Stupid question: Airing down tires

Back to the subject, last weekend on the WFF, I lost a bead, well both beads. Nearly had the tire come off the wheel. One of the guys had a tire tool and we got it back on the wheel. Tried to reseat the bead with CO2 and it was a fail. Not having a ratchet strap we used my tow strap and the lug wrench to compress the tire. Applied CO2 and it popped back on. This was actually a first for me. In all my years of wheeling its the first time I've lost a bead.

We didn't have any bead lube of any kind. Technique may very well have not been correct. Btw, its a 33x10.50 on an 8" steel wheel.

I can see why the CO2 myth wont' die. This was a group of mostly fairly experienced wheelers and they bought into it.

Not making my decision about which way to go any easier. If I go compressor I'll keep it portable though. No need to have one for each vehicle.
 
Hadley, at high daytime AC rates it works to less than $3 per 100 miles. At night rates are 1/2 that and if you're doing your own solar pretty much free. If you test drive one of these, as I have, it will blow your mind. Electricity is the future, there is no doubt.


Wow, that is amazing.

It will be good to see more of these vehicles on the road, and to see improvements of solar. (Do these new cars have built in solar for trickle charging?)
 
Anyone who wants can take it for a spin!


Be careful with that offer. I don't live that far away and get down to the LA area 2 or 3 times a month for business.
 
Any thoughts on tire repair kits like these two?

http://www.extremeoutback.com/product/27/Ultimate+Puncture+Repair+Kit.html

http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-Speedy-Seal-Tire-Repair-Kit-10000010-P3580C17.aspx
 
Any thoughts on tire repair kits like these two?

http://www.extremeoutback.com/product/27/Ultimate+Puncture+Repair+Kit.html

http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-Speedy-Seal-Tire-Repair-Kit-10000010-P3580C17.aspx


I don't use those specific kits but do have one like those in both my personal vehicle, work truck, and ATV. Coupled with a compressor they work well if the tire does not have big splits from the puncture. You can use multiple plugs but my success plugging hole requiring more than 3 or 4 plugs is kinda low. If you elect to purchase one get one with good heavy tools. The cheaper ones tend to have lighter weight tools that do not hold up to trying to push plugs into heavy duty 8 or 10 ply radial tires or rasps with enough knurl to do a good job cleaning the hole.
 
I've re-seated a bead with CO2 after a compressor + strap failed to do it. For a time in the dune buggies we all carried the GM CO2 inflator supplied with their space-saver spares, just for this purpose. Used to be a common sight in the junkyards.

I pieced together plug kits at my local real auto parts store (CarQuest in my case). I keep them in the side pocket of each air compressor's bag. I've used one of the premium kits sold by many of the vendors (forget the brand) and while I don't have the fancy, space robbing box I don't think that it was any better than what I got from the parts house.

[hijack]Gene is right - centralized power production (large electricity plant) will virtually always be more efficient than 10,000 individual power plants (a bunch of gas-burning cars).

Bonneville Power (Columbia River power generating dams) almost two decades ago disagreed with this in their own monthly or quarterly publication sent to their customers. They felt that the future was distributed power. They foresaw each neighborhood having it's own power generation facility (at the time they thought it likely to be a natural gas powered fuel cell), and that those would all be networked together. They criticized centralized power production for it's terribly inefficient distribution.

This is the dirty little secret of the power industry, the net energy cost for one kilowatt at your house meter is large. I doubt that the industry would publish it, but they know how bad it is. I don't, but based on a power industry employed friend's comments and having spent 7 months working temp at a steam turbine power plant (Mandalay for you locals) I would guess the ratio at 1:3. That is 3 kilowatt equivalents consumed for every one kilowatt delivered.

If electricity is going to be our future we need to tear down and rebuild the generation and distribution network completely.[/hijack]
 
Thom, yes, I'm aware of the economic costs associated with centralized power production and distribution, but the pollution produced is at this time still lower according to my sources. The move to more localized production to cut transmission losses and infrastructure costs (as well as to reduce multi-state blackouts) is laudable, but we're still talking about one source for several thousand homes.

Then again, as someone who lives in a tiny cottage powered totally by solar and wind energy, it's all moot to me . . .
 
Dan, I've used both those kits. The Extreme Outback kit should last you the rest of your life, and will handle just about any tire repair short of total destruction. But the ARB kit is excellent as well.
 
Thom, yes, I'm aware of the economic costs associated with centralized power production and distribution, but the pollution produced is at this time still lower according to my sources. The move to more localized production to cut transmission losses and infrastructure costs (as well as to reduce multi-state blackouts) is laudable, but we're still talking about one source for several thousand homes.

Then again, as someone who lives in a tiny cottage powered totally by solar and wind energy, it's all moot to me . . .



There are a few things we know for sure. One is that internal combustion engines are poisonous, try closing yourself in a garage with one running. My grandfather tried this bfore I was born. I never got to meet him. Another is that oil is running out, maybe soon. Google "peak oil". Things are getting worse and worse. There will be a day when you recollect the "good ole days" when gas and diesel was only $5 a gallon as you pay $10 or even $20 if you can get it at all. Hell, I remember when it was 19 cents a gallon!

Another thing we know is that electricity has the capability of being remarkably clean. With electric vehicles and reorganization of how the electricity is produced, things are getting better and better and better. ie; Tesla Super Charging stations are solar powered. They are manufactured by Solar City, already largest installer of solar systems in the USA (founded by Elon Musk).

Jay, for instance, produces all his AC on his roof, he'd do well with an electric car. My parents at 70 years old went solar and the system paid for itself in 7 years, they are 85 now and have had 8 years of free AC. They've switched out their water heater, washer and dryer to electricity to try and use the excess they produce.

Future electric 4wd trucks will be fitted with a direct drive motor in the hub of each wheel. Independently controllable, talk about off road prowess! The two thousand pound V8, auto trans, drive shafts, differentials, exhaust systems etc. will be a thing of the past. Batteries take less space than you think, take a look how Tesla integrated the batteries into their cars. Like the Tesla, your service every couple of years will likely be no more than wiper blades and disc pads. It's really not so far away.
 
Any thoughts on tire repair kits like these two?

http://www.extremeoutback.com/product/27/Ultimate+Puncture+Repair+Kit.html

http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-Speedy-Seal-Tire-Repair-Kit-10000010-P3580C17.aspx


I personally have the ARB, but have seen better reviews of the ExtremeOutback. At twice the cost it should be better.
 
I personally have the ARB, but have seen better reviews of the ExtremeOutback. At twice the cost it should be better.

It's better mostly because it's more comprehensive. The ARB kit is very high quality.

Regarding those charging stations: I'm sure many people in 1905 would have scoffed if you'd told them there'd eventually be gas stations on every other corner across the country.
 
[hijack]Even at 3:1, and I think that I'm being generous to possibly very generous there, I don't see it. I know what the plant that I worked at had to do to meet emissions regs and it makes the system even more inefficient. This was only a 430 MW power plant, but it had four ~5000 HP electric motors for it's EGR fans. Those fans had mechanical variable speed drives (more losses). Then, the natural gas that the plant runs on comes from Texas. The supply pipe at the plant is 24" ID. I forget the pressure, but I think it's around 100 psi. (The main pipe probably isn't too terribly far from your location, Jonathan.) What are the pumping costs (losses) associated with that? If I had ever known flow rates we could get a better approximation of the efficiency, but for a plant built in 1959 I doubt that it's very high.

I don't have a better solution, but my time working on a hybrid electric vehicle team as well as working in the power plant tells me that there is a lot, lot more to the story than is ever considered by all but very few. I'm quite sure that I don't know all of it either.[/hijack]
 
Extreme Outback Introduces Compact Tire Repair Kit: The company conducted extensive testing to determine the ultimate portable tire tools and products for remote puncture-repair -- on an expedition or on a jobsite. Recently, Extreme Outback Products created a downsized version, known as the Powersports Puncture Repair Kit.

http://www.4x4review.com/Features/NewProducts/EOBCompactTireRepairKit/tabid/736/Default.aspx
 
The safety seal kit is the one I carry. I've used it successfully once. Only needed it once fortunately.

http://www.safetyseal.com/store/offroad.htm
 
[hijack]Even at 3:1, and I think that I'm being generous to possibly very generous there, I don't see it. I know what the plant that I worked at had to do to meet emissions regs and it makes the system even more inefficient. This was only a 430 MW power plant, but it had four ~5000 HP electric motors for it's EGR fans. Those fans had mechanical variable speed drives (more losses). Then, the natural gas that the plant runs on comes from Texas. The supply pipe at the plant is 24" ID. I forget the pressure, but I think it's around 100 psi. (The main pipe probably isn't too terribly far from your location, Jonathan.) What are the pumping costs (losses) associated with that? If I had ever known flow rates we could get a better approximation of the efficiency, but for a plant built in 1959 I doubt that it's very high.

I don't have a better solution, but my time working on a hybrid electric vehicle team as well as working in the power plant tells me that there is a lot, lot more to the story than is ever considered by all but very few. I'm quite sure that I don't know all of it either.[/hijack]


Reading information on airing down tires, use my 1/2 4x4 with Four Wheel Hawk for back road camping. Have not aired down tires except when stuck in sand, but will consider doing it more now. Have Jeep also, but could not resist the 2013 Chevrolet Volt now that they are dealing on price. Can now park Jeep Rubicon Unlimited, and use Volt for all in town trips. Always hated to start engine for 1 mile trip to store. Had Ford Escape Hybrid, loved it, but gas engine had to start and run until it reached operational temperature before it ran on battery power. Have bought 5 gallons of gas in first month of use. (took 2 106 round trips on one weekend, only time gas engine was used) Fun car to drive, can go 40 miles on battery power before gas engine takes over.
 
Hi HiCap,

Congrats on the Volt. Once you drive electric, there is no going back!

I test drove a Nissan Leaf 2 days ago. Damn! That is a really nice car. Roomy, substantial and fast. I rarely drive more than 30 miles a day around town, let alone the 80 miles to 100 miles the Leaf goes. Pretty much any long trip for me is a camping trip with my truck. Every Nissan dealer is now installing superchargers which will charge the leaf in 30 minutes from dead to full. From 1/2 way to full it'll charge in 15 minutes. And guess what, for Leaf owners the Supercharge is free forever. Top that off, the 2013 Leaf is as low as $18,000 with federal and California incentives. Top everything off, check the all electric Leaf/NV200 van coming this year. There are a variety of door, window, and top options with the NV200. It would be fun to make a "surf-mobile" out of it for cruising my local beaches.

What to do, what to do? I have an $80,000 Tesla (goes 300 miles) on order, I have to write the check in two weeks. Nice thing about the Telsa S is that it is the best car of any type on the road. Plus free electricity at the Superchargers forever. I can drive across the country with 1/2 hour stops every 300 miles for free! Or I can take a Leaf at $18,000 and drive a bit slower......hmm..tough decision..
 

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Hi HiCap,

Congrats on the Volt. Once you drive electric, there is no going back!

I test drove a Nissan Leaf 2 days ago. Damn! That is a really nice car. Roomy, substantial and fast. I rarely drive more than 30 miles a day around town, let alone the 80 miles to 100 miles the Leaf goes. Pretty much any long trip for me is a camping trip with my truck. Every Nissan dealer is now installing superchargers which will charge the leaf in 30 minutes from dead to full. From 1/2 way to full it'll charge in 15 minutes. And guess what, for Leaf owners the Supercharge is free forever. Top that off, the 2013 Leaf is as low as $18,000 with federal and California incentives. Top everything off, check the all electric Leaf/NV200 van coming this year. There are a variety of door, window, and top options with the NV200. It would be fun to make a "surf-mobile" out of it for cruising my local beaches.

What to do, what to do? I have an $80,000 Tesla (goes 300 miles) on order, I have to write the check in two weeks. Nice thing about the Telsa S is that it is the best car of any type on the road. Plus free electricity at the Superchargers forever. I can drive across the country with 1/2 hour stops every 300 miles for free! Or I can take a Leaf at $18,000 and drive a bit slower......hmm..tough decision..


Saw a dealer advertise 2012 Leaf for something like $12,000 off msrp in Saturdays Times. The new 2013 Leaf is going to be made in USA. The magazines that named the Telsa S car of the year for 2013, said they would get ready for the hate mail to come in, as it did when they named the Volt car of year in 2011. Before I bought the Volt, I never would have considered a battery powered car, but like you said, once you drive one, you are hooked. My local Chevrolet dealer matched the best advertised price and traded another dealer for the exact Volt I wanted.
 
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