Poll: To Air Down, or Not to Air Down, and WHY
- Thread starter Tooltime19
- Start date
JB.
New member
I use Stauns and prefer them over TrailHead because you can start them manually if they don't start themselves. That can happen if your tire is not more than, I think, 15psi higher than the deflator setting.
I considered getting more than one set for a while, but now I just time them if I want less than the full deflation. With a consistent process, you only have to time the first tire and then just do the rest in the normal order. It works well.
I considered getting more than one set for a while, but now I just time them if I want less than the full deflation. With a consistent process, you only have to time the first tire and then just do the rest in the normal order. It works well.
Tooltime19
New member
Im that guy who likes to play with as many types of terrain I can find during any one trip. That's why I found 26ish on my t4 for great grip in 90% of the terra firma we tend to come across. Yet those big boulder super articulation slickrock types, the air gets released for that. With the tire I currently run,Im descent in sand, if I keep a good look ahead, and use a little more steam if needed. If our day is all sand, then yes, down goes the air. People cant believe the condition of my tires after I take a new couple out for their first deal.
Let the tires do their job! Im a two foot driver like many off roaders and racers. I try to use the right gear selection, tire pressure reduction, throttle and brake usage, and let everything do their jobs...If that doesn't work, then you have no choice but to GAS IT!
:zoom:
Let the tires do their job! Im a two foot driver like many off roaders and racers. I try to use the right gear selection, tire pressure reduction, throttle and brake usage, and let everything do their jobs...If that doesn't work, then you have no choice but to GAS IT!
:zoom:
WXman
New member
If you air down, then you have to provide yourself with a way to air up. If the trails you are using don't provide an air station, this is a problem for the average person. There is one place I go that has air available at the ranger station. The other places are all privately owned parks and most don't have this. Since I don't have onboard air (it's really expensive) then it keeps me from being able to air down most of the time.
I agree that it makes for a better ride to air down. It does also improve traction. That's a documented fact. And it also makes the tires a little more puncture resistant.
But...airing down also decreases ground clearance and causes your undercarriage to get beat up more. In fact, on the trails here there are many places where 1" of ground clearance means cruising over the obstacle or getting hung up and having to work at it harder.
I agree that it makes for a better ride to air down. It does also improve traction. That's a documented fact. And it also makes the tires a little more puncture resistant.
But...airing down also decreases ground clearance and causes your undercarriage to get beat up more. In fact, on the trails here there are many places where 1" of ground clearance means cruising over the obstacle or getting hung up and having to work at it harder.
KidVermicious
New member
Yeah, not so much. $50-$75 gets you a nice servicable air pump. Unless you're literally wheeling in your back yard, that's about what you'll spend on a single wheeling trip.
And for every obstacle that an extra inch of clearance makes the difference in crossing, there's fifty that you will trash your tires spinning and flailing against at street pressure while the guy in front of you walked up on aired down rubber.
zopperman
Moderator
sheesh these little things are expensive. I use the backside of a tire gauge... takes a while but usually we make a stop out of airing down.
you should check out the masterflow mf1050 (mated with viair 1 gallon tank). it's what I used for my thread here:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/148216-board-air-cheap.html
(skip to the end - this was the firt time i'd ever dealt with a compressor so I was pretty clueless)
I'm very happy with this system. You could even get away doing it cheaper if you buy junkyard parts like a tank from an old truck or a Cadillac air ride compressor. There's a bunch of threads like mine on other forums. Some guy even used a fire extinguisher tank.
nevada
Senior Member
yup. lower pressure and wider tires for the really deep snow.Off the street, it depends. Sometimes you want to air down just a little so your tires can cut through to the frozen ground underneath, but if the snow is deeper than your frame it's generally a good idea to air WAY down and try to float on top. And go with a buddy. And have a winch. And a way to build a fire.
ive been known to go down to 1psi. the real powdery snow is a ***** to drive in.
core remover. ive considered some of the more expensive auto-deflators, but i dont wheel as often as i used to.
i usually pull all the caps, then remove a core. give it a good 10 count, then remove the rest. by the time the first one is down to where i want it, i can just go along and put the cores back in, and the rest are just about where i need them.
jediwebdude
New member
In my experience, I have found that airing down to about 24 psi helps me retain good clearance while providing a slightly softer ride over rocky terrain and sufficient grip for rock crawling. Some guys I off-road with drop down to 18 psi, but I climb the same line as them and don't have trouble.
If rock is granite, no need to air down.
If rock is granite, no need to air down.
KidVermicious
New member
[MENTION=55855]zopperman[/MENTION], how much does that little tank help vs. filling them straight from the compressor? Seems like 1 gallon at 100 PSI ain't much.
zopperman
Moderator
Ehhh doesn't help much but the compressor is fast.
JB.
New member
This^^
Not to mention that in most cases it's less than 1 full inch. When I go from 36 to 18 psi the difference is half that.
This is a new model from Viair. 88P. Says up to 33", but I'm sure can handle larger just fine as well.
88P is a newly-designed, portable compressor, capable of inflating up to 33-inch tires. Attach the heavy duty battery clamps to your vehicle’s battery, and start the engine. Connect to a tire valve stem and turn the unit on. Tire pressure can easily be checked using the gauge incorporated into the top of the unit.
88P is a newly-designed, portable compressor, capable of inflating up to 33-inch tires. Attach the heavy duty battery clamps to your vehicle’s battery, and start the engine. Connect to a tire valve stem and turn the unit on. Tire pressure can easily be checked using the gauge incorporated into the top of the unit.
zopperman
Moderator
Use the compressor from your RAS. It'll be slow but free
HHIRunner
New member
I though about that but I'm not sure if it would actually work or not
zopperman
Moderator
HHIRunner
New member
One way to find out
I feel like if I turn it on it will just go forever and want stop, that it it will stop often.
I've been using Stain deflators for the past 10 years. They work well.
KidVermicious
New member
Viair is a decent brand. I've been using a little baby Viair 90p for a couple years now to fill my tires and it holds up, so I imagine the 300C should do you well.
Check the reviews on that 88p that Yotadan mentioned, though. Faster, stronger, and cheaper than my 90p, hard to go wrong there if it's really that good.
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