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Thread: Tip: for filling car tires

  1. #1
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    Tip: for filling car tires

    I have filled car tires for years with a hose end gauge that does not work while filling. end up with too much air and slowly bleed it off rechecking often. I decided next time I will spend about $6 and buy a mini pressure regulator and set it to the correct pressure. Put it inline at the end of the hose so it fills to that pressure exactly. The harbor freight one comes with a gauge for under $7 add a few quick connects and done.
    Why didn't I think of this decades ago?
    Bill D

    https://www.harborfreight.com/150-ps...uge-68223.html

  2. #2
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    Does it still fill the tire quickly? I know if the regulator were to be set at 35 psi at the tank rather than 100 psi, the fill would go much slower. I use a Milton tire inflator with the lever valve that lets you check pressure in about one second.
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 10-19-2020 at 9:56 AM.
    NOW you tell me...

  3. #3
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    Tire pressure often differs from front to back, particularly with pickups, so changing regulator pressure would be more of a pain than just using an inflator like Ole posted. Filling is also a lot faster.

    Get the right tool for the job.

  4. #4
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    I've got one of those itty-bitty air compressors that plug into the 12 volt outlet. It also can be set to shut off at set pressure. It's great for my wheelchair tires that take 75 psi. But even with the slow air flow from the compressor I have to set the shut off at 1 psi higher than the desired tire pressure. Setting a regulator pressure to tire pressure will work but take forever.

    I've never found cheap air regulators to be all that repeatable. The pressure can vary depending on temperature, moisture, phase of the moon. When I use my garage compressor I just overfill and bleed. It's a lot quicker.

    -Tom

  5. #5
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    My fill nozzle is similar to what Ole shows and I use a separate digital pressure gage to zero in on my intended pressure in the tires. If it's over, the pressure gage allows me to release with a trigger in little steps until it's where I want it to be. If it's under...more air goes in with the regular nozzle. Since all three of our vehicles plus the ZTR and Kubota tractor use different pressures, any kind of preset would be a non-starter for me.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
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    I have an inflator similar to Ole’s. It tends to be off on the + side 3-4lbs. I use one of these to quickly bleed off any over pressure. There’s no way to calibrate it but it reads exactly the same as the TPMS tire sensors.
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  7. #7
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    I use one similar to this:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RVHPWK8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_pCQJFbW5QCH7E

    There is no way to continuously read the pressure in a tire, while the air is flowing from a tank that holds a much higher pressure. Gauges like the one linked about allow you to fill for a bit, let off the trigger to see the pressure in the tire, then pull the trigger again to resume inflation. A few quick checks allow you to sneak up on the correct pressure.
    Jason

    "Don't get stuck on stupid." --Lt. Gen. Russel Honore


  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Anderson View Post
    ... I use a Milton tire inflator with the lever valve that lets you check pressure in about one second.
    ...[/IMG]
    I use inflators similar to this on all of my air lines at shop and house. Very quick. I can't imagine a pressure regulator being useful for airing up tires. I have tires that need pressures from 4psi to 80psi.

    For my trip to the Outer Banks last week I got a set of automatic tire deflators - you set them once and they save a lot of time reducing pressure before driving out on soft sand. I usually run 15psi on the beach.

    The question I always have is how to test a pressure gauge for accuracy. I compared seven different gauge and they all read a bit different. The tire pressure monitors in our cars also don't match up with any gauge I have.

  9. #9
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    To test a guage you compare it to a calibrated master on the same manifold. To calibrate the master you use a column of liquid usually water or mercury.
    The local ag extension office should offer calibration of your outdoor thermometer. They just put them all in the same room and see what they read the next day.
    Bil lD

  10. #10
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    How to calibrate a traditional style Milton gauge:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzLp...=sixtyfiveford
    How to know if your gauge is good (if you don't have access to a calibrated gauge):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzo_...=sixtyfiveford

    And I use one of these to air down at the dunes, it removes the valve (for a fast air release) and keeps it captive while you let our air and check pressure (about $26 at Amazon for a similar one): Four 12.5" x 33" tires from 25 psi to 8 psi is a lot of air to bleed without removing the valve. https://www.amazon.com/Boulder-Tools...NsaWNrPXRydWU=
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 10-20-2020 at 10:52 AM.
    NOW you tell me...

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Anderson View Post
    How to calibrate a traditional style Milton gauge:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzLp...=sixtyfiveford
    How to know if your gauge is good (if you don't have access to a calibrated gauge):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzo_...=sixtyfiveford
    The first video only shows how to adjust a tire pressure filler/gauge, not test or calibrate.
    The second video does the same, but for a pressure standard he uses, "an entire slew" of gauges in hopes the average of a pile of gauges will be correct. Better than nothing, I guess.

    In further reading, I found a number of devices made for testing air gauges. Unfortunately, all of them seem to cost hundreds of dollars.

    A master gauge: https://www.imperialsupplies.com/item/0736110
    https://www.imperialsupplies.com/item/0739570
    https://www.grainger.com/product/DIL...Station-33K095
    https://www.haltec.com/pc/Gauge-Check-Station-p943.htm

    JKJ

  12. #12
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    I’m all for analism, I’ve been accused of it many times. That said, tire pressure is a moving target. Tire pressure changes with temperature. Unless you’re using nitrogen and setting up a race car, spending $$ on a professionally calibrated gauge is silly. JMO
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Page View Post
    I’m all for analism, I’ve been accused of it many times. That said, tire pressure is a moving target. Tire pressure changes with temperature. Unless you’re using nitrogen and setting up a race car, spending $$ on a professionally calibrated gauge is silly. JMO
    Well, and in the case of the latter you're gonna use a pyrometer quite a bit as well... and with low pressures the gauge matters. Mostly because most automotive gauges aren't at all accurate at lower pressures. I used to run 5psi on my beadlocked wheels on a rock crawler, that required a low-pressure calibrated gauge. It is, however, a similar use-case to track tires.. I'd be really quite upset if either of those gauges were dropped by someone. Let's face it, there ain't no automotive hobby that's cheap.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  14. #14
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    +1!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Page View Post
    ... spending $$ on a professionally calibrated gauge is silly. ...
    I saw a review once and the $0.99 pencil gauges were shockingly good. (+/- 5% IIRC, certainly better than +/- 10%.)

    What I've done is gotten a better, though uncalibrated, gauge and use it consistently. I've verified it is repeatable and then "tuned" my target for each car depending on what they seem to like. (Current cars seem happy w/door sticker values which is convenient. Previous car "liked" 0.5 PSI over, though 1.0 PSI made it feel slippery.)

  15. #15
    As long as it doesn't slow the filling process. My truck tires are supposed to get 60 lbs pressure. The gas station pumps take a good 10 minutes to get one tire from 50 to 60. The old compressor I had in the shop could go from 0 to 60 in the tire in about 45 seconds. When that died, Mrs. got me the 120 dollar wonder at Harbor freight. Takes forever also.

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