show full...

 

Lesson: Check you gauge against another one you know is accurate.

[Yammer Dan]

I run 40 front 42 rear. After a while you will know when they get low.

[pmelah]

i fill all my tires with nitrogen but i just got 4 new tires on the cage about 2 months ago and did not tell the tech to bring the tires to the back of my suburban so i could fill the tires with notrogen (i carry a nitrogen bottle in back for my job) i have not touched the bike yet as i need a new tire on it the back looks to have good tread depth but that will go to then i will fill with nitrogen and check with 3 guages you can never be to sure

[Brake Pad]

I check the tire once a week. some times even a pound or two makes a difference in the ride.

38 front & 44 back

[etcswjoe]

How about when you go to a colder climate should you adjust? I checked my tires in SC at 90 degree outside temp and was good (checked in the morning before riding) . When I got up the next morning in the mountains at 60 degrees I was 3 pounds light so I topped them off and off course next time I checked them cold in SC they were 3 pounds over.

[KIC]

I always check all my tires in the winter because of the cold affect. That's how I found my old gauge to be defective when I was adjusting the pressures as it became warmer. I just forgot to check the Venture.

 

I will go to a more frequent tire pressure check with it now.

[chabicheka]

I just kick the tire, and if the boot bounces back.....alls good.

 

 

[camos]

I have been looking for a loss-less type of air gauge but so far have not been successful. Anyone know where to get one?

[Ozlander]

I have been looking for a loss-less type of air gauge but so far have not been successful. Anyone know where to get one?

 

Can't sense the pressure without letting a little out.

[Hummingbird]

there's a zero loss guage and pump, around $30 or $40 can't remember. You can find it at any Harley parts store. It's a pain in the ---- on a tire but great for shocks when you only want a couple pounds of pressure.

I just can't imagine having to use it for a tire tho - 1/2 a pound pressure isn't that critical in a tire

[camos]

It's not about the spirt of air necessary to get a reading, but rather about losing perhaps a pound or two almost every time the gauge is put on the valve stem.

 

What I would like is a zero loss tire gauge only. I have a 12v Slime top up pump that has a short hose that screws onto the valve stem which work great and loses a minimal amount of air when attaching or disengaging the hose. The "normal" tire gauges have to be almost exactly aligned to get a pressure reading without losing air between the stem and the gauge. There always seems to be something in the way of the gauge that makes it difficult to attach it perfectly.

 

Never having seen a zero loss tire gauge I am thinking either a digital or analogue gauge with a hose similar to the Slime pump would be awesome. Someone must have thought the same thing too and decided to make one but apparently not very many though since I can't find one. I'm sure I have seen a zero loss gauge mentioned in this forum somewhere so thought I would ask here since the thread is all about getting a tire pressure reading.

[Lurch]

i fill all my tires with nitrogen but i just got 4 new tires on the cage about 2 months ago and did not tell the tech to bring the tires to the back of my suburban so i could fill the tires with notrogen (i carry a nitrogen bottle in back for my job) i have not touched the bike yet as i need a new tire on it the back looks to have good tread depth but that will go to then i will fill with nitrogen and check with 3 guages you can never be to sure

 

 

Why do you use Nitrogen in your tires? Also I put slime in all my tires, I have put that stuf to the test on my last wore out tires, it really works.

[Hummingbird]

I found this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-Davidson-Touring-Suspension-Air-Pump-54630-03A-Touring-Models-/200771042113#vi-content on ebay but there are others starting at $39

[KIC]

Why do you use Nitrogen in your tires? Also I put slime in all my tires, I have put that stuf to the test on my last wore out tires, it really works.

 

 

I have never used it, but it is not supposed to change pressures which are affected by the outside ambient temperatures. So you don't lose lbs when it is cold, and ( I think) it doesn't increase with higher temps.

 

I put slime in my KLR650's tubes, but have never put it in tubeless tires... not sure about that..seems it would be very messy when changing a tire out..

[etcswjoe]

If you use Slime make sure you change your tires and clean your rims at least every year or it will corode your rims real bad.

[Flyinfool]

There are a lot of faulse rumors floating around about the use of Nitrogen in tires.

 

Some of the simple facts.

Air is 78% nitrogen already.

Nitrogen does not eliminate pressure change with temperature.

 

What nitrogen does do for you is minimal.

With DRY nitrogen you are getting no water vapor into the tire, this will slightly reduce the amount of pressure change with temp, We are talking fractions of a PSI here. It is the water vapor that makes the difference. Water vapor can be as much as 3% of air. It is the water vapor that can cause the biggest change in pressure with temp, but there is not much of it there.

 

Since it contains no oxygen it is supposed to help not oxidize the tire from the inside out. While this is true, unless you plan to keep the same tires on your bike for 20-30 years, it wont matter. With the outside exposed to UV rays and air the tire will dry rot from the outside in anyhow.

 

Bottom line is if you already have nitrogen for some other purpose then go ahead and use it in your tires, It is not worth spending any money on getting nitrogen just to fill tires.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Many truck fleets use nitrogen in the tires (especially the steer tires), because the natural pressure loss over months and years is a lot less than it is with plain ol air.

 

Nitrogen molecules are bigger I guess....or maybe scared of the sun...but whatever it is...the pressure in the tires is more constant when running nitrogen.

 

 

 

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/Nitrogen.htm

Edited June 25, 2012 by tx2sturgis

[pmelah]

I check the tire once a week. some times even a pound or two makes a difference in the ride.

38 front & 44 back

 

Why do you use Nitrogen in your tires? Also I put slime in all my tires, I have put that stuf to the test on my last wore out tires, it really works.

 

nitrogen does not contract or expand under cold or heat conditions like compressed air nitrogen is compressed air that has been run through a dryer several times to take out all of the moisture moisture in compressed air is what expands and contracts under hot and cold conditions i have to use nitrogen in fire extinguishers when recharging them as nitrogen is not flamable and does not contract or expand under extreem conditions also for car and truck tires you get better wear and tread life out of a tire i do advocate checking your tire pressure on a regular schedule as on a bike you only have 2 peices of rubber touching the ground at any given time

[pmelah]

I have never used it, but it is not supposed to change pressures which are affected by the outside ambient temperatures. So you don't lose lbs when it is cold, and ( I think) it doesn't increase with higher temps.

 

I put slime in my KLR650's tubes, but have never put it in tubeless tires... not sure about that..seems it would be very messy when changing a tire out..

 

KIC in laymens term you got it right

[pmelah]

There are a lot of faulse rumors floating around about the use of Nitrogen in tires.

 

Some of the simple facts.

Air is 78% nitrogen already.

Nitrogen does not eliminate pressure change with temperature.

 

What nitrogen does do for you is minimal.

With DRY nitrogen you are getting no water vapor into the tire, this will slightly reduce the amount of pressure change with temp, We are talking fractions of a PSI here. It is the water vapor that makes the difference. Water vapor can be as much as 3% of air. It is the water vapor that can cause the biggest change in pressure with temp, but there is not much of it there.

 

Since it contains no oxygen it is supposed to help not oxidize the tire from the inside out. While this is true, unless you plan to keep the same tires on your bike for 20-30 years, it wont matter. With the outside exposed to UV rays and air the tire will dry rot from the outside in anyhow.

 

Bottom line is if you already have nitrogen for some other purpose then go ahead and use it in your tires, It is not worth spending any money on getting nitrogen just to fill tires.

but the water vapor athough not much when heated creates steam when getting close to a boiling point or hot air which expands that can make all the difference when the tire is weak and blows out as for spending money on it i dont as its a fringe benifet of work but you can go to lowes and get those little nitrogen tanks they have and fill your tires or go toa welding supply house get a tank for 30.00 and a regulator for 120.00 a hose and quick connects about 10.00 just depends on how many tire you have to fill as to weather its worth it for me it is as i have collected everything i need over the last 7 yrs. and have only gone through 3 sets of tires on my suburban at 255,000 mi. 1 factory set on an 08 colbalt 157,000 mi. 2 sets on a 97 GMC 197,000 mi. before rewcked by employee 4 sets on E150 van 318,000 mi motor gave out and just put a new set on it and last but not least 2011 ford fusion factory set 95,000 mi. and still have a little less then half tread on it every vehicle will be different on tread wear as to driving habits and road conditions