Do you check tire pressures every morning?

[bpounds]

You might want to reconsider.

We're planning our first outing next weekend, so yesterday I spent all day prepping truck and trailer. Checked all tire pressures. The trailer was down a few pounds, it hasn't been used since last August, and that ain't bad for so long sitting. Ran them all up to 70psi where I like to run them.

This morning I go out and one is dead flat. I was pretty sure what happened, because I've seen it before, but before I jumped to that conclusion I did a full inspection of the tire. They are nearing 4 years old, and have metal threaded stems, which were new with the tires. Found nothing.

So, of course it is a stem that did not seat perfectly when I disturbed it with air flow yesterday. I put a few pounds in and checked it with some leak detector soap. Confirmed, it is blowing bubbles.

Moral of this story is, if I had done that the morning of travel, that tire would have been flat fast. Better to have checked the pressure the night before, and then just give them a kick before hitting the road.

Or a TPMS if that's your thing.

[Walaby]

I 'reset' my TPMS and check pressure that way each morning before I get on the road.

TPMS is at least as accurate, if not more, than the hand gauges. I see no reason not to trust it.

Mike

[time2roll]

Visual check only, no gauge. Also look closely while stopped on the road. Road hazards are more likely when actually rolling.

[Lwiddis]

“and they don't leak like the cheap ST Chinese tires.“

More potshots at the Chinese. Buy American tires and never check the pressure? Not me, I check.

[2oldman]

PhoneDude 8289 wrote:
I have a tpms and I also put a gauge on each tire before towing.

Don't trust your tpms?

[Allworth]

Yes!

[naturist]

Fix might be as simple as a new Shrader valve in the stem. There were a fairly large batch of bad valves in the news a couple years ago, and it's possible you have one. Cheap fix, but you are 100% right, to fix it, you need to know it's bad, and THAT requires inspection and paying attention to details.

Ain't it amazing, how many things in life depend on paying attention? It's almost like God is trying to teach us to PAY ATTENTION ALREADY.

[azdryheat]

I don't usually check my tires unless it's a long trip. My Michelin's are LT's and they don't leak like the cheap ST Chinese tires.

[alexleblanc]

I always do a walk around of the truck and trailer before I leave - I do the same walk around every fuel or washroom breaks as well. Surprising how often I’ve caught a window not fully closed or something or other not right and dealt with it then and there.

[bpounds]

skipro3 wrote:
The schrader valves sometimes don't seat or back out after several cool/heat cycles...

I'm sure this is what happened. I checked and they were plenty tight. But sitting for years depresses a groove in the rubber seat, then it gets disturbed when you check the pressure, and it may not drop back into the groove quite right.

I should get new stems all around, but I don't think I'm going to have time to get it done this week. Too much stuff going on. So I will probably just keep an eye on the TPMS and cross my fingers.

[toedtoes]

I have cat eyes on my rear duallies and I give them a glance every time I go out to the clipper. Simple caps on the front tires for the same visual check. If any are off, I take the clipper to work and fill up the tire(s). That way I don't have to worry right as I head out on a trip and I can get it repaired if it's more than just low on air without having to postpone.

[PhoneDude_8289]

I have a tpms and I also put a gauge on each tire before towing. In addition I ck torque on the lug nuts, only takes a few minutes

[Ski_Pro_3]

The schrader valves sometimes don't seat or back out after several cool/heat cycles. I buy those valve caps that have the tool to tighten them and check a couple times a year. I check tire air pressure every morning I hit the road and a few days before hitting the road.

[Lwiddis]

“Moral of this story is...”

Inflate your tires to the manufacturer’s recommend pressure as shown on the sidewall.

[mat60]

I'm always ready for everything the day before but giving the tires a kick before I we leave is a good idea while checking everything else. Good tip. Glad you caught it.

[2oldman]

TPMS works for me. Fire it up *before* I start moving. I removed those anti-theft caps since they're a pita if you actually need air