Hydroplaning and Tire Pressures

[SUBE555]

Here is a write-up from Tire-Rack. The pictures say it all!

Article (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/general/airpress_vs_wetperf.jsp)

[Subietonic]

Yep - pictures say it all. I appreciate TR making the case for keeping tires properly inflated. I don't have wicked roads (frost heaves/pot holes/etc.) around here but I still tend to lose 1-1.5 lbs of pressure from at least one of the four tires. Not always the same wheel/location, but it's consistent enough that I check all of the cars every Saturday morning, before the sun hits the tires and mid-week during the rainy season.

SBT

[fan42025]

Shame we don't get tire pressure readouts on board. Would be nice to keep an eye on the pressures in real-time. Can this be done?

[D-2.5-GT]

Shame we don't get tire pressure readouts on board. Would be nice to keep an eye on the pressures in real-time. Can this be done?

if i am not mistaken, i believe the limited version has this feature...

[Subietonic]

Shame we don't get tire pressure readouts on board. Would be nice to keep an eye on the pressures in real-time. Can this be done?

if i am not mistaken, i believe the limited version has this feature...

IIRC this comes on the full boat OB VDC model but is absent on any of the Legacy editions.

SBT

[Drift Monkey]

So what about over inflation? :lol:

[SUBE555]

That system only tells if one is low I believe.

You can get systems that give you real-time feedback I believe.

[Subietonic]

I was incorrect, the Subaru TPMS is found on all of the OB 3.0 equipped vehicles but is not on the 2.5L NA or FI Legacy or Outback models.

However, there are several aftermarket systems out there. Here's a couple of links:

Smart Tire Pressure Monitor System http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sgdynamo.exe?HTNAME=jeep/smart_tire/smart_tire.html&UID=2004090800542546

Michellin's EnTire TPM system http://clemsonews.clemson.edu/automotive/mnatechnology.html

NHTSA Eval of TPMS http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/vrtc/ca/capubs/tpms.pdf

Seems they work on multiple wheel vehicles (2,3,4 Wheels all the way up to 18 wheel and tandem trailer systems) and are only limited by the RF range of the individual transmitters and receiver location.

From a completely geek/anal perspective, this appeals to me so I can monitor things like day-to-day pressure changes, internal tire temps, direct sunlight's effect on tire pressure and by association, vehicle dynamics. I have long contended that my Subaru's handle differently when only one side of the car has been exposed to direct sunlight for several hours while the opposite side of the car was in relative "low light". I always feel like the car is out of alignment but it's just the change in rotational difference from one side to the other. With one of these systems, I could finally figure out at what tire pressure difference this happens.

SBT

[SUBE555]

I wouldn't mind a system on Subaru's, only problem, their system isn't real-time exact feedback per tire, it just tells you that one is low.

There is one, I don't remember who makes it, think it's in a thread around here, but I know it has blue digits and it gives feedback constantly on tire pressures per corner, and they have another system that does much more, I just can't remember the vendor for the life of me. :(

[fan42025]

I may be wrong but I think the JDM version of the Legacy does have this option and is tied to the LCD display. Yet another option not offerred to other countries.