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Onboard tire inflation systems allow you to continuously change or maintain tire pressures. There are actually two types of systems on the market — central tire inflation and continuous tire inflation. The continuous tire inflation systems maintain the proper tire pressure and are commonly used on trailers. The central tire inflation systems, however, allow the tire pressure to be increased or decreased. They are commonly used in vocational-type applications or straight trucks.

Initially developed for the military to increase the mobility of vehicles on soft and poor traction surfaces, operators can use central tire inflation to match tire pressures with the load and speed of the vehicle.

Going beyond price

While the initial purchase price of these systems can be intimidating, the payback comes quickly. Under-inflated tires quickly build up excessive heat while travelling down the road, resulting in dramatically shortened tire life. Conversely, decreased tire pressures allow larger footprints on the ground so trucks can traverse soft terrain without getting stuck. Both of these performance advantages can be exploited with a central tire inflation system.

The purchase price will vary with the capabilities of the system and the overall design. "The vehicle OEM ultimately determines the purchase price of a system, with our's generally starting at $8,000," says Jim Beverly, chief engineer, Commercial Vehicle Systems Group, Dana Corp. "Paybacks can be had quickly, depending on the applications. These usually come about due to reduced maintenance, the ability to haul larger payloads and a lower purchase price when you compare it to an all-wheel-drive system."

Trailer-mounted continuous tire inflation systems, on the other hand, pay for themselves by keeping trailer tires properly inflated. ArvinMeritor and Pressure Systems International claim that 80% of fleet tire problems are caused by improper inflation. A 20% under inflation of your trailer tires can cut their usable life by 25%. So there are real potential cost savings by using a continuous tire inflation system to keep the pressure constant.