Heard a great tip from the owner of the wheel alignment place in Echuca the other day.
While doing a check on the van he said when he was travelling he always put 100 in the spare tyre. Had a tube made to connect the spare to a drive tyre. If it was low at all he could connect and get air from the spare. great when outback and no facilities.
Thought I would share in case anyone would like to do the same.
jimricho said
02:30 AM Dec 13, 2012
100 what?
If that's 100 psi I hope he knows more about wheel alignment than he does about tyres!
03_troopy said
02:49 AM Dec 13, 2012
jimricho wrote:
100 what?
If that's 100 psi I hope he knows more about wheel alignment than he does about tyres!
Hahaha JIm, my thoughts exactly.
rockylizard said
03:16 AM Dec 13, 2012
Gday...
Ditto jimricho and 03troopy .... 100PSI is a fair bit over what most tyres can handle ... most tyres have maximum pressure written on their walls. If the spare was sitting in the sun for extended periods with 100PSI (cold pressure) that would increase and you may have a loud noise emitted from said tyre.
However, given the spare is not on the road and carrying any weight the spare could/may be 'over-inflated' to do as the bloke suggested.
If the tyre is rated at, for instance, 65PSI Max inflation, then you could keep the spare at about 70PSI and have a 'tube with fittings at each end' to connect the valves of the spare and the flat/low pressure tyre and swap the air.
To be fair though, it is easier, cheaper and usually more convenient and reliable to have a good 12V air compressor and just inflate as required.
Cheers - John
elliemike said
04:07 AM Dec 13, 2012
I have been around a couple of tyres that have exploded while being pumped up.
Luckily for us they were in the inflation cage in the workshop having been repaired or just refitted to a rim.
They were not up to anywhere near a 100 psi when they burst. The concussion can damage your ears, we had a window break with one of them from the bang. Also being in the cage limits flying debris from the tyre.
The 12volt Air Compressor mentioned earlier is a cheaper and safer way to go.
justcruisin01 said
04:29 AM Dec 13, 2012
Fitting tyres & inflating them need to be treated with respect. 100 in a car tyre, never, 100 in a truck tyre is considered as being a solid tyre, & that is not done.
I have seen a photo of the impression of a mans body in the roof of a service centre when a truck tyre exploded while he was leaning over it.
Around the same time a fitter was cut into four peices while inflating a tyre in the verticle position , the lock ring was not fitted correct & came off.
This topup method has been around for years, but if you are not carefull you can end up with two under inflated tyres.
Buy a pump or a compressor.
JC
blaze said
07:11 AM Dec 13, 2012
here lays the problem Most truck tyres run at 100psi Deaths by exploding tyres is caused by the split rim coming off when it has not been fitted correctly (had a mate die like this) . Also seen impressions of deceased in the roof of a building. The ones I know of were low pressure explosions. In my training years ago we were shown a short film on testing of tyres and they pumped a mini minor tyre/ tube combo to 450 psi before it exploded. Not sure but I reckon it may have even been a crossply tyre at the time. For me I would be quite happy to pump a spare tyre upto and maybe over 100psi, say 120psi to use as a storage device (I like the idea marj). I have in the past run 14 inch light truck tyres at 80psi for many km cheers blaze
Nomad246 said
07:31 AM Dec 13, 2012
HW ,,, there's only one thing wrong with the advice you received,,,, what happens when the spare inflates a leaky drive tyre,,,, then you have 2 deflated tyres with no inflated spare.
100psi ,,, tyre will probably hold ,,, unadvisable tho to run it at such high pressure, for no reason when you should have a 12v pump for the drve wheels.
I've always had my spare about 40~ 50 ,,,, but only to be confident that it has air if needed for a spare.
As stated a compressor is the way to go
cheers
sandsmere said
03:49 PM Dec 13, 2012
I'm happy to be carrying a compressor .
With all the stuffing around there would be connecting the spare to the other tyre , it wouldn't be any quicker or easier anyway .
Peter_n_Margaret said
06:19 PM Dec 13, 2012
I carry a decent compressor as well.
Cheers, Peter
Happywanderer said
07:21 PM Dec 13, 2012
It is not something I would do as I already carry a compressor. Just thought it might have been an interesting topic for discussion. Certainly has been.
snapper49 said
11:07 PM Dec 13, 2012
I also remember a young lad being killed at Port Augusta behind the power station many years ago decantering fuel from a 44 gallon drum using compressed air
Cant remember the exact circumstances other than it was a hot day and the drum exploded
-- Edited by snapper49 on Thursday 13th of December 2012 11:14:08 PM
PeterD said
12:44 AM Dec 14, 2012
I'll go along with Blaze. Those supposed exploding truck tyres are not tyres exploding. Nearly every one is the removable rim letting go as the tyre comes up to normal pressure. So what's all the excitement about split rims when most of us don't use them?
The idea of using the spare as a reserve air reservoir was very common back in the days before cheap air pumps. These days you probably can get a cheap pump from an auto chain store cheaper than have one of those hoses made up. That is probably why the idea has dropped out of favour in the last 20 -30 years and not safety. Tyres can easily stand high pressure providing you don't run them with that pressure. Part of the instructions in doing this used to include the warning to deflate the tyre to running pressure before running on it.
Way back when we used that idea we generally stored our air at something just over twice the running pressure (and that was with the old cross ply tyres.) The prophesy of two under inflated tyres is a complete furphy. If you had remembered your 1st year high school physics you would not have suggested this. See Boyles Law. If you empty a 70 lb/squ" tyre into a completely flat tyre of the same size you will end up with tw tyres at 35 lb/squ".
Peter_n_Margaret said
12:47 AM Dec 14, 2012
Compressors fail sometimes. This gadget can offer a back up system.
Here is another couple of gadgets. Can anyone guess what they could be used for?
Cheers, Peter
Santa said
04:02 AM Dec 14, 2012
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Compressors fail sometimes. This gadget can offer a back up system.
Here is another couple of gadgets. Can anyone guess what they could be used for?
Cheers, Peter
The bottom one looks like a device used by removing a spark plug screwing the (thing) in, attach an air hose, start the motor and up she goes, not much good on a diesel.
Don't recognise the top one, looks like the bung from a 200l drum, it obviously has an air hose connector brazed in.
PeterD said
05:17 AM Dec 14, 2012
The top one in the picture looks like a home made Canning 205lt or 60lt Drum Pump
Nomad246 said
05:31 AM Dec 14, 2012
Happywanderer wrote:
It is not something I would do as I already carry a compressor. Just thought it might have been an interesting topic for discussion. Certainly has been.
Good move HW ,,,, stuck your toe in and it was a lil too hot,,,, lol
hako said
06:10 AM Dec 14, 2012
Bottom one appears to have a left hand thread - attach to 9KG gas cylinder?...BOOM!
landy said
06:17 AM Dec 14, 2012
I believe the VW Beetle used the presure in the spare to work the windscreen washers if my memory serves me right.
A flat spare was normal for people that didn't check their tyres.
Landy
snapper49 said
06:46 AM Dec 14, 2012
Bottom one definately left hand thread and if it is used for gas I cant believe anybody would be that stupid
DeBe said
06:48 AM Dec 14, 2012
hako wrote:
Bottom one appears to have a left hand thread - attach to 9KG gas cylinder?...BOOM!
Fail to see how a gas cylinder goes BOOM when used as an air tank as they are usualy rated at over 300Psi. Seen plenty of gas cylinders used as air tanks. Usualy by farmers.
Peter_n_Margaret said
06:58 AM Dec 14, 2012
PeterD wrote:
The top one in the picture looks like a home made Canning 205lt or 60lt Drum Pump
Correct for the top one Peter.
Screw the bung into the 200L diesel drum, attach a fuel hose to one spout and the compressed air line to the other, push the drum over onto its side and start the compressor. Fuel will be pumped out of the drum.
Maybe I should not tell you the purpose of the other one, but if the compressor has failed and you are alone in the desert with a flat tyre and no spares left there may be one last option left to inflate a tyre in an emergency.......
Cheers,
Peter
Nomad246 said
07:46 AM Dec 15, 2012
Looks like something that was around in the 80's to fit into a spark plug thread
Good way to fill a tube with fuel vapour
Cheers
snapper49 said
03:07 PM Dec 15, 2012
Seriuosly you blokes have not considered the consequences
To fill a trye with lpg however desperate you are is putting everybody at risk even yourself I hint of a spark and you are history and possibly others nearbye
If you survived the filling process who would want to be around when you are deflating it ??????????
and a spark can come from anywhere even your clothing
I have been in very remote areas and regurlay travel to remote areas and have learnt my craft well and never has this been considered as a resort
Flat tyre= fill with grass brush etc or even sand There are other ways which will get you out of trouble and safely I might add without endangering yourself and others
And if you dont know how to break a tyre off of a rim to fill with sand or grass suggest you do some reading etc before you venture into remote areas
-- Edited by snapper49 on Saturday 15th of December 2012 03:14:34 PM
-- Edited by snapper49 on Saturday 15th of December 2012 07:16:20 PM
Santa said
07:04 PM Dec 15, 2012
I suspect Hako may well be on the right track with the gas cylinder connection, yep it would work in an emergency.
snapper49 said
08:19 PM Dec 15, 2012
Just so you actually know what it is Its a connection to attach an air line to an lpg cylinder so you fill your tyre with lpg Im pretty sure you wouldnt get that much pressure from it and the risk of explosion goes with out saying
To have people on the roads that would even consider doing such a thing is beyond belief and these type of people may be the ones involved in acollision with you
I make no apoligies for being harsh Absolute stupidity
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:08 PM Dec 15, 2012
snapper49 wrote:
Just so you actually know what it is Its a connection to attach an air line to an lpg cylinder so you fill your tyre with lpg Im pretty sure you wouldnt get that much pressure from it and the risk of explosion goes with out saying
To have people on the roads that would even consider doing such a thing is beyond belief and these type of people may be the ones involved in acollision with you
I make no apoligies for being harsh Absolute stupidity
Snapper, you have obviously NEVER been in a remote place on your own.
The first time you are, you will recognise it, because you will experience emotions that you have never experienced before in your life.
Knowing that NO ONE will come and find you if something goes pear shaped brings with it the challenge to do what ever is possible to extract yourself from a situation and to save your own skin.
To not consider every possibility is "absolute stupidity".
Using those possibilities is another question entirely.
You may recall a film called "47 hours" (from memory) where a young bloke got his arm trapped in a canyon in the US when a rock fell and trapped it. Just before the point where he would have died, he cut his own arm off with a pocket knife.
Even considering doing that would be "absolute stupidity" by your definition, I guess, but he not only considered it, he did it and it saved his life.
Just so you actually know what it is Its a connection to attach an air line to an lpg cylinder so you fill your tyre with lpg Im pretty sure you wouldnt get that much pressure from it and the risk of explosion goes with out saying
To have people on the roads that would even consider doing such a thing is beyond belief and these type of people may be the ones involved in acollision with you
I make no apoligies for being harsh Absolute stupidity
Snapper, you have obviously NEVER been in a remote place on your own.
The first time you are, you will recognise it, because you will experience emotions that you have never experienced before in your life.
Knowing that NO ONE will come and find you if something goes pear shaped brings with it the challenge to do what ever is possible to extract yourself from a situation and to save your own skin.
To not consider every possibility is "absolute stupidity".
Using those possibilities is another question entirely.
You may recall a film called "47 hours" (from memory) where a young bloke got his arm trapped in a canyon in the US when a rock fell and trapped it. Just before the point where he would have died, he cut his own arm off with a pocket knife.
Even considering doing that would be "absolute stupidity" by your definition, I guess, but he not only considered it, he did it and it saved his life.
Cheers,
Peter
I'm behind you 100% on this one Peter, if survival is the name of the game then you do whatever is nescessary, if more people were able to think outside the square perhaps we wouldn't have so many tragedies and near misses in the Aust outback.
rockylizard said
10:03 PM Dec 15, 2012
Gday...
I fully agree with the comments that should one become desperately stuck in a remote location, away from any assistance then it is very sensible to explore and apply any and every solution that may save your life.
However, as highlighted in the movie "47 Hours", that extremely fit and competent climber did not do the FIRST and most sensible, important thing that everyone should do if travelling in remote areas, particularly on your own - or anywhere for that matter - is to INFORM 'someone' of exactly where you are going to, the timeframe you expect to transpire for them to initiate some recovery action, always carry sufficient food and water to last at least twice the time you will be 'isolated'. In his case, he told no-one where he was going - not even the general area, so even though there were people who were worried about his disappearance, no-one knew where to look. Hence, his only salvation was cutting off his arm.
Then you only need to follow the SECOND piece of advice - stay with the vehicle.
Additionally, carry an EPIRB and you won't have to put LPG into your tyres etc to 'get out of trouble'.
Heard a great tip from the owner of the wheel alignment place in Echuca the other day.
While doing a check on the van he said when he was travelling he always put 100 in the spare tyre. Had a tube made to connect the spare to a drive tyre. If it was low at all he could connect and get air from the spare. great when outback and no facilities.
Thought I would share in case anyone would like to do the same.
If that's 100 psi I hope he knows more about wheel alignment than he does about tyres!
Hahaha JIm, my thoughts exactly.
Gday...
Ditto jimricho and 03troopy .... 100PSI is a fair bit over what most tyres can handle ... most tyres have maximum pressure written on their walls. If the spare was sitting in the sun for extended periods with 100PSI (cold pressure) that would increase and you may have a loud noise emitted from said tyre.

However, given the spare is not on the road and carrying any weight the spare could/may be 'over-inflated' to do as the bloke suggested.
If the tyre is rated at, for instance, 65PSI Max inflation, then you could keep the spare at about 70PSI and have a 'tube with fittings at each end' to connect the valves of the spare and the flat/low pressure tyre and swap the air.
To be fair though, it is easier, cheaper and usually more convenient and reliable to have a good 12V air compressor and just inflate as required.
Cheers - John
I have been around a couple of tyres that have exploded while being pumped up.
Luckily for us they were in the inflation cage in the workshop having been repaired or just refitted to a rim.
They were not up to anywhere near a 100 psi when they burst. The concussion can damage your ears, we had a window break with one of them from the bang. Also being in the cage limits flying debris from the tyre.
The 12volt Air Compressor mentioned earlier is a cheaper and safer way to go.
Fitting tyres & inflating them need to be treated with respect. 100 in a car tyre,
never, 100 in a truck tyre is considered as being a solid tyre, & that is not done.
I have seen a photo of the impression of a mans body in the roof of a service centre when a truck tyre exploded while he was leaning over it.
Around the same time a fitter was cut into four peices while inflating a tyre in the verticle position , the lock ring was not fitted correct & came off.
This topup method has been around for years, but if you are not carefull you can end up with two under inflated tyres.
Buy a pump or a compressor.
JC
Most truck tyres run at 100psi
Deaths by exploding tyres is caused by the split rim coming off when it has not been fitted correctly (had a mate die like this) . Also seen impressions of deceased in the roof of a building. The ones I know of were low pressure explosions.
In my training years ago we were shown a short film on testing of tyres and they pumped a mini minor tyre/ tube combo to 450 psi before it exploded. Not sure but I reckon it may have even been a crossply tyre at the time.
For me I would be quite happy to pump a spare tyre upto and maybe over 100psi, say 120psi to use as a storage device (I like the idea marj).
I have in the past run 14 inch light truck tyres at 80psi for many km
cheers
blaze
HW ,,, there's only one thing wrong with the advice you received,,,, what happens when the spare inflates a leaky drive tyre,,,, then you have 2 deflated tyres with no inflated spare.
100psi ,,, tyre will probably hold ,,, unadvisable tho to run it at such high pressure, for no reason when you should have a 12v pump for the drve wheels.
I've always had my spare about 40~ 50 ,,,, but only to be confident that it has air if needed for a spare.
As stated a compressor is the way to go
cheers
I'm happy to be carrying a compressor .
With all the stuffing around there would be connecting the spare to the other tyre , it wouldn't be any quicker or easier anyway .
I carry a decent compressor as well.
Cheers,
Peter
Just thought it might have been an interesting topic for discussion. Certainly has been.
I also remember a young lad being killed at Port Augusta behind the power station many years ago decantering fuel from a 44 gallon drum using compressed air
Cant remember the exact circumstances other than it was a hot day and the drum exploded
-- Edited by snapper49 on Thursday 13th of December 2012 11:14:08 PM
I'll go along with Blaze. Those supposed exploding truck tyres are not tyres exploding. Nearly every one is the removable rim letting go as the tyre comes up to normal pressure. So what's all the excitement about split rims when most of us don't use them?
The idea of using the spare as a reserve air reservoir was very common back in the days before cheap air pumps. These days you probably can get a cheap pump from an auto chain store cheaper than have one of those hoses made up. That is probably why the idea has dropped out of favour in the last 20 -30 years and not safety. Tyres can easily stand high pressure providing you don't run them with that pressure. Part of the instructions in doing this used to include the warning to deflate the tyre to running pressure before running on it.
Way back when we used that idea we generally stored our air at something just over twice the running pressure (and that was with the old cross ply tyres.) The prophesy of two under inflated tyres is a complete furphy. If you had remembered your 1st year high school physics you would not have suggested this. See Boyles Law. If you empty a 70 lb/squ" tyre into a completely flat tyre of the same size you will end up with tw tyres at 35 lb/squ".
This gadget can offer a back up system.
Here is another couple of gadgets.
Can anyone guess what they could be used for?
Cheers,
Peter
The bottom one looks like a device used by removing a spark plug screwing the (thing) in, attach an air hose, start the motor and up she goes, not much good on a diesel.
Don't recognise the top one, looks like the bung from a 200l drum, it obviously has an air hose connector brazed in.
Good move HW ,,,, stuck your toe in and it was a lil too hot,,,, lol
I believe the VW Beetle used the presure in the spare to work the windscreen washers if my memory serves me right.
A flat spare was normal for people that didn't check their tyres.
Landy
Fail to see how a gas cylinder goes BOOM when used as an air tank as they are usualy rated at over 300Psi. Seen plenty of gas cylinders used as air tanks. Usualy by farmers.
Correct for the top one Peter.
Screw the bung into the 200L diesel drum, attach a fuel hose to one spout and the compressed air line to the other, push the drum over onto its side and start the compressor. Fuel will be pumped out of the drum.
Maybe I should not tell you the purpose of the other one, but if the compressor has failed and you are alone in the desert with a flat tyre and no spares left there may be one last option left to inflate a tyre in an emergency.......
Cheers,
Peter
Looks like something that was around in the 80's to fit into a spark plug thread
Good way to fill a tube with fuel vapour
Cheers
Seriuosly you blokes have not considered the consequences
To fill a trye with lpg however desperate you are is putting everybody at risk even yourself
I hint of a spark and you are history and possibly others nearbye
If you survived the filling process who would want to be around when you are deflating it ??????????
and a spark can come from anywhere even your clothing
I have been in very remote areas and regurlay travel to remote areas and have learnt my craft well and never has this been considered as a resort
Flat tyre= fill with grass brush etc or even sand
There are other ways which will get you out of trouble and safely I might add without endangering yourself and others
And if you dont know how to break a tyre off of a rim to fill with sand or grass suggest you do some reading etc before you venture into remote areas
-- Edited by snapper49 on Saturday 15th of December 2012 03:14:34 PM
-- Edited by snapper49 on Saturday 15th of December 2012 07:16:20 PM
Its a connection to attach an air line to an lpg cylinder so you fill your tyre with lpg
Im pretty sure you wouldnt get that much pressure from it and the risk of explosion goes with out saying
To have people on the roads that would even consider doing such a thing is beyond belief and these type of people may be the ones involved in acollision with you
I make no apoligies for being harsh
Absolute stupidity
Snapper, you have obviously NEVER been in a remote place on your own.
The first time you are, you will recognise it, because you will experience emotions that you have never experienced before in your life.
Knowing that NO ONE will come and find you if something goes pear shaped brings with it the challenge to do what ever is possible to extract yourself from a situation and to save your own skin.
To not consider every possibility is "absolute stupidity".
Using those possibilities is another question entirely.
You may recall a film called "47 hours" (from memory) where a young bloke got his arm trapped in a canyon in the US when a rock fell and trapped it. Just before the point where he would have died, he cut his own arm off with a pocket knife.
Even considering doing that would be "absolute stupidity" by your definition, I guess, but he not only considered it, he did it and it saved his life.
Cheers,
Peter
Maybe a set of these will save all the problems.
JC.
I'm behind you 100% on this one Peter, if survival is the name of the game then you do whatever is nescessary, if more people were able to think outside the square perhaps we wouldn't have so many tragedies and near misses in the Aust outback.
Gday...
I fully agree with the comments that should one become desperately stuck in a remote location, away from any assistance then it is very sensible to explore and apply any and every solution that may save your life.
However, as highlighted in the movie "47 Hours", that extremely fit and competent climber did not do the FIRST and most sensible, important thing that everyone should do if travelling in remote areas, particularly on your own - or anywhere for that matter - is to INFORM 'someone' of exactly where you are going to, the timeframe you expect to transpire for them to initiate some recovery action, always carry sufficient food and water to last at least twice the time you will be 'isolated'. In his case, he told no-one where he was going - not even the general area, so even though there were people who were worried about his disappearance, no-one knew where to look. Hence, his only salvation was cutting off his arm.
Then you only need to follow the SECOND piece of advice - stay with the vehicle.
Additionally, carry an EPIRB and you won't have to put LPG into your tyres etc to 'get out of trouble'.
Cheers - John