New fix for low tyre pressure from bmw

[PranK]

And no, this was not posted on April fools.

https://www.theautopian.com/bmw-wants-you-to-drive-with-an-air-compressor-attached-to-your-wheel/

What happens when it's not attached properly and flies off into somebody's head?

 

 

[GTSBoy]

f**k me dead.

[PranK]

4 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

f**k me dead.

I will. With a flying saucer.

[joshuaho96]

2 hours ago, PranK said:

And no, this was not posted on April fools.

https://www.theautopian.com/bmw-wants-you-to-drive-with-an-air-compressor-attached-to-your-wheel/

What happens when it's not attached properly and flies off into somebody's head?

 

 

What I don't understand here is that it mentions using a sealant. So either way you're ruining the inside of the tire and making a huge mess to clean up. Why not just do that, air it back up to spec, then take it all off and put it back in the car?

Also, why not just include a plug kit that's not garbage?

[MBS206]

Knowing how slow their other compressors are that connect to the cars battery, you'd want to hope it's one hell of a slow leak!

[Duncan]

I had never actually looked into it, but aren't onboard compressors a thing in trucks?

[MBS206]

2 hours ago, Duncan said:

I had never actually looked into it, but aren't onboard compressors a thing in trucks?

Yep. But typically that's just run a hose down to the tyre while stationary.

 

Oh and the Unimog will automatically air up and air down tyres from the onboard computer for you too.

[Duncan]

2 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

...Oh and the Unimog will automatically air up and air down tyres from the onboard computer for you too.

Yeah that's what I meant, permanently connected not manual

[MBS206]

6 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Yeah that's what I meant, permanently connected not manual

I believe Unimog is the only vehicle that has it (from the manufacturer). I haven't seen aftermarket permanently connected kits, but I haven't looked either.

[dbm7]

There's actually quite a bit of aftermarket for automatic/manual tyre deflater/inflater systems ... many will have seen YT vids of trucks on tropical forest roads (read: mud), with air lines leading from the chassis/bed down to a hub piece, which in turn connects to the tyre valves ...most of the time only used on the drive axles, to adjust tyre pressures and get some grip....(bit like letting air out of a 4WD to get traction on loose dirt/sand)...

[MBS206]

26 minutes ago, dbm7 said:

There's actually quite a bit of aftermarket for automatic/manual tyre deflater/inflater systems ... many will have seen YT vids of trucks on tropical forest roads (read: mud), with air lines leading from the chassis/bed down to a hub piece, which in turn connects to the tyre valves ...most of the time only used on the drive axles, to adjust tyre pressures and get some grip....(bit like letting air out of a 4WD to get traction on loose dirt/sand)...

Does that hose stay connected while driving? 😮

That setup wouldn't last in 4WD life, ha ha. I'm just picturing how many people would cut those hoses too if it were on a 4WD parked at Woolworths, ha ha! Yes, tHere's lots of grubs in society.

[GTSBoy]

Hose's can't possibly stay connected from a non-rotating frame of reference that is not on the axle axis. Even if you put some slip joints into the stationary end of it, it would be 3s before it bound up and twisted itself into a pretzel.

[Duncan]

Yeah that's what I figured too....that or the compressor gets very dizzy

[PranK]

40 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Yeah that's what I figured too....that or the compressor gets very dizzy

Yeah but what a ride! Gravitron 3000.

[MBS206]

1 hour ago, GTSBoy said:

Hose's can't possibly stay connected from a non-rotating frame of reference that is not on the axle axis. Even if you put some slip joints into the stationary end of it, it would be 3s before it bound up and twisted itself into a pretzel.

Just went reading. They have a "rotator" air point that the line connects to. Gets mounted to the middle of the rim. And they air up and down while in motion.

[GTSBoy]

29 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

Just went reading. They have a "rotator" air point that the line connects to. Gets mounted to the middle of the rim. And they air up and down while in motion.

You talking about the ones in the photo above? I guess that could make sense. Fixed (but flexible) line from the point up above down to the hubcap thingo, with a rotating air seal thingo. Then fixed (but also still likely flexible) line from the "other side" of the transfer in the hub cap thingo up to the valve stem on the rim. A horrible cludge, but something that could be done.

I'd bet on the Unimog version being fed through from the back, as part of the axle assembly, without the need for the vulnerable lines out to the sides.

It's amazing what you can do when you have an idea that is not quite impossible. Nearly impossible, but not quite.

[dbm7]

2 hours ago, MBS206 said:

Does that hose stay connected while driving? 😮

That setup wouldn't last in 4WD life, ha ha. I'm just picturing how many people would cut those hoses too if it were on a 4WD parked at Woolworths, ha ha! Yes, tHere's lots of grubs in society.

Hahaha, yeah.... not what you'd call a tamper-proof design.... but yes, with the truck setup, the lines are always connected, but typically they sit just inside the plane of the rear metal mudguards, so if you clear the guards you clear the lines as well. Not rogue 4WD tracks with tree branches and bushes everywhere, ready to hook-up an air hose. You can do it externally like a mod, but dedicated setups air-pressurize the undriven hubs, and on driven axles you can do the same thing, or pressurize the axles (lots of designs out there for this idea)... https://www.trtaustralia.com.au/traction-air-cti-system/  for example....

..the trouble I've got here... wrt the bimmer ad... is the last bit...they don't want to show it spinning, do they.... give all the illusion that things are moving...but no...and what the hell tyre profile is that?...25??? ...far kernel, rims would be dead inside 10klms on most roads around here.... 😃

[MBS206]

42 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

You talking about the ones in the photo above? I guess that could make sense. Fixed (but flexible) line from the point up above down to the hubcap thingo, with a rotating air seal thingo. Then fixed (but also still likely flexible) line from the "other side" of the transfer in the hub cap thingo up to the valve stem on the rim. A horrible cludge, but something that could be done.

I'd bet on the Unimog version being fed through from the back, as part of the axle assembly, without the need for the vulnerable lines out to the sides.

It's amazing what you can do when you have an idea that is not quite impossible. Nearly impossible, but not quite.

Yep, pretty much what you said is a good summary. The aftermarket thing just attached to the rim, then has two lines out to valve stems, one to inner wheel, one to outer wheel.

Some of the systems even start to air up as you head towards highway speed. IE, you're in the logging tracks, then as speeds increase it knows you're on tarmac and airs up so the driver doesn't even have to remember. I bet the ones that need driver intervention to air up end up seeing a lot more tyre wear from "forest pressures" in use on the highway!

[TurboTapin]

On 4/10/2025 at 7:58 PM, MBS206 said:

I believe Unimog is the only vehicle that has it (from the manufacturer). I haven't seen aftermarket permanently connected kits, but I haven't looked either.

 

On 4/11/2025 at 1:36 AM, GTSBoy said:

You talking about the ones in the photo above? I guess that could make sense. Fixed (but flexible) line from the point up above down to the hubcap thingo, with a rotating air seal thingo. Then fixed (but also still likely flexible) line from the "other side" of the transfer in the hub cap thingo up to the valve stem on the rim. A horrible cludge, but something that could be done.

I'd bet on the Unimog version being fed through from the back, as part of the axle assembly, without the need for the vulnerable lines out to the sides.

It's amazing what you can do when you have an idea that is not quite impossible. Nearly impossible, but not quite.

CTIS (Central Tire Inflation System) has existed since the 80's. I'm looking into buying a Hummer H1 and they generally included it. 

[soviet_merlin]

7 hours ago, TurboTapin said:

I'm looking into buying a Hummer H1 and they generally included it. 

What a statement to throw in there like that. If you do, could you make a build thread and share what it's like to own?

Must be one of the old school coolest trucks out there. There's someone who owns one around here but I've always only seen it parked, and never driven.