adding air in tires??
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,928
Likes: 55
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
adding air in tires??
Hi
Being that l have some time l was wondering how you add air in your tires? My local gas station has a pump with no gauge. I have a digital tire pressure gadget but it seems like l am not doing it properly.
What l have been doing when l add air is driving up to my local tire store and ask them.
I'm a big boy and would like to do it myself.
Thanks
Being that l have some time l was wondering how you add air in your tires? My local gas station has a pump with no gauge. I have a digital tire pressure gadget but it seems like l am not doing it properly.
What l have been doing when l add air is driving up to my local tire store and ask them.
I'm a big boy and would like to do it myself.
Thanks
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 33
From: GRAYSLAKE IL
Oldtimer
St. Jude Donor '13
I have a small compressor from Sears. I check the pressure around the first of each month. I use a digital gauge. Remember you want to get a cold reading on the tires so driving somewhere does heat them up some. I have stock size tires & go 30 psi front & rear...
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
From: Carolina Beach NC
go to harbor freight and pick up a "real" compressor. i got mine and a bunch of tools for less than $150. check their e-mail site for coupons... you'll soon be using it for all kinds of projects... 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
Not to mention they print adds with coupons in many car magazines as well. I always carry a pencil gauge,,and frequently check /add at the local stations that have free air,as my shop and compressor are around the back and the station ,,for now is just more convenient!! I also usually carry a plug in compressor as a back up,,mine does actually pump up the pressure
,,but it IS kinda slow compared to other sources!!
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
From: Glen Cove New York
There's lots of relatively inexpensive and small compressors available that will operate from a lighter socket that you can keep in the car. Most have a built-in guage but I've found those to be off a pound or two. I have always used a simple pencil type air pressure guage, usually $5 or so. Check your tires when they are cold, even driving a few miles will heat them up and give a false or higher reading. The lighter socket compressors take a lot longer to add air than the station compressors. If you are using one at a station without a gauge, and are just adding a few pounds to top off, add air in increments of a few seconds at a time. I keep 30PSI all around as per the manual. Hope this helps.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,998
Likes: 33
From: somewhere in New Hampshire
I picked up this compressor from home depot, I also upgraded to the inflator gauge shown on the same page. It's a great little addition to my garage workspace. I use a digital tire pressure gauge to check the psi.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 410
Likes: 1
From: In Central TX
I have a compressor in our garage with a 25' hose and 3 gauges, 1 digital and 2 pencil. I also carry a "Slime" car kit in the vette and a heavy duty cigarette lighter compressor that is put in what ever vehicle we take a trip in.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 99
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
in addition, if you are really ****, they make an analog gauge set up that will connect either both front or both rear ties together with the gauge so that when you add air you get the reading from both tires simultaneously to insure they are both "in balance". personally, i haven't mastered digital gauges and still use a regular analog dial gauge.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,928
Likes: 55
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
While l have a digital gauge and my air compressor should work l will give it a try once more over the week end.
I sometimes feel like one of the three stooges!!!!!!!!!!
I sometimes feel like one of the three stooges!!!!!!!!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,785
Likes: 8
From: Sacramento California
I go with a Quality Analog Gauge with built in air release. You can over fill it a bit and tap the release button to fine tune the air pressure to perfection. It's makes it super easy to get all four dead on. Not a fan of the cheap digital gauges. Maybe if it is a Snap-On or Mac built one. This not a Digital vs Analog debate. Just what I go with as others go with what works for them. Either way, get a quality guage and fill the tires yourself where ever you like.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 18,643
Likes: 14
From: Norman Oklahoma - The Only State in the Union with no Blue Counties!
I go with a Quality Analog Gauge with built in air release. You can over fill it a bit and tap the release button to fine tune the air pressure to perfection. It's makes it super easy to get all four dead on. Not a fan of the cheap digital gauges. Maybe if it is a Snap-On or Mac built one. This not a Digital vs Analog debate. Just what I go with as others go with what works for them. Either way, get a quality guage and fill the tires yourself where ever you like.
Don't want to sound sarcastic but:
This is fairly simple. Get a decent gauge and air up anywhere. Then double check pressures on your DIC after rolling a bit so the sensors have a chance to get a reading. For daily driving a pound off here or there is not a HUGE deal.
My $00.02
Pro
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 544
Likes: 33
From: SW of Chicago Illinois
Cheap, quick alternative is a good old bike tire pump and quality gauge. Since I only need to add a few pounds here and there about 15 - 25 good pumps will do it and only takes a couple minutes. Saves me the time of hauling out and starting the compressor.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 18,643
Likes: 14
From: Norman Oklahoma - The Only State in the Union with no Blue Counties!
