DooBall

hehe, ok. when i used to be a biker in middle school, I used to pop ALOT of bike tires.

since then, I seem to have developed a phobia. I get nervous filling up tires.

I cant figure out when the tire is full. and when should i fill up my tires?

i have a flabby part of the wheel where it meets the ground... i'm not sure if thats the low profile tire w/ the heavy engine...

eep, help! any advice for a scaredy cat like me?

UMD_MaxSE

iTrader: (1)

use a bicycle pump with a gauge......or just pump a little bit, measure, and repeat. It will take a lot of air to damage the tire.....so don't worry

KaxMaxSEAE

Yeah, nothing like having to pump 60 lbs of air into a skinny tire, huh?

Get a *good* tire pressure gauge. Those pencil type gauges you can get in the grocery stores are crap. A good dial pressure gauge or digital guage will probably run you under $20.

Unless you're psychic, don't try to guess at the pressures. If you continue to run them high/low, you'll ruin the tires, and won't you be surprised how much a new set will cost you...

(Oh, and as others have found, just having the gauge isn't good enough. You need to actually *check* the tire pressures every couple of weeks...)

Pillager

Purchase a tire pressure guage. You can get the regular stand-by or even a new digital one that will tell you exactly how much pressure is in the tire, whether it is a car or bike tire. Never worry about overinflating again.

DooBall

ok, on my tires, it says maximum pressure - 44psi.

im going to be getting the pressure gauge tomorrow.
i use the pressure gauge to messure how much pressures in my tires.

so, pretend i get ~30. what should i do at the air pump?

sorry to sound like such a newb, but, if i hear another tire pop or blow up, ill die. especially a car tire!

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

First, measure your pressure when the tires are cold. Cold as in havent been driven on since yesterday. Obviously you cant fill them in your driveway, so try to find a filling place that's less than a mile or so from your house. The tires heat up very quickly as you drive and this messes up your readings.

Your pressures should be somewhere around 35/33 psi front/rear. This will give you good grip and handling without funky tire wear.

It is true that weather and temp changes affect tire pressure, but not enough to worry about. As long as you just check your pressure about every 2 weeks you'll be just fine.

Oh yeah, dont worry about the compressor at the gas station making your tires explode, car tires are much stronger than bike tires...

Colonel

I lol when I first read, but thought a second. If I blew up an bicycle inner tube a couple of times I would be gun shy! No pun inteneded...

The advice has been great so far, just wanted to add one note. Never fill after you have been driving. Always when tires are "cold" meaning very little drive time on it. I think recommended is less than a mile with NO aggresive cornering. If you think that you are around 30, check with gauge and then fill or release. A couple of times you will figure out about how long it takes to get a couple of P.S.I.

I always check in morning and hit the station near me and have good results. It is recommended not to fill to tire max pressure unless you like driving on "rocks". Use the factory listed in your center armrest for "normal". For a little livelier feel in the wheel, I have heard 33 front 29 back is good. I personally run 33 front 31 back. Good for me!

Good luck!

UMD_MaxSE

iTrader: (1)

Front @ 36 psi + Rear @ 33 psi + RSB + FSTB = fun

Max_Gator

Front 36 psi + rear 33 psi + aggressive driving = no tread on tire edges = new tires

(ask me how I know!)

UMD_MaxSE

iTrader: (1)

hehehe...I know...but if I mess up the stock potenzas it's ok. New tires will actually be a good thing

TarHeelMax

If you're going to buy a tire pressure gauge, make sure it reads beyond 60 PSI. You'll need it to properly inflate your spare.

MS 2K1 AE

I had a terrible experience pumping up a tire once also. When i was in school, my mom drove for weeks on a very underinflated tire. It was so low that the rim was riding on the tread and began to slice the tire. I go to pump it up and before the pressure hits 25 psi, the slice gives out and all the air comes rushing out. It sounded like a shotgun going off 6 inches away. I jumped back and fell flat on my as*. My parents still laugh at me.

I still think about that every time I go to a gas station. Now I use a quality digital gauge to verify pressure every other gas up.

Front - 35psi - Rear 33psi - I may wear my tires more quickly, but I like getting 25mpg on the freeway.

One thing I am careful to check though. Many gas station air hoses have water in the line. If you fill up with these, the water can get inside your tire. It is usually harmless, but can cause issues. I always vent the air onto my hand first. If any water comes out, I get air someplace else.

92drexel

Better yet, invest in a portable air pump. I just picked one up at Walmart for $35. It'll keep you from having to use an air pump at a gas station and you can adjust your pressures while the tires are cold. I check/adjust my tires every other week.

MAXOPKA

you stole my post !!! i just wanted to say the same thing.
portable air pump is very nice - it works from a lighter output of your car and it's tiny. sure- it's gonna take you a little more time to pump your tire, but it's very comfortable. and i usually take it with me in the trunk, just in case...

DooBall

ok, i just filled up my tires for the first time (yippie)

i did 34 on the front, and 33 on the back, but, on my front left tire, i did 34.5... (using a digial gauge)

do slight mismatches horribly affect tires?

UMD_MaxSE

iTrader: (1)

1 psi or so should not make a significatn difference.