I don't always look for the easy way, it's not always the best way and I'm not fucken lazy, however sometimes I like ease-of-use and when I go into the outback or wilderness taking some complexity out of a task is a good thing. With that in mind I bought a system I've been interested in for a while and you read about that buying process here if so inclined.
It's a simple system but there was some confusion as to its use so I said I'd follow up with a post to demonstrate how it works.
There's many reasons for "airing down" when off-roading which I've spoken about before so I'll not go into and naturally the air has to come back up to on-road pressures when coming off the tracks and back onto paved roads or the tyre will heat up and eventually blow out - my B.F. Goodrich K02 tyres are $550 each so destroying them isn't advisable.
The process is called "airing down" and airing up" or deflation and inflation if you prefer. I have a compressor and air hose already but liked the Morrflate system because it's quick and easy to air up or down on all four tyres at the same time.
Here's how it works in basic terms:
Air down
- Attach hoses to each tyre valve
- Connect main to Air Hub
- Turn on Air Hub and set deflation pressure and open valve
- Air escapes through hub outlet until set pressure is achieved then stops
- Pack away and go four-wheeling
Air up
- Attach compressor to main battery
- Connect air hose to Morrflate Air Hub
- Connect each hose to each tyre valve
- Set desired pressure on the Air Hub
- Turn on compressor and open air valve (car is started so the alternator feeds power to the battery)
- Airs up and stops on the set pressure
- Pack it away and you're done
When airing up the hub is of course connected to the compressor to push air through the hoses and into the tyres and when airing down the hub is not connected to the compressor so the air simply escapes into the atmosphere.
The left and right side air lines have two valve connectors to attach to front and rear tyres and each side connects into the left and right of the Air Hub which has its own power so it can make the calculations required. When reading pressures initially it provides and average of all four tyres and then once the desired pressure is set (up or down) it releases or adds air accordingly cutting off and on in short increments to make sure the pressures are accurate at the end of the process.
The green valve on the Air Hub (you can see me holding it in the collage above) is an open/close valve so when airing up or down the system is sealed until I decide to start the up or down process by opening the valve. Above you'll also see my compressor attached to the start (cranking) battery which provided its source of power.
I check tyre pressures on all my vehicles every Sunday morning and as required in the field and this system makes it really easy to do so.
I also have a TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) on my truck which gives me pressure readings as I drive and alerts me to fast deflation events (and temperatures of each tyre) which can very quickly result in a blow out. The Morrflate system, (made in Sacramento, USA), is something I've wanted for a while and now I have it I'm pretty happy with how it operates.
In the field two people can have the vehicle aired down in a few minutes and the same with airing up, one connecting lines to valves and the other setting up the compressor and hub. It's not that I'm ever in that much of a rush to do it but like I said earlier, sometimes making things a little more user-friendly is a good thing.
Questions or comments? Below is the place to ask or make them, I'll respond in kind of course.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Image(s) in this post are my own
Technology on cars nowadays is amazing. I only usually get to see it if renting a car on holidays. There is continuous alarms, information and monitoring. It takes me a bit to get used to it. I remember when I thought electric winding windows would not last.
Ah yes, what a gimmick. 😁
There's over 30 computers on board my LandCruiser, that's over 30 too many as far as I'm concerned. I've had some amazing cars but my favourite...my 1982 Ford F100 pick up. Computers: Zero. (Hand-wind windows too.)
That's pretty cool. I might have to point this out to my buddy who does a lot of off roading.
It's well worth the money in my opinion so you mate might like to know about it for sure. Maybe he already knows.
Since it is a US company I wouldn't be surprised if he already knew. If it was an Australian company I might actually surprise him! :)
I have never seen such a multi-channel compressor for a car. The usual one is the small one, which is powered from the 12v connection from the cabin. But he is much slower...
Do you only wear it in the car when you go to the field?
I don't know if you made a post in which you presented a set of equipment for the car, when you go to the field, but considering this compressor, I believe that list is long?
I've done some posts about the on-board equipment I have on my 4x4 but never all of it; that would be a long post. This compressor and the Morrflate stays on the vehicle all the time because I air up and down regularly and every week I use it to check and inflate the tyres on my other vehicles as well. It's very convenient.
Well that's handy for sure, instead of doing one tyre by one, expecially if you need to air up or down multiple times in the day... And if you go off road you need to have tyres in perfect shape
I personally only do normal roads so when I need I just do a stop at the mechanic or gas station and ask for a check, they check one by one and air up if needed
Yep, for on-road driving it's important to run the right pressures, and when off-road the same...just that those pressures vary so much from sometimes 8psi to 30psi depending on the terrain. I run 40psi at all times when on paved roads which helps fuel usage and preserves tyre life.
How long do your tyres lasts?
This depends on how they're used. I've had several sets of BF Goodrich K02 AT's and each has lasted me around three to four years or so. They're never totally worn out at the end but when they start to lose too much tread they become ineffective for off roading and I change them out. At $550/tyre it's a lot of money so I try to make them last and also wait for sales so I can save a few bucks.
About the same mine last to me... But yea 550x4 that's a smash for the pocket at full price
Yep, it's a lot and I always buy five, I replace the spare as well. When I buy one set I start saving up for the next so I have the money when required.
How long does the air up process take? (I imagine it's the one that takes the most time.) I was waiting for this post since the last one because I wasn't familiar with the technology.
Here we have a pretty cheap and nothing fancy one that connects to the car's lighter (12V) and helps with that task , tyre after tyre. I think connecting it to the battery would yield better results, but that's where the price difference comes in. I believe your new way isn't easier, but smarter
It'll take all four tyres from 20psi to 40psi in about 60 seconds or so. With a larger compressor it'll be faster, but I need my compressor to be portable so reasonably compact.
There's loads of cheap compressors here as well, but serious four wheelers won't use them because they're slow and unreliable; they often heat up so much they fail, and need to be cooled in between tyres.
If I air down my Prius, I'd scrape off what little remains of the undercarriage covers.
Haha, yeah I think there's little need to air the Prius down but don't let that stop you...just do a video and post it if you do it. I want to watch.
I think it's obvious after scraping off most of the coverings on dirt driveways that it's a poor off-road vehicle. Even speed humps scrape, frequently.
Yeah, they're a low vehicle for sure, not well suited for off-road at all.
To be honest, I don't know much about vehicles, but I do know that if a task can be simplified and made less complicated, then that's a good thing, whatever the area. We'll have more time for other things.
More time for other things is a good thing, provided those other things are productive I guess.
Of course, they serve a purpose.
Wao it a great initiative and invention. Though seeing this for the first time but I quite a way to ease work down and safe time as well. Thanks for sharing
No worries.
This will help not to keep One stranded on a lonely path.
Indeed it will.
It's a lot of technique in this generation and one of it is this,it helps someone who needed
For sure.
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That takes hard work. Good job sir @galenkp!
Thanks.