TireGard

[Dochands]

Well my hungry gizmo hounds. Just added a new one.

Tiregard for trikes. Unfortunately the little diagram on the keychain display is a traditional trike so I have to read it in reverse. No Spyder version yet. Also comes with a little anti theft collar if you are so inclined.

Gives pressure and tire temperature and vibrates and flashes if the pressure or temperature is too high or too low.

Suggestions on too high?

 

[Tom in NM]

Expensive . . . but I am considering these now.

Someone else posted these some time ago - they were considering them.

Since you have them installed, how is the clearance on the valve stems with the sensors on?

I think they are pretty expensive, but I find the ones on my Jeep do come in handy here - altitude (5k to 7k) and temperature variations (Summer 50s to triple digits and Winter 0F to 80F) . I ride pretty firm tires and get an alarm on over-inflation a couple times a year during the summer.

The Kenda tires have a max inflation of 30 PSI (both front and rear) stamped on them, but I am not sure if this is cold or running.

I emailed Kenda and asked. I will let you know if I hear anything.

Tom

 

[Dochands]

Clearance is no problem.

I know i have read that people are running 30 and 20 so that's why I asked. My sensors are showing 26.5 and about 18/18.5 cold in the garage.

I appreciate your help.

 

[Tom in NM]

Here is what they said . . .

Clearance is no problem.

I know i have read that people are running 30 and 20 so that's why I asked. My sensors are showing 26.5 and about 18/18.5 cold in the garage.

I appreciate your help.

The answer was; " Keep it under 30 PSI " - cold or hot. (that applies to both the front and rear)

I know people run their tires at lots of different pressures for different reasons. For me, this answers the basic question of what pressure NOT TO exceed. So, if you don't have one of these TireGard, checking your 'hot' pressure on a longer ride might be a good idea - especially if you run your tires very firm.

Tom

FYI, here is what I asked.

Hi, a quick question.
I have a BRP Can Am Spyder with your tires;
Front: MC165/65R14 47H
Rear: MC 225/50R15 68H
BRP recommends the following COLD Min/Max inflation pressures (PSI);
Front: 13/17
Rear: 26/30
The tire says the MAX inflation pressure is (PSI);
Front: 30
Rear: 30

My question is what is the MAXIMUM tire pressure you recommend for when the tire is being run?

I can experience temperature swings of 50F to 115F and altitude variations of 2 to 3 thousand feet on my days riding.
I am considering getting an electronic tire pressure monitor to make sure I don't ride over inflated tires.
Most of these systems have a setting for MAX running pressure, that is what I am looking for.

My Jeep has a similar system and at least four times a year it warns me of over-inflation.​

They VERY QUICKLY responded;

Tom- 30 is certainly the MAX recommended pressure. Don’t exceed this number.

Please let me know if this hasn’t sufficiently answer your question, ​

Just to be clear, I asked;

Gus, thanks for the fast reply.
Just to confirm my understanding;
If I am out riding and stop and take my tire pressure and it reads out 33 PSI, I should remove at least 3 pounds and get under 30 PSI before riding any further. Correct?

One of the "benefits" in living out here in the High Desert of New Mexico.

Thanks again.​

They again QUICKLY responded;

"Yes, you are correct. “Keep it under 30”​

 

[Dochands]

Interesting. Then a lot of folks are running over inflated. Guess I will keep my current inflations and watch my Tiregard.

Thanks for doing all the legwork for me. LOL

 

[sabunim5]

Tom,
I do not doubt your exchange with the tire rep. It does however leave me confused. In every industry certain standard protocols evolve with time. In the tire industry, it is standard practice to specify max cold inflation pressure for different load conditions. It would be expected that tires pressure would rise 10 to 15 % with use (hot). The danger with most tires is underinflation not overinflation. Underinflation will cause tire side wall flex to be more than normal. This excessive side wall flex damages the tire and causes cold versus hot pressure differences to be more than would otherwise be expected. This shortens the life of the tire. It seems you were very clear about your question, but the answer does not compute for me. Thanks for sharing.

 

[NancysToy]

Tom,
I do not doubt your exchange with the tire rep. It does however leave me confused. In every industry certain standard protocols evolve with time. In the tire industry, it is standard practice to specify max cold inflation pressure for different load conditions. It would be expected that tires pressure would rise 10 to 15 % with use (hot). The danger with most tires is underinflation not overinflation. Underinflation will cause tire side wall flex to be more than normal. This excessive side wall flex damages the tire and causes cold versus hot pressure differences to be more than would otherwise be expected. This shortens the life of the tire. It seems you were very clear about your question, but the answer does not compute for me. Thanks for sharing.

This left me quite confused, too. Their response is not what would normally be considered good practice. It is also not very darned practical!

 

[Dudley]

Sounds a bit confusing to me also. The standard for checking air pressure is when cold (ambient temperature at time of checking, tires have been setting for long enough to "cool off"). So, according to the TireGard tech you talked to, if, when running, your pressure gets to 33 pounds instead of 30, you should release 3 pounds? Then, when your tires are "cold" you will read 27 pounds, which then makes them underinflated! Seems like thats a see-saw battle without a win. If the pressure for the said vehicle is 30 pounds cold, then consideration is taken for the fact that it will increase when it gets hotter as you travel. So, if it gets to 33 pounds, that's already been factored in, leave it alone. My 2 cents.

 

[Tom in NM]

if you are confused . . . .

. . . . welcome to my planet.

SABUNIN5, yes, I agree that under-inflation is the most normal and common problem surrounding tires. My riding conditions also throw in an over-inflation issue.

And, yes, under-inflation is understood to cause wear and have negative impacts on how hard your engine and drivetrain have to work - resulting in poor mileage. I also accept that a soft tire will heat up more and result in accelerated wear and breakdown of a tires components - and that heat will also increase the PSI. The forces of Friction and Compression are constantly in play when it comes to tires.

Scotty & Dudley, Yes, it is a little unsettling because it does complicate matters. Dochands and I were looking for the maximum rated pressure the tire "should" be operated in. I do not know their methodology or reasoning behind this number, but I do accept it. If I had a boiler and it was rated to 400 PSI, I would know it was in the "danger zone" as it approached that level - wether it was filled with steam or air.

I was not going to try and bargain with them on the number and find out how much pressure it would really take to cause my tire to fail. I accept they know the limits better than I do. Can the tires go over 30# without failure? I know mine have. Were they "damaged", "weakened" or "stressed" - probably yes, but probably just a very small amount. These events are cumulative (like tread wear) over and defining the "life of the tire".

So yes, things that effect tires need to be considered (total vehicle weight, shocks, balancing, products like Ride-on, air or nitrogen, and so on) and all the environmental factors (speed, riding style, road surface, heat, altitude, duration and so on). It is complex and contains a lot of uncertainty for us non-experts.

A little knowledge can keep you awake at night. I check my tires' pressure almost every week. They also get a casual inspection before I take off just running around. They get really inspected when I am traveling to points more than 30 miles across the New Mexico landscape. After riding through significant environmental changes on a longer ride - I check my tires' pressure. I am with Dudley, if the pressure was fine when I started and is now a pound or two hard, I let it be. But, if it is more than 4 or 5, I get down to the max. A product like the TireGard would save a lot of time, bruised knuckles, and peace of mind - plus give me some information to learn what my operating ranges of pressure and heat are.

Actually, I think tires are very durable and idiot proof, which explains why I go through all this effort.

Tom