Tire Gauges?
#2
Safety Car
I have the Joe's racing one from Amazon for like $25. It is easy to read, easy to use. Seems like I read on here to get one where your pressures are in the middle of the gauge's range, as it would be more accurate. So I got the 0 - 60 lbs one.
HTH.
HTH.
#3
Melting Slicks
Attended an alignment workshop a few years ago by Danny Kellermeyer and we were asked to bring our tire gauges. We had everything from a $10 gauge to $100 liquid filled gauges. Danny proceed to inform us how these were set and how much they would vary year to year. He had a 5" scientific gauge, that he keeps at Standard Temperature and Pressure, mounted as a test instrument and set it at 36lb. Each year he measures his "every day" gauge against it to see how far off it was. We all measured our own gauges and every one was off by .4 to 1.1 lbs. Bottom line, get a gauge that is accurate to 1%, they run $25-100.
#4
Racer
I've been using Longacre gauges for over a decade now. The oil filled ones are accurate and more importantly repeatably so since they have temp/pressure equalizing mechanisms. They're pretty tough too and have served me well at the track as well as during my offroad adventures.
Like Gordy said, +/- 1% is a good number so I'd look for something that meets that target if possible. Easily done for under $100.
Like Gordy said, +/- 1% is a good number so I'd look for something that meets that target if possible. Easily done for under $100.
#6
Racer
#10
Safety Car
Everything I know about tire gauges I learned from Danny.
Rule 1: Accuracy is not as important as reliability. A tire gauge can be a lb. off but it has to be a lb. off all the time.
Rule 2: Use the same tire gauge all the time. When you start to swap around you'll get in trouble.
Here's an article that Danny helped me write.
Richard Newton
Rule 1: Accuracy is not as important as reliability. A tire gauge can be a lb. off but it has to be a lb. off all the time.
Rule 2: Use the same tire gauge all the time. When you start to swap around you'll get in trouble.
Here's an article that Danny helped me write.
Richard Newton
#11
Drifting
I, too, have a Longacre dial gauge, 0-60.
Hint . . . I also have a cheap pencil gauge that's my reference gauge. When I used to compete, every month I would compare my "track gauge" to my reference gauge, just to make sure that my "track gauge" didn't shift. Years ago I battled a handling issue for several weeks before realizing that my "track gauge" had been damaged and was reading 5 psi different.
Hint . . . I also have a cheap pencil gauge that's my reference gauge. When I used to compete, every month I would compare my "track gauge" to my reference gauge, just to make sure that my "track gauge" didn't shift. Years ago I battled a handling issue for several weeks before realizing that my "track gauge" had been damaged and was reading 5 psi different.
#12
Racer
Everything I know about tire gauges I learned from Danny.
Rule 1: Accuracy is not as important as reliability. A tire gauge can be a lb. off but it has to be a lb. off all the time.
Rule 2: Use the same tire gauge all the time. When you start to swap around you'll get in trouble.
Here's an article that Danny helped me write.
Richard Newton
Rule 1: Accuracy is not as important as reliability. A tire gauge can be a lb. off but it has to be a lb. off all the time.
Rule 2: Use the same tire gauge all the time. When you start to swap around you'll get in trouble.
Here's an article that Danny helped me write.
Richard Newton
Nice article btw.
#13
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Oct 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
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Attended an alignment workshop a few years ago by Danny Kellermeyer and we were asked to bring our tire gauges. We had everything from a $10 gauge to $100 liquid filled gauges. Danny proceed to inform us how these were set and how much they would vary year to year. He had a 5" scientific gauge, that he keeps at Standard Temperature and Pressure, mounted as a test instrument and set it at 36lb. Each year he measures his "every day" gauge against it to see how far off it was. We all measured our own gauges and every one was off by .4 to 1.1 lbs. Bottom line, get a gauge that is accurate to 1%, they run $25-100.
The key thing is to always make your pressure measurements with the same gauge. You will set your pressures relative to that gauge and choose the pressures that make your car perform the best.
To make that easier to do you want a gauge that is easy to read, provides good resolution (can tell half pound increments) and is rugged so it doesn't break when you drop it as you will eventually do. I like a gauge with a straight Vs angled chuck a bleeder valve that lets me drop the pressure by pushing the valve. A gauge that holds the pressure isn't desirable since it makes it difficult to bleed pressure down and can be a problem if you forget to release it when moving to the next wheel.
Bill
#15
Safety Car
I use a large dial Longacres guage that is accurate to .5%. Prior to that I had a nice digital guage from Griot's Garage that reads in .1 lbs and is accurate to .5%.... I used that guage for years until it ran out of batteries at the track one day. That is when I decided to switch to the Longacres guage that doesn't require batteries.
Charley
Charley