Viar 450P and Trailhead Automatic Tire Deflators

[limamike]

Viair 450P and Trailhead Automatic Tire Deflators

I recently purchased a Viair 450P and some Trailhead Automatic Tire Deflators. I went back and forth between a pump to hard mount for on-board air or a setup like this that involved less commitment. I obviously chose less commitment. At the end of the day, I can hard mount the pump if I chose to simply by removing the lower vibration plate and handle.

Here's the bag of the 450P:

The bag is okay quality. It looks like it'll hold-up to some abuse, but not much. What's nice is that it gives you plenty of space for your pump, hose, and accessories.

The inflation gun is well-built with sheathed quick disconnects on the hose. Another nice feature is an air release valve so that you can air-down easily without tire deflators (air release valve at my thumb below).

The 450P hooks directly up to the battery using standard alligator clamps. The leads are plenty long enough to give you some movement room on the ground. Another nice feature of the pump is the built-in padded handle (gives you a nice and cool grab point after the pump has been running for a while), and the vibration plate that isolates the pump from the ground using rubber mounting points. The pump doesn't dance around on the ground at all and is pretty quiet (relatively speaking) on the concrete.

 

[limamike]

Now to switch gears with the Trailhead Automatic Deflators. I did a lot of research before picking these deflators. They're not the fastest, but what they lack in speed they make-up for in convenience! All you have to do is put these deflators on each tire and you can start driving down the trail at a low speed until they finish airing down your tires. I'll admit I was a bit put-off by the price, but if you look around you'll see all of the well-reviewed tire deflators are the same price or better.

Here's the simple packaging:

I bought the 5-20 PSI deflators, but they also make a 20-40 PSI kit. Here's what you get - 4ea deflators, air gauge, sticker, carry pouch, instructions, and quick sheet:

The quick sheet does the fancy math for you to figure-out how much you need to air down. I believe the deflators come preset at 12 PSI. In order to change the setting on the deflators you simply rotate the screw inside the aluminum sleeve based on the instructions, but I won't bore you with those details here; suffice it to say it's easy to figure-out.

The deflators simply attach to your valves and start deflating. Once they reach the requisite PSI they stop and you remove them.

I've timed the deflation from 38 to 17 PSI for all four tires a couple of times. Here you can see the time of 3 minutes 46 seconds below:

Airing-up is simple and not as boring as it could be as long as you put some rubber bands around the trigger. The air gun comes with a locking head that allows you to lock it, keep the trigger depressed, and walk away. To air-up from 17 PSI to 38 PSI in all four tires takes approximately fifteen and a half minutes:

Overall, I'm pleased with the pump and the deflators. The pump runs strong and you can easily air-up four tires without it overheating (and thus requiring a cool-down period). Of course I wish it was a little stronger and faster, but I'm happy with its performance.

 

[blizz86]

is this method of airing down preferable to just using a normal air pressure gauge to let air out, and just measuring it every few seconds?

sounds like it would be better for the tire, but is it really that big of a deal?

neat pump and deflators though :hatsoff:

 

[limamike]

is this method of airing down preferable to just using a normal air pressure gauge to let air out, and just measuring it every few seconds?

sounds like it would be better for the tire, but is it really that big of a deal?

neat pump and deflators though :hatsoff:

It's a lot faster and less work for you. Once you have the deflators set at a specific PSI they simply stop on their own and are ready to go; no need to constantly check the pressure and manually stop.

 

[brockeverly]

15 minutes per tire, or total?!?!

 

[limamike]

15 minutes per tire, or total?!?!

Sorry... I'll update the post. Total!

 

[brockeverly]

Sorry... I'll update the post. Total!

Oh okay lol. I was thinking hell I'd carry a generator and portable compressor if it took an hour to air up lol.

 

[pawzitiv]

Same ViAir compressor and tire deflators I'm using. I like 'em; simple and good bang for your buck if you just air-down a the start of your day and air-up just before you hit the road home. But if you air-down/air-up multiple times per day and want the option of running air tools, a C02 Powertank is the way to go.

 

[Mijfwb23]

I ordered the Viair 300 and pick it up Monday. But after using a friends powertank this weekend I might send it back. I already ordered the powertank. I might keep the 300 as a backup. The powertank aired up 3 trucks in the time it took another guy using a 400 to just air up his own rig. I was hooked as soon as I saw that, I found a great deal on a blem 10lb tank "B" package.
I am just impatient and want to air up fast and then sit around and BS with everyone, instead of baby sitting a compressor, and having a tank and compressor at least will give me the opportunity to help others air up at the end of the day. God knows many have helped me.
I do need some deflators and those sound like the ticket, thanks for the write up.

 

[Titanpat57]

Also running the same..deflators..very happy

I think the little slide calculator card is a nice feature.

 

[phillyd2]

Been using and loving the Staun Tire Deflators for a while now but would caution any not to leave them on while heading off road. Not sure about the Trailhead brand but all should deflate fast enough not to risk damage by leaving them on while driving off road.

 

[Mtn.Rush]

Been using and loving the Staun Tire Deflators for a while now but would caution any not to leave them on while heading off road. Not sure about the Trailhead brand but all should deflate fast enough not to risk damage by leaving them on while driving off road.

I also use the Staun and remove them before heading out onto the beach. I have the 400P model and so far it's quick enough for my tires. I go from 18 back to 33 on all 4 tires between 5 and 10 min.

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

Another user of the Staun deflators, which work great. And yeah I wouldn't leave them on while driving.

 

[limamike]

Been using and loving the Staun Tire Deflators for a while now but would caution any not to leave them on while heading off road. Not sure about the Trailhead brand but all should deflate fast enough not to risk damage by leaving them on while driving off road.

I guess I wasn't clear. You don't leave them on for the duration of your ride. You leave them on for as long as it takes to deflate, but you can drive at low speeds while they are deflating.

 

[phillyd2]

I guess I wasn't clear. You don't leave them on for the duration of your ride. You leave them on for as long as it takes to deflate, but you can drive at low speeds while they are deflating.

Yeah, I know what you meant and also that they advertise doing the same. I still would not do it. They deflate fast enough so you really should not need to anyway.

 

[limamike]

Yeah, I know what you meant and also that they advertise doing the same. I still would not do it. They deflate fast enough so you really should not need to anyway.

Agreed - I don't see any reason to drive on them because they're so fast. But, I suppose if you needed to move out of the way on the trail or if there were some sort of emergency that warranted you driving with them you wouldn't have to worry about it.

 

[453030]

A few more thumbs up for the 450p... mine and my son's...

 

[Intruder]

is this method of airing down preferable to just using a normal air pressure gauge to let air out, and just measuring it every few seconds?

sounds like it would be better for the tire, but is it really that big of a deal?

neat pump and deflators though :hatsoff:

Air down from 38psi to 12psi using a pressure gauge on all four tires when it's -25C out with 30km/h wind gusts and it becomes a big deal Trailhead deflators were the first offroad-specific accessory I bought for my 4Runner. One thing with the Trailheads is that I believe your starting pressure in each tire needs to be at least double what you're airing down to. When I had P-rated tires at 32psi the Trailheads wouldn't work to get me down to 18 and that's the reason I was given.

And airing back up in the same -25C weather is the reason I bought an ARB compressor, though after a friend aired me up with his CO2 tank on the weekend I've been eyeing one of those now...

 

[Mick1]

I purchased the ARB tool instead of staun

http://www.amazon.com/ARB-705-E-Z-Tire-Deflator/dp/B001AWQYCU

 

[JB.]

You can go slowly while the Stauns finish, too. The difference is that Staun has the sense to recommend against it.