Tyre Deflators

The primary function of a deflator is to let air out of the tyre. It seems odd that you would do that as usually the complete opposite is normal. You put air in a tyre and are told to check your tyre pressures regularly to make sure they have enough air in them.

The reason you take air out is terrain. When on fine sand, mud, loose gravel or corrugated and rutted tracks less air pressure helps the tyre conform to the roads surface. It makes the ride smoother and there is less chance of a puncture. It also gives better traction as the tyre wraps itself around objects rather than bouncing over them. You can't drive at high speed like this, a slow steady pace is required otherwise you will damage the tyres.

It depends on the amount of time you want to save. If you have a single deflator you can go around do each tyre one at a time which is slow and tedious. If you buy a pack of 4, they can do all 4 tyres at once. There are systems that work from a central point to do 2 or 4 tyres at once. These are time consuming to set up as you have to connect hoses back to the central point. The benefit is your air pressure is guaranteed to be even across the tyres.

With the 4 pack you preset them to the air pressure you want. Once set, you screw them onto your existing valve stem and they start the deflation process. Once each deflator hits the set pressure it cuts off keeping the tyre at your preset air pressure level. When completed it is a good idea to remove them as they stick out and driving off road they can get caught up in the scenery. By the time you screwed the last one in the first one will be ready to take off.