4WD Tyre Hand Pumps

Submitted: Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 21:08
ThreadID: 102505 Views:6397 Replies:8 FollowUps:16
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Some time ago, I read somewhere (may have been this forum) that a couple of German tourists had travelled the CSR using a hand pump to do the re-inflations and that it seemed to be quite quick and effective. Can anyone recommend a model as back up to a compressor?

Cheers.
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Reply By: olcoolone - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 06:01

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 06:01
Can't help you with a hand pump but I think it comes down to how much extra kit do you carry just incase one piece of kit fails...... spare spanner incase you loose one...spare sockets....spare winch.....spare !!!!!!

We have never had a compressor fail but have heard of many cheap one stopping when they are most needed.

Most times you can limp out and travel at a good speed with semi deflated tyres.

OR the other thing that is common with 4x4ers is...... someone else will come along and pump them up for me.

OR "isn't there a servo out their" LOL

My tip would be buy a good quality compressor that you can get parts for....... in out 4x4 we run twin ARB compressors for two reasons,1) because it is faster inflating 6 tyres and 2) if one fails we have the second one for backup.
AnswerID: 512201

Follow Up By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 20:53

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 20:53
It's a bit hard to drive out of the middle of the GVD sometimes on flats...

I don't want to take on a second compressor because I already have too much weight, as well as space issues.

Cheers.
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Reply By: pop2jocem - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 09:23

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 09:23
Hi John,

I have rigged up an on board engine driven air con compressor on my Cruiser for re-inflating tyres and operating the diff lock but there is also a 12v twin cylinder compressor permanently mounted that was doing those jobs. I have left it in place in case the other one has a hissy fit one day.
Doesn't take up much space and weighs about a kilo.

Cheers
Pop
AnswerID: 512216

Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 09:30

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 09:30
Wouldn't an edit function be handy. Lol
Meant to add that there is or was a foot operated version available from auto accessory outlets like Repco and Supercheap. Did the same job as a hand operated pump but a bit easier on an aging body.
Not saying that yours is of course.(;-))

Can you still buy those Mengle (spelling?) pumps that went in the spark plug hole of a petrol engine? I had one years ago, worked really well but not much use on a diesel.
Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 10:26

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 10:26
Gday Pop,
We had a Scraeder pump at some time in the past:
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Follow Up By: member - mazcan - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 12:12

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 12:12
hi pop2jocem
that brings back memories of the spark plug pump I bought back in mid 1980's
got home and removed a plug from my 2.4 petrol navara and scewed the plughole adapter in only to have it break off like a carrot it was made out of some cheap type of alloy diecast
well did I have some problems the diecast seized in the hot engine and wouldn't come out the head

I let it cool down with copious amounts of crc but using a thread extractor pieces broke off and went in and onto the piston I scratched my head and came up with making a small adaptor tube which went on the end of a vacumm cleaner pipe and sucked the broken pieces out then checked the pieces with what I had sucked out and matched it up with the rest of what I screwed out
I was 97% sure I had got most of it then with that plug still out I started the engine and revved it nothing hit under the bonnet that we detected and no engine problems occurred in next three odd years
what a drama
no I didn't take the pump back for a refund
I hollowed out an old spark plug and oxy welded up some fittings to suit and attached them to the pump hose and got years of trouble free life out of that pump
a good pump let down initially by an el-cheapo adaptor I have had a few mechanical challenges in my day and that's up near the
top of the list phew !! cheers
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 13:57

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 13:57
Phil,

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, though don't remember the bird in the swimsiut, when I bought mine. They worked well alright, but in hot conditions the poor quality hose would burst just above the metal fitting.

There was another make too, heavy brass screw-in fitting, with heavier quality hose. Don't remember the brand.

Bob.

Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

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Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 16:27

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 16:27
Geez Phil, I don't remember an accessory like that being available when I bought mine back in the 70's.

Yeah mine eventually died when the hose burst just above the metal crimp. I guess it couldn't take the heat.

The 12v jobbies were just starting to come out about then but took a lot longer than that old spark plug type.

Some of the newer cars you would be lucky to find the spark plugs let alone get to them without some convoluted adapter.

Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 19:24

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 19:24
Gday Bob,
Loved your twin cylinder pump - hadn't seen one like that. Yeah have to admit I can't remember the girl either and not because it was from the 60's...must admit she looks pretty special! With that hat and all!

Anyway, for the sake of equality, here's a man reinflating his tyres in the outback with his Schrader and looking impeccable:


Pop,
Mine must have been one of the last Schraders built - I bought it in 1979 - I'd guess after that outback trip and remember I was lucky to find one in the shops.

Anyway poor old John has been pretty quiet here - I hope he's found a good handpump - I've seen some great single cyl handpumps at one of my daughter's triathlon meetings. Those bike people spare no expense on quality gear.

Cheers
Phil
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Follow Up By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 20:56

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 20:56
Thanks Pop.

It's a good idea, generally, but there isn't a spare cc under a LC200 bonnet unfortunately.

Cheers.
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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 10:21

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 10:21
Gday John,

I had used handpumps for many years - it was all we had back in the 70's and 80's and I used to carry two - one as a spare but also halved the time taken to reinflate if I could coopt one of the kids. Here's a photo of the Corolla on the Oodnadatta track fixing the third puncture in a day in Dec 1978 - we kept them tubeless if possible, and were able to reinflate the tubeless tyres on a handpump with a few tricks. Managed to pick up a new tyre in Lyndhurst to replace the trashed one! The pump wasn't in the picture, but the scissor jack was the beadbreaker and the saucepan had detergent in it to wipe over the beads.


But later I had a Landrover, then an FJ55. The 750R16 tyres could be inflated from zero to 40psi in about 10-15 minutes from memory with a younger person working it.
I used to take a handpump as a backup for the KMart pumps I had in the early 1990's but now don't bother if I'm with other vehicles.

My recommendation is to get a good bike pump - the bigger ones that stand upright. I've got an Anaconda one that I've had for a few years that's been 100% reliable and has done all our bikes, as well as my kids cars when they need an extra few psi in the tyres (gave up trying to get the girls to use the air at the servo). Can get them with and without gauges, but the ones without gauges would pack away easier. LINK HERE


AnswerID: 512225

Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 18:19

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 18:19
That is a cracker of a photo Phil
I learnt to drive on the same Corolla wagon that my old man had
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Follow Up By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 20:58

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 20:58
Great idea Phil, thks.

Our son, now in Korea, left behind a high-end bike pump. I'll experiment over the W/E.

Cheers.
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FollowupID: 790597

Reply By: Dr Hook - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 13:35

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 13:35
John
I also carry a coiled airhose (like this http://www.harborfreight.com/1-4-quarter-inch-x-25-ft-self-coiling-air-hose-47.html - but with a simple clip-on tyre valve fitting at each end).

I over-inflate the 2 spares at the last Service station before airing-down (70-80 psi does no harm if not left in for all summer!), then when I need to reinflate the road tyres, I can decant enough in seconds to reinflate a couple of tyres whilst the pump does the others.
Saves a lot of time.

Or, just partly reinflate all 4 to get you out of trouble then top them off when you find someone with a working pump.

Dr Hook
AnswerID: 512235

Follow Up By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 21:04

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 21:04
I like that. Might get one - nice and light.

But the scenario I'm worried about was again, as I was last year, being out in the desert with a failed compressor and basically no rubber left. I started out with sixty strings, used them all and then had to cadge more off the club mates, some of whom were also having issues. Even had to put a tube into my last useable spare...

What a trip. The club trip leader, a well known Exploroz identity, has a lot to answer for...

Cheers.
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 14:05

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 14:05
John,

Think the good hand pumps were called "DED-EZE", and the single cylinders ones were just that, dead easy to use. My late father had a twin cylinder one, that really put the air in, but it wasn't quite as "dead easy" to use, though you could switch between 1 or 2 cylinders. I may have inherited it too, will have to check.

Bob.
Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 14:39

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 14:39
Well, it seems I knew where it was, after all.

Showing some wear and tear, a coating of light rust and a degree of neglect, will have to clean it up, and get it going again.



Know a bloke who used to be a stock inspector in the Alice Springs district, prior to, and during the BTEC Scheme. They only had Holden HQ utes, and the odd Ford F100 ute, back then, so it was critical to drop pressures travelling out to some of the stations in that area.

He had 2 of the DED-EZE pumps and would have both going with right & left hands, re-inflateing both rear tyres at once. Reckon there'd be a few of us, these days, who would be puffing and wheezing, doing the same thing.

Yeah, I know......you'd kick the Blue Tongue, Big Red or ARB compressor in the guts, and stand back and have a tea, coffee or other beverage.

Bob.

Seen it all, Done it all.
Can't remember most of it.

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Follow Up By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 21:08

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 21:08
Thks Bob.

A Google search only brings up:

Ded Ezy Search Result

Cheers.
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 06:47

Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 06:47
Makes for some interesting googling.
By typing in Rega ded-eze I came up with Bob's style pump - could buy one in 1947 at McLEODs in Adelaide for 38 shillings (sounds pretty expensive to me) Link to McLeods advert

And John, this ded-eze pump is for sale around the corner of my place. I could go around and test it to see how long it takes to inflate one of the Landcruiser tyres :-)

And some interesting old pumps here.
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Follow Up By: Bruce-n-Bundi - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 07:06

Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 07:06
Remember using one of those a few years ago now, we had a piece of wood on the bottom so you didn't have to stand pigeon toed while pumping.

Used to use Singer Sowing Machine Oil down the barrels to keep them in prime shape.
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Reply By: splits - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 21:28

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 21:28
John

One of the 4wd magazines back in the 1970s did a comparison test on all the hand pumps that they could find. The one that stood out head and shoulders above the all the others was the one that came with new Land Rovers. I don't know if Land Rover still sell pumps but it might be worth checking.
AnswerID: 512289

Reply By: Member - Markthemilko - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:54

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:54
As a point of interest when Tom Kruse had an ex-Army AEC Matador with a flat tyre (1400x20!), it took 2,800 strokes of a hand pump to inflate it! Not to mention the 5 hours it took to remove, repair, inflate, & refit the wheel! (pg 137 in 'Mail for the Back of Beyond' by Jon Maddock, a great read about what the drivers endured in the '30s, & '40s in the Outback!

I carry my bike pump as a backup now - after my compressor switch melted!

Happy travelling!
Happy 4WDriving
Mark

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Follow Up By: Member - Markthemilko - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:56

Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:56
Oops! That should be John M.
Happy 4WDriving
Mark

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Reply By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Monday, Jun 03, 2013 at 13:31

Monday, Jun 03, 2013 at 13:31
Thanks again to Phil for the bike pump suggestion.

Just had a play. Result: 500 pumps in about five minutes pumping time (I had a few breaks) gave me 20psi from dead flat.

Bit puffed out after, but if interchanging with one's navigator every 100 pumps, it wouldn't be too difficult at all.

I've now cable tied the pump to the cargo barrier.

Cheers.
AnswerID: 512449

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