Tire Pressure Gauges

With the importance of tire pressure, what tire pressure gauge do you trust? I have 2 pencil type old school gauges and don't really trust either, although they are generally reliable. I have one of the cheap digital pencil styles and it seems accurate when it works, it just doesn't work most of the time. My son-in-law, that owns his own commercial garage, has 2 Matco round digital ones and they seem great, as they should be as they are expensive. I'm looking to buy a another gauge and am leaning toward the Matco one.

Gil, I've used a couple of Milton gauges for the last 30 years, They've always been pretty accurate, and they are calibratable. I kept one of the 150 lb, long chrome ones in the bus, and it was always within a couple pounds of the Milton. I paid $10 for the chrome one from Wal Mart and about $45 for the last Milton I bought.

I had purchased a BLUE POINT, 150 lbs, from a Snap-on TOOL TRUCK, which was at Prevost in Mira Loma. As it happens, my old gauge was reading 10 lbs lite. Its a good idea to double check your Tire Gauge with another one which you can verify is reading correctly.

Where and when U check them is just as critical. I used to park my bus across the street outside. After putting 100 psi in all the tires I could g back and check the sunny side mid morning and the pressure on the 3 tires exposed to the sun would be 7 or 8 psi greater than those that were not. I drove truck my whole life but is was not till after I got my pressure-pro tire monitors that I realized just how much sun or heat affects pressure. Driving on a hot summer day my 100psi cold tires would get to 120 psi+ going down the road. How high do they get when U have 120 in them cold???? Don't even want to know. The wireless tire monitors was one of the best accessories I ever bought. In the dead of winter the inside duel drivers side would grow 10 + psi when the gen was running the exhaust pipe was close up top of the inside side wall enough to do that too.

This spring I purchased all new tires for BABS(that is our name for our Big Ass BuS). At the recommendation of the best Presvost place in our area(they maintain most of the NASCAR Prevost vehicles) I had them put some kind of bag into each tire. They said that is the best way to balance the tires. I think there is some trick to checking the air pressure in the tires with this kind of tire balancing system. One person said you need to add a tiny amount of air into each tire before checking the pressure so that the valve does not become clogged. Does anyone have any experience with this type of tire balancing system? Also, with this system can I purchase and put on the tire pressure monitoring systems now available?

Thanks for any suggestions. Otto

Otto, the "bag" they put in your tire is a granular product called Equal, or a similar product which acts as a balancing agent in your tires. It is a very good product and works very well. I have used it for years with very good results.

As for checking the tire pressure, most reputable tire dealers will install the proper valve stem to be used with Equal. Look at your stems to see if they have a yellow stripe around them. If so, they are most likely the proper ones, and they have a screen inside them to prohibit the granules from blocking the valve when checking your tires. If not, the stem can become clogged and allow air to escape from the tire.

Hope this answers your concern.

Pete let me finish something U missed. If U have equal and NO valve stem filter here is how to prevent leaking when checking pressure. AFTER U CHECK PRESSURE LAST THING to do is shoot a shot of air into the tire before putting the cap back on. This clears the valve of any powder that could keep the valve from seating that could have accumulated checking the pressure. Also some "bagged stuff" is powder, sometimes its small beads that eliminate this problem. Otto did U notice what type of medicine BABS received?

Otto, here's a description of the valve seals used with Equal, http://www.imiproducts.com/index.php...ssories/air-x/

FWIW, I had Equal and hese valve seals on my last coach and he tire shop did not install anything visible on the existing stem to identify the use of this vavle seal.

As usual I am amazed at the collective knowledge of POG(it is the only time I like to use the word collective!). I will check the tires and see but I doubt the special valve stems were used. I purchased the tires and had them installed one place then had a level 3 service done on it at another place. The level 3 people were the ones who suggested the bags. They use them on all the NASCAR Prevosts and on the ones in their own fleet of 50 Prevosts.

If I get the special valve stems can I then use a tire pressure system to monitor the pressure? In Feb. while on the Florida turnpike the passenger tag tire blew and I do not want to repeat that experience at all. Everything turned out all right but it had the potential to be a disaster.

Otto, i bet they did use the special valve cores, not the stems. It's just the right thing to do and any respectable shop that installs Equal should also have the valve cores. The bad news is I don't think you can identify the cores without pulling them out. Check your bill.

If you have the special valve cores, stems, or extensions you can use your TPMS.

ALL of the bagged stuff is not Equal. There is another product that is small beads that does not require stem filters. Untill U get filters if U do not have them and do have equal powder just shot a quick blast of air into the tire when finished before reinstalling the cap and it will be fine. I have a pressure pro and Id give that particular product a thumbs up

Thanks all. I just ordered the 3.5" Digital inflation/gauge from Matco.

Looks like a nice gauge. Let us know how you like it.