Automatic Tire Deflators - recommendations?

[Ratbert]

I didn’t know ARB made this.

It's nowhere near as convenient / simple as automatic tire deflators. And, of course, you risk the valve core being shot out, so keep spares.

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[Ratbert]

If you use a 4 hose setup to air up, you could use that as well for airing down and letting it equalize. It's not automatic but easy to monitor and equalize.

I'm pretty sure it's automatic with the higher-end Kraken system. You control it with your phone.

 

[Traveller128]

I am looking at these ones.

I have a similar set, Smittybilt, pretty sure they're made in the same place. These are working well for us.

 

[Joe's_Roxy]

I have the ability to use my ARB 4 way hose system to delate, but still use individual deflators. I’m lazy and don’t feel like dragging the hoses through the mud to air down then putting muddy hoses away only to drag them back out to air back up. Doesn’t save any time or effort. I do plenty of things that don’t make sense

I have not used my 4-hose setup since getting my All-Top 12.35 CFM air compressor. The amount of time it takes me to fill up each tire separately is about the same as it was to pull out my 4-tire setup. LOL I use individual deflators.

 

[Terrymo]

I'm pretty sure it's automatic with the higher-end Kraken system. You control it with your phone.

I wonder if they are just using the exisiting module from ARB?
https://store.arbusa.com/pressure-control-0830001/

 

[Medsker]

Can you set them to air down to a specific PSI? If so are they easier to adjust than the Staun style deflators?

No, if you want them exact you just hook a gauge to the valve stem and then pull the lever to air them down. You just keep an eye on the gauge. Each one takes about 5-6 seconds to air down once the lever is pulled. I made my own gauge that uses the APEX push-on chuck and a 0-40 psi gauge.

 

[dstevens]

All of the tire deflators use the same principle. Tire air pressure lifts a piston which allows air to escape. The problem is that as the tire pressure drops not only does the pressure differential decrease also the piston lift decreases, so the tire pressure tends towards the target in an exponential curve that takes forever to get to the target. So I always drop the air manually for the last 5 psi or so. Which is a pain.

It would help if the piston diameter was larger and the bleed hole bigger. A better solution would be to use a spool valve, but no one has done that as far as I know.

These were the best deflators but I have not seen them for sale for a long time.

 

[shane h.]

It's nowhere near as convenient / simple as automatic tire deflators. And, of course, you risk the valve core being shot out, so keep spares.

Eh... to each their own. I think the ARB is more convenient and faster. I used the Boulder deflators for a few years and got tired of them. I think the ARB is faster. The core is held in the tool, so it would be really hard to lose one. I do keep about a dozen spare cores in the Jeep tho.

I'd still wheel with ya tho!

 

[rcadden]

I've got the Speedflate version of the four-wheel system. Setup/teardown is about the same, since you have to go to each tire individually either way. I like that it has a single point and auto-balances, so all the tires are always the same.

Also makes airing back up dead easy.

Only thing it's missing is an auto-shutoff at a specific PSi, but it's not that hard to just keep an eye on it.

 

[Snacktime]

I gutted my deflators 2 years ago, I run different pressures on different trails. Just watch the dash and say close enough. Just bought the cheapest deflators I could for the wife's jeep, no hoses or crap to deal with. I also fill with a single air hose for the same reason, less stuff to mess with. I am usually the first one aired down and the first one filled back up on trail rides.

 

[F4Flyer]

Most of my off-roading buddies have moved to the Morrflate or other 4-hose systems over the past 2-3 years but also use the respective compressors. I chose to not use a portable compressor so went the pricier route and mounted an ARB twin compressor under the hood/behind the fender liner. I did not want a portable heavy compressor just sitting in the vehicle ready to fly in case of a crash. The ARB works well and takes a bit less time to mess with than a portable.

We don't have mud here much at all so the hoses never get mucky. It is just easier than messing with each tire. Since 2010 or so, I used to use CO2 to inflate (nothing is faster) and individual deflators to deflate. Now I am all in on the 4-hose system and am debating getting the fancier hub where you can just set the pressure you want and go chat or whatever while it does its work. Takes me 3-4 mins to put it all away. I carefully wrap it all up after the trip is over.

 

[Bryce]

I had the Boulder Tools versions of the screw on auto deflators. Got tired of always needing to adjust them to get the PSI I wanted. Moved to the ARB EZ deflator and never looked back. Faster. More accurate. Still carry the Boulders in case someone in the group doesn't have an air down solution.

I've got a knock off of the ARB. From the original incarnation of the Alien Sunshade people (aliens?), I think. Same deal. Faster and more accurate. Never had a core get lost or leak but I keep spares in the Jeep just in case. I gave my old 4x deflators away to someone that appreciated them more than I.

 

[dragoneggs]

I moved from Staun‘s to Trailhead Tire deflators. Made in USA. I like them better than the Staun’s.

 

[Turniipp]

While not a cheap solution, I use Power Tank's Monster Valves. (LINK) These are the fastest air down valve I've ever used or encountered. The Apex system is similar but slower. They also have the benefit of being the fastest valve solution to air up as well, if you're using a CO2 solution. They have a version that replaces your tire valve stem and they have versions for rims with dual stems. I generally hook a digital pressure gauge up to the normal stem and crank the Monster Valve wide open until I achieve the desired pressure. It takes about 30 seconds per wheel to air down from 30 psi to 10 psi. Frankly, it takes about that long to air up as well. The only negative I've encountered is that they are super loud when airing down because they're releasing the air so fast.

 

[Ratbert]

I wonder if they are just using the exisiting module from ARB?
https://store.arbusa.com/pressure-control-0830001/

Maybe? I don't see it as an option on their site anymore. @EPIC Adventure Outfitters should be able to clarify that detail.

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