Tapping the tires with a hammer

[ericandalice]

We parked at a rest stop today, next to a bus. Before the driver left, he tapped the tires with a hammer. What does that do?

 

[Jimmy]

It is a quick and easy but lazy way to check tire pressure. If there is air in the tire the Hammer, Bat or Stick or club will bounce easily and if the tire is flat (no air) it will not bounce much and will give a sound like a thud when it is smacked.

Since the duel tires ride side by side, one tire can be flat and still on the wheel or rim and will not appear flat since the tire right next to it will hold it off the ground.

 

[wingfoot]

We parked at a rest stop today, next to a bus. Before the driver left, he tapped the tires with a hammer. What does that do?

Seasoned truckers call these "bump sticks"....they, with years of experience, can detect the air pressure by the sound the tire makes when hit. A low tire makes a much softer sound when struck..while a properly inflated tire will make a distinguishably different "ping"...Although this is not an exact procedure it's used a lot by eighteen wheel drivers...Plus, the "bump stick" might, just might double as a weapon of choice...just saying.

 

[trvlrerik]

It is a quick way to make sure all of your tires are inflated. In my opinion it is a good thing to do every time you stop. This does not replace pre-trip air checks of all tires.

 

[danemayer]

This is probably a variation of "thumping the tires" to check inflation. At the Gillette Rally, the guy to did the tire seminar was scornful of this technique. He claimed you can have a tire that is low enough on air to cause permanent damage (which by the way is only about 20% low), and not be able to tell by look or feel.

 

[JohnDar]

I'll give mine a thump with my knuckles and do a "thumb" test on them. That's how I found an inner dually was out of air. Couldn't tell by just looking at it.

 

[Chainsaw]

So, I am new to dual wheels, is it normal for the inside tire to run warmer than the outside? I check hub and tires temp every time I stop. Inside tires seem to run hotter. On my truck you have to remove the outer wheel to check the air pressure.
Don

 

[Hastey]

So, I am new to dual wheels, is it normal for the inside tire to run warmer than the outside? I check hub and tires temp every time I stop. Inside tires seem to run hotter. On my truck you have to remove the outer wheel to check the air pressure. Don

Don, You can buy extensions for those inside duals so you can get to them. I've seen them at truck stops and camping world.

 

[pegmikef]

We parked at a rest stop today, next to a bus. Before the driver left, he tapped the tires with a hammer. What does that do?

In 'nam my duty vehicle was a deuce and a half (ten wheels, 2 sets of dualies in the rear and the front wheels). I did the hammer thing everytime I got in the vehicle and you would be surprised how many times I found a bad tire (at least once a week). Trouble was with all those rear wheels, they all would look good because the good ones would bear all the weight. The terrain and environment was hard on our vehicles, not to mention the unfriendlies.

 

[lwmcguir]

This is probably a variation of "thumping the tires" to check inflation. At the Gillette Rally, the guy to did the tire seminar was scornful of this technique. He claimed you can have a tire that is low enough on air to cause permanent damage (which by the way is only about 20% low), and not be able to tell by look or feel.

The problem with any vehicle in checking tires with a gauge is the time required. Thumping them and then feeling for temp works for us on the large trucks and has for over 50 years quite well.

 

[kakampers]

The problem with any vehicle in checking tires with a gauge is the time required. Thumping them and then feeling for temp works for us on the large trucks and has for over 50 years quite well.

This is why we use a TPMS....you instantly know the pressures, just by turning on the TV...

 

[Bob&Patty]

Alice, I always kicked the tires on my 18 wheeler with my pointy toe boots. Problem being that after a million miles the toe was pretty beat in.

BTW, Alice, using a hammer might work but if you hit a tire at the wrong angle....you just might get a face full of hammer.

 

[ericandalice]

This is why we use a TPMS....you instantly know the pressures, just by turning on the TV...

What type do you have, if I may ask. Since we went with the Big Country instead of the landmark, that wasn't an upgrade option. It we're interested on after market products.

 

[jnbhobe]

What type do you have, if I may ask. Since we went with the Big Country instead of the landmark, that wasn't an upgrade option. It we're interested on after market products.

Call TST and talk to Dan Covington, he's the owner.