Hotfoot Posted May 12, 2009 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 Hello track day addicts, I have a question. I am trying to get my trailer set up better for track days, and I want to have some sort of on-board air in case I need to adjust tire pressure. Currently we carry a 7 gal refillable air tank, but it's heavy and seems much larger than what we need. Any clever ideas out there for a better way to do this? Things that have occurred to me are: mount a small refillable air tank permanently somewhere on the trailer (how small can you get?), or get a small air compressor (but then I need power, don't always have it), or try to find some sort of disposable canisters (CO2? Nitrogen?). I'd love to hear any recommendations for anything that has worked well for you. I DO have a small compressor that runs off the cigarette lighter but it is SLOW and noisy and cheap, so we never actually use it, I want something better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepr Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 I just used a bicycle pump two weekends ago. I was suprised how well it worked to add a few pounds of air. Certainly couln't use it for beading tires after a change though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted May 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 I just used a bicycle pump two weekends ago. I was suprised how well it worked to add a few pounds of air. Certainly couln't use it for beading tires after a change though. Wow, really? I never would have thought of that. It definitely meets the requirements for small, quiet, portable and inexpensive. I guess I'll have to try it at home and see how high the effort level is - if it's pretty easy, that sounds like a great idea. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybird180 Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 I just used a bicycle pump two weekends ago. I was suprised how well it worked to add a few pounds of air. Certainly couln't use it for beading tires after a change though. Wow, really? I never would have thought of that. It definitely meets the requirements for small, quiet, portable and inexpensive. I guess I'll have to try it at home and see how high the effort level is - if it's pretty easy, that sounds like a great idea. Thanks! Try and steer clear of the foot operated pumps they sell at auto parts stores. I've destroyed 3 of them in short order and the gauges are worthless. But they're excellent for teaching a teenager the difference between price and cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepr Posted May 13, 2009 Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 It was leant to me by a friend in our local club who's known as being thrifty! But it was the old style of pump known as the stand pump, with the T handle at the top. I thought I was going to be in for a coronary but was suprised how little time and effort it did take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted May 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2009 It was leant to me by a friend in our local club who's known as being thrifty! But it was the old style of pump known as the stand pump, with the T handle at the top. I thought I was going to be in for a coronary but was suprised how little time and effort it did take. Well, the "cool" factor IS a little low, but it certainly makes for a practical solution and I think I'll go with it! I already gave up on being cool anyway. And yes, Jaybird, I've destroyed one of those foot pumps, too, so I learned that lesson firsthand, but thanks for the warning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Kane Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 I just used a bicycle pump two weekends ago. I was suprised how well it worked to add a few pounds of air. Certainly couln't use it for beading tires after a change though. Wow, really? I never would have thought of that. It definitely meets the requirements for small, quiet, portable and inexpensive. I guess I'll have to try it at home and see how high the effort level is - if it's pretty easy, that sounds like a great idea. Thanks! Hotfoot; I cornerworked at NJMP for the School yesterday and one of our CW's used a bicycle pump to adjust his tire pressure. Even though I offered him air from my small compressor, he was more comfortable with his pump. It worked...go figure... Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotfoot Posted May 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 I just used a bicycle pump two weekends ago. I was suprised how well it worked to add a few pounds of air. Certainly couln't use it for beading tires after a change though. Wow, really? I never would have thought of that. It definitely meets the requirements for small, quiet, portable and inexpensive. I guess I'll have to try it at home and see how high the effort level is - if it's pretty easy, that sounds like a great idea. Thanks! Hotfoot; I cornerworked at NJMP for the School yesterday and one of our CW's used a bicycle pump to adjust his tire pressure. Even though I offered him air from my small compressor, he was more comfortable with his pump. It worked...go figure... Kevin Thanks guys, you gave me a great solution, and probably saved me a lot of money and effort trying to get a tank or compressor installed. Terrific! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SvenCRen Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I'll have to add another positive response to the bicycle pump. I recently purchased a fairly nice t-handle style bicycle pump for our mountain bikes for around $35 and was very surprised how well it worked when I realized one of my tires was very low at home. It is a bit of a ride to the nearest fueling station and so I figured I would give it a try and it required surprisingly little effort to bring the tire up to more than enough pressure. -scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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