Airing up tires after off roading?

[Dkretden]

If you're only running very easy trails, airing down may be optional. Better if you do, but you don't "have to". If you decide you definitely want to - then invest in ARB compressor or a PowerTank. For my wheeling, PowerTank is the cats pajamas.

Totally true. For trails like these (essentially the ones I take), airing down is more about ride Comfort and a bit about protecting the sidewall from damage..... but it’s really about comfort. I typically only drop from 35-37 (cold) to about 20-25psi (hot) on 285/70/17’s. I’ll then inflate to about 38-39 (hot) when I’m done.

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[Drytellsr]

When i am out wheeling in Moab for a week or two, I will air down to just over 15lbs and drive on it the whole time i am out there. I will dive on pavement and to the campgrounds and down town and I will hit the highway and still run 60mph with no issues. You can run them on 15 psi till you get to a service station and air up. Its not going to hurt or cause any issues unless your driving too fast.

 

[dchemphill1]

Awesome things to think about. Thanks for all the comments.

 

[Joe98]

I am a cyclist.
The tyre pressure in the tyres of my road bike is 120PSI.
The tyre pressure in the tyres of my mountain bike is 50PSI
The tyre pressure in the tyres of my JL is 36PSI

A foot pump can be used to pump all 3. It is not as hard as it sounds.

When I take my JL off road, I deflate my tyres with a tyre inflator (I know that sounds odd but it is easy to check the pressure during deflation).

I inflate my tyres with a compressor. The brand is Ridge Ryder. I went to a battery store and got a battery to run the compressor. I recharge the battery at home.

The best time to check your tyre pressure is first thing in the morning with the tyres cold. The manual says that if it is very cold or very hot, you should adjust the pressure as per a chart in the manual.

Assume the weather is just nice, the correct pressure is 36PSI. So you have been off roading and now you need to inflate the tyres before driving home. 36PPSI has to be wrong!

So, in the morning check your tyre pressure at home. Adjust the pressure as needed. Go for a drive. One hour will do. Check the pressure again: I get 38-40. I never get the same reading twice.

So, after off roading, pump up the tyres to (say) 39 PSI and drive home. In the morning, with the tyres cold, check the pressure and adjust as needed.
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[Oncorhynchus]

I use a Viair 400P. Useful at home, on the trail, at the beach, etc for automotive and recreational uses.

https://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-40043-400P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B000X9AXR8/

 

[entropy]

After owning several portable air compressors I settled on this one: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Compres...ocphy=9033357&hvtargid=pla-869259546467&psc=1

This SuperFlow is affordable ($179), fast (~75 seconds to inflate a 33” tire from 18 to 36 psi) and is built like a tank. I’ve owned it for five years now and keeps on going.

Other compressors I owned, a variety of Smittybilts and one onboard ARB, all croaked after a year or so.

I am pretty sure this is the smittybuilt one. looks exactly the same.

 

[aldo98229]

I am pretty sure this is the smittybuilt one. looks exactly the same.

They are similar and cost about the same. However, the air hose on this one has a quick release.

The air hose on the Smittybilt is fixed; when it breaks you are SOL.

 

[ThirtyOne]

I have the smittybilt 2781 and the ARB deflator pictured in one of the posts above.

It is a solid combination for 35 inch tires and less. I think if I was going bigger I would look at a PowerTank.

 

[txj2go]

I’ll second this. Mine works very well. It’s fast and totally fine for the 285/70/17’s that I have.

I have the Smittybilt also. I've used it on 2 trips and it works well. Next I need to get a better deflator.
On my Sport with 245/75-17 it takes me about 2 minutes to go from 36 down to 20, and roughly the same amount of time to pump back up to 36.

 

[jeepdabest]

Wish I knew about these compact portable units sooner. I've already chipped my front teeth on the tire valves.

 

[guarnibl]

Power tank is fast but the ARB twin compressor produces unlimited air so I recently bought one with the grimm offroad kit. I will still bring the power tank for the hardcore trails. Typically though I’ve just driven back on 10 psi when my tank was empty.

 

[Thdoors]

There’s also this option, or one of several similar alternatives, including a homemade piece-together, which allow you to inflate and deflate all tires together.

But there’s a limit to how much most of us want to spend to save a few minutes, and there’s a limit to how much crap we want to pack around in the Jeep.

I also work hard to avoid Chinese products, though that can be difficult, and it’s always expensive. I do that because I want to support American jobs, but also because I’ve had terrible luck with Chinese tools, engine parts, winches, and other other products that look similar to the original products, but burn up, dissolve, or break in record time. Winches are a particularly good example of this. The Chinese dominate the market now, with once great American companies (like SmittyBuilt, Quadratech, and even Warn!) branding some low end Chinese products — so the rule is: buyer beware on all 4x4 products.

In some cases you’ll have to actually ask where the item is made and then look hard at the warranty, but if the thing you’re looking at is less than half the cost of the well known item your spidey-senses should be on high alert.

I’ve got this and the twin ARB connected to aux4. I fucking love it. I also use the ARB in my Jeep instead of my big ass old 15gal tank to fill tires on my other vehicles and camper.

 

[calemasters]

New to the Jeep world and have a question for you experienced off roaders. So I read that you deflate tires for trails to get better traction, etc. So what do you all use to reinflate for highway travel? I don't want to spend a lot as I don t intend to take on anything more than a moderate trail.
Thanks

I use the ARB CKMP12:

 

[RV Wrench]

I use this one. It’s cheap and works well. There are much better units available (ARB) and other popular units from Viair as well

Smittybilt 2781 5.65 CFM Universal Air Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K25GMG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_dG-RFbXVHA9E4

Ive used an MV90 for years and recently bought one of the Smittybilt units. The Smittybilt unit flat-out gets it done!

 

[Bocephus1963]

I use this one. It’s cheap and works well. There are much better units available (ARB) and other popular units from Viair as well

Smittybilt 2781 5.65 CFM Universal Air Compressor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004K25GMG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_dG-RFbXVHA9E4

I second that. If you dont want to spend the cash for an ARB, this one works really well. Bought one myself and love it.

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