jlmoped Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 While watching YouTube about PowerTank and DIY CO2 inflation system, I saw some people built a series of hoses to inflate all 4 tires at the same time. It won't work on the LR4 since front and rear have different tire pressures. But what about inflating front left and right, or rear left and right at the same time. If the air hose is tee off to both sides, they should have the same tire pressure. Shouldn't that work? I know it will take double the time to inflate 2 tires at the same time, but I won't have to check the tire pressure twice. Is this worth doing? If yes, do the 2 hoses after the tee have to be the same length? Is 1/4" enough or need to use 3/8" before and/or after the tee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 While watching YouTube about PowerTank and DIY CO2 inflation system, I saw some people built a series of hoses to inflate all 4 tires at the same time. It won't work on the LR4 since front and rear have different tire pressures. But what about inflating front left and right, or rear left and right at the same time. If the air hose is tee off to both sides, they should have the same tire pressure. Shouldn't that work? I know it will take double the time to inflate 2 tires at the same time, but I won't have to check the tire pressure twice. Is this worth doing? If yes, do the 2 hoses after the tee have to be the same length? Is 1/4" enough or need to use 3/8" before and/or after the tee?My experience with my powertank would lead me to think it would not be useful to fill multiple tire at once. The pressure gauges on the fillers tend not to be super accurate, so I usually fine tune with a separate gauge anyways.Getting the filler to stay on the tire valve can be tricky sometimes. Mine tends to like to pop off sometimes, I so I often keep it pressed up against the valve to keep a good seal.Also, I don’t see how the two tire would be equal pressure by filling at the same time. Assuming that both tire are the same pressure to start with (which isn’t always the case after use), I would really doubt that the two valves are going to allow the same flow through. It is common for valves to vary in their flow depending on position of filler and age / wear / and manufacturing variables. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlmoped Posted August 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 A 3-way tee is an open system, so air can flow through the 3 openings freely. Assuming same hose length, same couplings, same connectors and they can stay on the valve stems, even if they don't start at the same pressure, shouldn't they be able to equalize themselves? I don't have PowerTank or CO2, so just using this on an air pump, pressure build up will be very slow anyway. Using a pressure gauge with a shut off valve, that should further allow unequal pressure to equalize when no air is push through the pump. All the parts to put this together cost about $100. Does this experiment have a chance of success or total waste of money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jethro Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Tyler from my off road radio built one that inflates and deflates all 4. Hes applied for a patent on it. Fairly well priced. It actually fills really fast from the compressor...not sure on the power tank. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elherbinator Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 A 3-way tee is an open system, so air can flow through the 3 openings freely. Assuming same hose length, same couplings, same connectors and they can stay on the valve stems, even if they don't start at the same pressure, shouldn't they be able to equalize themselves? I don't have PowerTank or CO2, so just using this on an air pump, pressure build up will be very slow anyway. Using a pressure gauge with a shut off valve, that should further allow unequal pressure to equalize when no air is push through the pump. All the parts to put this together cost about $100. Does this experiment have a chance of success or total waste of money?How would you be measuring the tire pressure when hooked up? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted August 21, 2018 Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 You have a gauge installed between the air source and the first T junction. You do have to have a valve of some sort to actually check pressure as you'll get inaccurate readings if you're actively filling the tires when you check, but if you release the fill button and just look at the gauge you will be reading the pressure in the whole system. And since the tires are T-ed together as a single 'tank', you'd be reading the pressure at all of them at once. I sort of have this going on myself. I have dual outlets off the compressors in my D1 so I can fill 2 tires at once. Since both outlets are off a single manifold they are by default getting the same pressure. I don't have a built in gauge so I still have to disconnect the line and check with a hand held gauge. I'm not sure it's really much faster or better, and you have to juggle/store two (or more) air lines so that's a bit of a PITA. I also have the same issue Eric mentioned where sometimes one chuck doesn't want to seat properly on a valve stem and I have to hold it in place. Basically, it works but I don't know it it's worth the hassle. It still takes the same amount of time to air up since your compressor remains the limiting factor. With a powertank it may be quicker since it supplies air so much faster, but is it really quicker to walk around and set up 4 separate lines vs just moving from tire to tire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlmoped Posted August 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2018 Hi Eric and Don, To address connectors not staying on the valve stem, I saw several mentions of this connector working well ( I have ordered one and will try it. Also found this high flow air line coupler (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RNWBBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), not sure if it will make any difference with a slow portable compressor. My idea was to connect compressor to a shutoff valve and/or pressure regulator at the air-up preset pressure then to pressure gauge, then to a tee or manifold, then 2 hose to left and right tires. But as Don has commended, this whole excise maybe more trouble to store and hook up than it is worth. So for now I am just testing out the more secured stem connector and high flow coupler for my home compressor. Staying slightly on topic. A couple week ago the TPMS stem came loose and the pressure dropped to 15psi. The warning light came on and I had to limp to a gas station to fill it up. When I explained the loose stem to America Tires, they knew the cause right away. They said the stem should have torqued to 40 oz/ft (which they didn't do in the first place). This flat tire got me thinking. If I could transfer some air from a good tire or spare tire to the flat one, would that work? Let's say I have 10psi in the flat and 50psi in the spare. If I transfer air between the 2, what will be the equalized psi? This is probably not as simple as the mean of the difference (resulting 30psi), but any guess? Would this have work in an emergency? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHappel Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 In theory if you had a way to cross connect the two tires they should equalize. I see no reason they wouldn't. But I'd recommend this instead:https://www.amazon.com/VIAIR-40043-400P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B000X9AXR8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534905654&sr=8-1&keywords=viair+400p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeWare Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 How do you disconnect at the end without delating the other tire? Must have two one-way valves? Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlmoped Posted August 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Hi Don,I did get the Viair 400P per your recommendation, but I had 7 people in the truck, so space was a premium, the compressor got voted off the trunk. Hi Graeme,Good point, need a ball valve to stop to air flow before I let all the air out of the good tire. Or use a quick coupler on at least 1 end. They stop the flow when nothing is connected to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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