doublewide
Senior Member
Any experiences with these systems, like Cats Eye, Crossfire or other?
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Dual Tire Pressure Equalization Systems
- Thread starter doublewide
- Start date
Labparamour
Senior Member
Cats eye system was on the city rig I was on...
Over several years on that rig, I was never aware of any issues and quick way to see pressure is good.
Over several years on that rig, I was never aware of any issues and quick way to see pressure is good.
mitch504
Senior Member
My experience was you had two flats instead of one.
crane operator
Senior Member
My opinion is the same as mitch504's. If one goes flat on the road, now you have two flats. If one blows out, the other one is sitting on the ground too.
Its another thing to deal with when changing tires, or pulling tires to deal with brakes or wheel seals.
If you have a tire flat on the trailer loaded out in the back yard, now you can't even pull it up to the shop and the air compressor, because they are both sitting on the ground. Not to mention, you don't know which tire went flat, and you have to disconnect the two to figure out which one you can air up, to get it up by the shop so you can start fixing tires.
Sure its nice to be able to walk by and see by the eye that they are both up, but a good kick and a eyeball will tell you much the same thing.
I think they are a way for "fleet" drivers who can barely walk around the trailer, see that their tires are up.
I don't have any, because they are more work than what they are worth for as few trucks as I have.
For a fleet trucking outfit, the savings in correct tire pressure (fuel) and problems on the road, out weigh the inconvienence of them.
Its another thing to deal with when changing tires, or pulling tires to deal with brakes or wheel seals.
If you have a tire flat on the trailer loaded out in the back yard, now you can't even pull it up to the shop and the air compressor, because they are both sitting on the ground. Not to mention, you don't know which tire went flat, and you have to disconnect the two to figure out which one you can air up, to get it up by the shop so you can start fixing tires.
Sure its nice to be able to walk by and see by the eye that they are both up, but a good kick and a eyeball will tell you much the same thing.
I think they are a way for "fleet" drivers who can barely walk around the trailer, see that their tires are up.
I don't have any, because they are more work than what they are worth for as few trucks as I have.
For a fleet trucking outfit, the savings in correct tire pressure (fuel) and problems on the road, out weigh the inconvienence of them.
Birken Vogt
Charter Member
20 or so years ago we tried some that were just extension hoses and found the hoses caused all kinds of leaks on their own.
The reason was that some valve stems were hard to reach due to wheel and hand hole size and configuration but we quickly learned that it was a better solution to fiddle with getting valve stems that were just the proper length and buy some straight or angled crow foot gauges/chucks that fit easily than to monkey with hose extensions. Simple and stupid is better.
The reason was that some valve stems were hard to reach due to wheel and hand hole size and configuration but we quickly learned that it was a better solution to fiddle with getting valve stems that were just the proper length and buy some straight or angled crow foot gauges/chucks that fit easily than to monkey with hose extensions. Simple and stupid is better.
Truck Shop
Senior Member
Any inflation system for drive axles is pretty worthless, but Stemco has two set ups for trailer that work real well and are independent from tire to tire. Most all new trailers come
with it. The system has cut blowouts and flats by 70%. It takes special axle and hub covers to work, for otr it is the only way to go.
with it. The system has cut blowouts and flats by 70%. It takes special axle and hub covers to work, for otr it is the only way to go.
Grab the Milton Dual head gage & check the tire pressure .
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_48541_48541
Check all 18 . LOL !
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_48541_48541
Check all 18 . LOL !
heymccall
Senior Member
mitch504
Senior Member
It may have an internal check valve, but it says it allows transfer from one tire to the other.
I stand by my earlier comment.
It's probably another of the several thousand things are applicable to OTR, but have no place in the woods, fields, mud, etc. in which I live.
doublewide
Senior Member
Thanks for all the input. I ask as I saw them on some website that sold lift axles and it got me thinking...
I would think that fewer parts in any system generally mean fewer chances of failure and like Birken Vogt said about the extension hoses, just another chance for a leak.
But,.. I have had valve stems malfunction before as a result of checking air pressure. I drive our high school bands tractor trailer. Checked all the tires with a gauge the night before a show and come in in the morning and one of the front steer tires is down on the rim.
Sure would be nice to know that both duels are at the same pressure when getting loaded and heading out of the pit and not just know that they were up to pressure the other day.
"Any inflation system for drive axles is pretty worthless" Not sure I understand this. Care to elaborate there Mr Truck Shop? I value your input.
I would think that fewer parts in any system generally mean fewer chances of failure and like Birken Vogt said about the extension hoses, just another chance for a leak.
But,.. I have had valve stems malfunction before as a result of checking air pressure. I drive our high school bands tractor trailer. Checked all the tires with a gauge the night before a show and come in in the morning and one of the front steer tires is down on the rim.
Sure would be nice to know that both duels are at the same pressure when getting loaded and heading out of the pit and not just know that they were up to pressure the other day.
"Any inflation system for drive axles is pretty worthless" Not sure I understand this. Care to elaborate there Mr Truck Shop? I value your input.
John C.
Senior Member
A bunch of years ago some college grad at Weyerhaeuser White River got the idea that fully inflated tires were causing damage to their gravel logging roads and to reduce the damage they needed to lower the inflation pressure in all the tires on the logging trucks while off the pavement. They started with that dual tire air set up and then someone sold them some kind of kit that would allow lowering and raising the pressure from the cab. All of a sudden there weren't enough tire men and mechanics to keep running up in the woods to keep fixing all the tire problems. Stupid is as stupid does!
farmerlund
Senior Member
So sort of on the same topic does anyone make a wireless monitoring set up? sort of like newer cars?
doublewide
Senior Member
I guess that brings me to my next topic of discussion. I believe that trailer tires are suppose to be run at maximum inflation,.. but what about truck tires? Do you guys run max inflation on your dirt trucks? If you're gonna carry at or near max load I would think you should?....
"Stupid is as stupid does" I'm not sure what that was suppose to mean,.. but whatever.
"Stupid is as stupid does" I'm not sure what that was suppose to mean,.. but whatever.
Tags
Senior Member
Pretty sure he was referring to the Grad that had a terrific idea of having to lower and raise tire pressures throughout the day with an awful system that caused endless flat tire issues, nothing towards you I believe.
I've actually found this thread very helpful, thought they were a good idea, never had em' and after reading this probably never will, I'll just buy some extra tire gauges....
Theweldor
Senior Member
There are 2 or 3 different brands of wireless monitoring systems out there. Off the top of my head I do not remember the Brands. One Company I do quite a bit of work for has a couple different systems.
All they do is monitor tire pressure and if one is low it will show an alert.
All they do is monitor tire pressure and if one is low it will show an alert.
We run 100 lbs truck and trailer
I did try the cat eyes at my old job they seemed like a great idea and maybe could have been but ended up causing me more grief than they were worth and shelved before to long just my take on it
I did try the cat eyes at my old job they seemed like a great idea and maybe could have been but ended up causing me more grief than they were worth and shelved before to long just my take on it
525isx
Well-Known Member
central tire inflation- system made by Eaton actually the low pressure made a difference- less washboard/ better traction- the biggest problem they had was air dryer- had 2 air dryers in series, but couldn't handle the volume used by the system. they finally gave up on it. had big 4 cylinder compressors on engine rather than a 2 cylinder standard bendix.
isx