Accu-pressure safety caps

[Old Michael]

Of course I did a search, but found no mention of THESE THINGIES here. A bit like a meat thermometer? Drawbacks?

 

[squeezer]

Bought a set once and never put them on. I got worried about them failing. Since, I've heard stories from others that they do fail.

 

[Chris_Johnson]

Of course I did a search, but found no mention of THESE THINGIES here. A bit like a meat thermometer? Drawbacks?

Unfortunately the link you gave did not display any pictures, so I cannot see exactly what type they are.

I have used a couple of different types of such valve-cap pressure indicators. My major objection to them is that until the pressure has dropped by several psi I have never been able to observe any change in their indication. I end up checking the pressure anyway, since if it is more than about 1.5 psi down I want to pump up. If the pressure is more than 3 psi down I can tell from the bike's handling. I have never had any added benefit from them.

Regards

Chris

 

[ionbeam]

Assist:

Clickable pic:

 

[Checkswrecks]

The plastic caps are the weak point, being susceptible to sticks and other road debris. Once the clear cap gets knocked off or just leaks, you're walking.

 

[El Toro]

The place where there could be a benefit would be if you picked up a screw and developed a slow leak between your normal tire pressure check dates. I check mine a couple of times per month with a gage, but I do a visual check before each ride. If you had indicator valve caps, it would allow a quick look to indicate that there was a problem.

I don't know if they add to the problem by leaking. I don't think they are sensitive enough to tell you when to add pressure to an otherwise sound tire. A couple of checks a month would still be in order I think.

We had a thread the other day where someone had installed a tire pressure monitoring system with a display and he was watching his temperatures and wondering if they were OK. Really, there are just four things to worry about with a tire once you've picked your brand, model, and size. Is it balanced (taken care of once generally and left alone)? Is the tread adequate, with wear indicators still in tact (taken care of by pre-ride inspection)? Is the COLD tire pressure correct (taken care of in a couple of pre-ride inspections per month)? Are there any punctures (the one random thing that could spring up at any time, and taken care of as soon as noticed)?

 

[Bounce]

over the years i've read of many people who have tried these cheap options to the more complex monitoring systems. nearly to a one, they removed them because, sooner or later, they CAUSED leaks as they failed.

 

[Silent]

I use a set of these on my roomates car. For cars, they work just fine. For motorcycles, I wouldn't bother with them. The readings they offer just are not fine enough to notice a 3-4 psi loss, and they can not tell you if the tire is over inflated. I've also heard that the extra mass on the valve stem can stress the stem enough to cause a leak at the base.

Save your money and buy a good tire guage instead B)