old school observation.... tire whacker
Observed this weekend...18 wheeler operator using a metal rod , strolled around his rig... whacked each tire. No TPMS, no digital tire pressure gauge. The man makes a living driving big rigs. Hm...
Forum Discussion
We are "thumpers". No less than every two hours they get thumped and hand checked for tesmperature. Anymore than 6 or 7 pounds is extremely noticeable as far as pitch goes and one has to take into account whether the tire is in the sun or not. We do the same for the trailer tires including checking the bearing area for heat. Have caught 4 or 5 anomalies in the last 20 years this way. I'll probably still get a TPMS someday but its not high on the priority list right now.
