How do I best add air to my tire?

That actually happened here during this thread.

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I see your point now, shadow, and I agree. :relaxed:

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I often find it frustrating when someone asks a simple question that can be solved with a simple internet search, but this isnā€™t one of those questions. What complicates this question is a common misunderstanding about what the maximum air pressure listed on the tireā€™s sidewall means.

To guys like us, this might appear to be a simple question, but it really isnā€™t, just like questions such as ā€œHow often should I change my oil?ā€, which is a decision most of us base on a number of factors other than the carā€™s maintenance schedule.

For the most part, there are very few questions that can be adequately answered by saying ā€œgoogle it,ā€ but even when that is an appropriate answer, there is no benefit to responding in a condescending way by saying things such as ā€œThis is not rocket science.ā€

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How do I best add air to my tire?

That is the topic. We now have people debating how best to offer advice, seven comments worth. :grin:

If somebody tunes in to see about adding air to their tires theyā€™ll think theyā€™ve walked into a henhouse. :smirk:

I donā€™t think one person or two suggesting somebody ā€œgoogleā€ something is going to kill the forum, but this debating control over comments could. :wink:

If you take a look at the rules of conduct for this site youā€™ll see that folks are given quite a bit of freedom. I say letā€™s keep that. :slight_smile:

Besides, ā€œTheyā€™re coming here to get actual humans who can evaluate whether or not advice is good, and disagree with each other when it isnā€™t. They canā€™t get that kind of fact checking from Google unless they already know what to look for.ā€ isnā€™t fact checking. Itā€™s opinion checking, done by the same caliber of folks who might tell somebody to go ā€œgoogleā€ themselves! :fearful:

I believe we do okay for such a diverse group of free thinkers. :sunglasses:
CSA

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Like I said, this is as bad as asking when to change oil. 64 comments on putting air in a tire? I agree you can pretty much find anything to support your own view on the net or Google. But then again even here, you will have people disagree with the answers. So that leaves the OP without a definitive answer. Regulars seem to know who to trust but a new person doesnā€™t.

Iā€™m still thinking abut the wisdom of taking a floor jack and jack stands along on a trip. Like where would you put the luggage? The only time I ever could have used a floor jack was when a spring came loose on my pop up camper and blew the tire. I couldnā€™t get the car jack underneath. So I just called the tow truck and they hauled it in to a camper place. I was only 60 miles from home and cost me a little over $100 for the tow and spring repair. I guess I could have driven home and got the floor jack and driven back again but after 1500 miles I was tired.

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Iā€™m not referring to a large floor jack, like youā€™d have in a commercial shop. Iā€™m referring to a smaller model, like this one, that fits next to my spare tire in the compartment under the trunk, and can be secured with a good rope or chain so it wonā€™t kill you in a collision.

Sorry for veering off the path of putting air in the tires but I just thought some trucks have starters from compressed air. That solves the dead battery problem. Only thing is you just get one shot at it and the air tank is empty.

Do you have Maviā€™s Discount tire in your vicinity or on a route to work? Stop by that place and ask them for help. They have air compressor outside for free to use. I am sure they will be happy to show to have you as a future client.

Other than taking it to a tire shop, this site seems to summarize most of the good advice that was talked about on here:
http://m.wikihow.com/Fill-Air-in-a-Car's-Tires

A google search can hold the answer, but sometimes itā€™s better to have an experience person do the search. The first google result (http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/car-repair/wheels-tires/how-to-add-air-to-your-tires/) mentions nothing about how to find the proper air pressure.

68 replies and I donā€™t see where anyone suggested that the OP get a battery powered tire pump that allows you to preset the cutoff pressure. I have had a couple of these, you set the desired pressure, turn it on and walk away. It shuts off automatically at the preset pressure.

The two previous models ran off the cigarette lighter socket or off the cars battery. My current one in an 18 Volt Ryobi compressor. I like it because I donā€™t have to deal with a long cord, but it would not be practical for someone that does not have other Ryobi 18 Volt tools.

I have one of those, in addition to the product I recommended, but the automatic shutoff only works when itā€™s plugged into the carā€™s 12 volt outlet. When itā€™s operating on the battery or plugged into a household outlet, it doesnā€™t shut off. Thatā€™s why I opted for the device I recommended. Itā€™s the one I end up using to inflate my tires because it operates as its supposed to on battery power. Also, the gauge on it is accurate enough that I can shut it off manually when it reaches the proper pressure.

Also, the device I recommended has other uses that I think are pretty important, like being able to jump start a car and being able to recharge your phone. That, to me, is more important than an automatic shut-off feature.

I suggested this because the OP reminds me of Peterson from Memphis who called into the show because he was afraid to add air, or even check the air in his tires for fear of them blowing up on him.

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Good time to break that habit. Max pressure will give a harder ride and thatā€™s OK but it will also cause hydroplaning which is not OK. The Ford Explorer/Firestone fiasco illustrated the dangers of low pressure but high pressure is just as dangerous. Believe me, when an auto manufacturer writes big paychecks to their engineers who determine door jam sticker specs, itā€™s because they know what theyā€™re doing.

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Hey there the tire should be inflated to the vehicle specs. but if youā€™ve driven it for a while then Iā€™ll go 38psi because when you stop for a couple of hours the pressures are going to drop about 4 psi due to the tire heating up (from driving) but if your at 25 psi right now itā€™s not going to pop or hurt anything itā€™s just a little lower than what manufacturer recommended the TPMS light (tire pressure monitoring system) usually turns on about 5psi lower than what your car recommends. Car tires can handle up to about 120 psi (not saying to put it that high) and I seen tires be driven on only 10-15 psi. I work at a tire shop and I pop beads on tires at 80psi. But itā€™s not going to hurt it at 25psi. To make it short. And one more thing for less worry Toyota tacomas like around the years of 2000-2004 factory recommendations are like 26 for the fronts and 29 for the rear tires. Same for tundras.

Just wondering if you know that overinflation causes hydroplaning?

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Why are you telling ME this . . . ?

Iā€™m not the guy overinflating tires

Iā€™m not the guy who automatically inflates every single tire to the max pressure listed on the sidewall

I suspect youā€™re confusing me with somebody else

Sorry, but too much inflation pressure actuals helps hydroplaning. It arches the tread and that more effectively splits the water.

Dude, didnā€™t you see the warning on the sidewall not to exceed 40 psi when mounting tires? You are risking your life going above that value. If the beads donā€™t seat by 40 psi, find out what the problem is and fix it. Sometimes itā€™s just a matter of lubing both the tire bead AND the rim.

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It was just an example of what tires can handle but itā€™s very rare to do it that high of a pressure and we do lube up both sides. and if it seams unsafe then we try our best to not really go that high. the most on a daily basis is around like 20-40 psi. And the we know about the hazards of piping beads above 40.

I believe we have the identical machine in our shop, and I have to say, I absolutely LOVE the ā€œrobo-armā€ because there are times when it makes the job easier

Initially, we had the base model delivered, without any input from the mechanics. And it worked okay. But I soon convinced the higher ups to order the optional robo-arm, and it was a very wise decision.

As for using insane pressures to seat the beads . . .

I often find itā€™s tires that are literally caved in . . . because they were obviously on the bottom of the stack . . . that are difficult

Ironically, I find some p-series tires harder to seat the bead than LT-series tires. Based on your user name, Iā€™m not sure if you work with LT-series tires, or mainly Hondas . . . ?

Not that I know anything about it but 80# is not that high. My compressor shuts off at 100# and some of the air line is the cheap plastic expandable kind that takes the pressure just fine. When Iā€™ve seen the tire shop seat the bead, it is with the valve core out and momentarily increase the pressure for the bead to pop and thatā€™s it. I really canā€™t see how this is a problem. Now running a tire at that pressure sure, or leaving it sit with that pressure maybe, but still my trailer tire gets 60#.