Air in tyres

[Wingpete]

Don't forget that, when filling tyres with air from garage forecourts, to make sure the valves are at the uppermost part of the wheel.

This to prevent the water that condenses in the forecourt compressors from reaching the insides of your tyres, when it will set in motion a chemical reaction that extracts the sulphur from the rubber compound to form a weak sulphuric acid solution, that is very corrosive to the tyres & tubes.

[Guest starspirit]

Would a quick blast from the airline into fresh air clear any water in the line?

 

Don't airlines and compressors have filters to collect water before it gets to the tyre?

 

Water in a tyre might also play havoc with wheel balance unless centrifugal force spreads it evenly around the inside of the tyre? Does it?

[Mike Chapman]

Hello Starspirit,

 

Always best to do exactly as you suggest, give it a quick blast before use, not just for water but any other crud that has found its way into the airline nozzle.

 

There should be a filter on the output from the compressor but there is no guarantee that one is fitted or regularly cleaned. Unfortunately most garage airlines are not well maintained or calibrated correctly and few can cope with the high pressures required in commercial van tyres except those provided specifically for commercial vehicles.

 

Any liquid in a moving tyre will spread evenly due to centrifugal force and that is the principal used for the puncture seal liquids such as Protex. This obviously does not apply to a stationary wheel/tyre.

 

I really would like to see someone doing as Wingpete suggests. Moving the vehicle to and fro to get the valves at the top and then removing the spare so that it can be stood up vertical with the valve at the top only to find that any water in the compressor has been pumped into the tyre anyway. Had to look at the date it's not 1st April is it.

 

Regards,

 

Mike.

[Wingpete]

Not yet, but it's coming B-)