Hitting tires with hammer? Wtf

You gauge perfectly airtight tires frequently enough, you’re going to end up with three things

1. Tires that need air
2. A stuck open valve core
3. Lost valve caps

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Regardless. Always keep several spare valve cores and caps, and a core tool.

 

A flat or under inflated tire usually jiggles, doesn’t bounce back when you hit it with a hammer, and it has a different sound.

When I pull up at a fuel Island. I’m always on the look out for other drivers and their tires. I’ve spotted so many under inflated tires and told many drivers about their tires.

A tire with a 50-60 psi has a small space opening between the tire and rim. That .2 inch space is barely noticeable unless you have good attention to detail skills.

 

I don't use a hammer, I just kick the tires. I'm not checking pressure, I'm looking for a flat.

Pressure gets checked weekly, OR when I see a bulging tire when loaded. But only after the truck rolls out straight. Tires bulge when under strain from stopping in the middle of a turn.

I had to explain that to a DOT inspector that was trying to write me up for underinflated tires. He wasn't buying it, until I got my gauge out and showed him.

 

The rear tires on a spread axle like to bulge when you get around 36k+. Put it on a scale and there is only 2-300lbs difference from the front axle.

I've heard plenty of comments on the CB while rolling through a TS. "looks like someone didn't do a pretrip", "Hey you, your trailer tires are low".

It dosn't take much.

 

I do when I’m getting ready to leave the yard for the week. Usually when we have a low tire it’s because the core stuck after putting the gauge on them. So after the weekend I’ll thump the 2 steerable axles that are in the air just to make sure they didn’t go flat.

 

What about those auto-inflation systems, how well do they really work? And what happens when the trailer gets old? Do they start leaking and messing up everything?

 

I would imagine when they get 10 years old they've got to start leaking and being a general nuisance, but I don't know.

 

We don’t seem to have any problems with them. Seem to work well on our Great Danes but we trade them out between 3-4 years. I don’t want to have to work anywhere that doesn’t use them.

 

Because real truck drivers not company orientation class talking head.

 

All my trailers are over 20 years old. 1981 beavertail, 1993 RGN, 1982 gondola open top, 1993 stepdeck.

The 1981 and 1982 trailers are actually the best preserved for some reason.

Doubtfully axle inflation system would be surviving by this time. I do actually appreciate the idea, but it seems to be a fragile system.

 

I think they are great. I drove trailer 20 miles with the light on. I had hit them before I left so I was surprised. It went out just when I was ready to stop. Wish they all had them. Bet they are expensive.