Question about best way to go up a steep snow-covered, rocky hill?

[kodiakisland]

I would just put on the spare tire That's why it's there. And plug and re-inflate the tire when I get back home.

I don't plug tires when they are still mounted, so I would have to jack up the Bronco anyway. Will be much faster to put on the spare and get going vs. a plug and inflate IMO.

Sorry, but I still can't imagine. I'll be bear hunting for a week in the middle of no where in Idaho this spring and in Montana in the fall. No way in hell I'd go to those areas without the ability to fix a flat. And plugging a tire on the vehicle is a heck of a lot easier than taking it off to stick a plug in it, and a whole lot quicker. I've also had two flats at once in the middle of nowhere. Good luck and stay close to the pavement.

Like I said before, I've used it a lot for people who didn't have the ability to air their own tire up. Jumper cables too. And just general tools. Seems I'm always around people who need help.

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[tourproto]

Sorry, but I still can't imagine. I'll be bear hunting for a week in the middle of no where in Idaho this spring and in Montana in the fall. No way in hell I'd go to those areas without the ability to fix a flat. And plugging a tire on the vehicle is a heck of a lot easier than taking it off to stick a plug in it, and a whole lot quicker. I've also had two flats at once in the middle of nowhere. Good luck and stay close to the pavement.

Like I said before, I've used it a lot for people who didn't have the ability to air their own tire up. Jumper cables too. And just general tools. Seems I'm always around people who need help.

Where you go and the terrain you encounter, and where I go are probably not the same. Or we have different risk tolerances. I get what you are saying but it isn't high on my list of priorities. I have a spare tire and I am good with that for what I do and where I go. If I didn't have a full-size spare available, then the situation would be different.

Maybe I could ask for a portable compressor for Valentine's Day...

 

[Techun]

I. The gas savings

There's no gas savings from a manual in this case. But generally I agree with you...

 

[Merc4x4]

Airing down is safer. Looks like you have Sas and recommended tire pressure is 39psi. No way would I run 39psi in those conditions. The tires will be more susceptible to punctures and transfer more shock to other components wearing them out faster. Not to mention the ride quality would drive me insane.

A lot of people on here don't run 39psi on the highway. The tire sidewall spec says max psi is 35.

I'm too lazy to air up and down all the time, so if I was faced with your situation, I'd be running low 30's and air up at a gas station on the way back home. Or not, depending on how many hours of 80mph+ on the highway was in front of me, or if I was towing/carrying heavy load.

If it was forest roads/trails plus backroads/small town for a few days, I'd be running high 20's and air up at a gas station on my way out of town.

Off road parks, I target ~20psi. They will probably have air available, or a nearby gas station will. I know I will spend the entire time going slow.

I used to carry a <$100 Viair 88p in the mercedes and a tire repair kit. Easier to plug a tire than swap a spare. Plus you can keep wheeling b/c you still have the spare for damage you can't plug.
I would still use gas station air sometimes because it was easier/faster.

I put onboard air on the Bronco because I can. It isn't mandatory for airing down. It just adds a little convenience for a lot more money.

 

[goatman2]

Count me in that list of folks.

And not that I couldn't buy a portable compressor, but for the one week a year when I am climbing a 20* hill in the snow? Not the best ROI for me. I won't be running around sand dunes or rock crawling (not my thing). I just like going off road to get to places to fish and hunt.

I would rather spend the $150-250(?) on some sort of sheath setup that can slide my hunting rifles or fly rods into along the inside top of the roof line from the back door.

I get that aired down tires may help getting up a snowy hill, but I managed to get up/down OK with normally inflated tires.

If technique and the right GOAT mode can do the job, I am good with that.

And you asked the question here about the best way to handle the situation you were in. I bet when you go off road and hunt or whatever you bring other items to make sure you are prepared for various situations. As has been repeatedly said here, having a portable air compressor is one of those items. Pretty simple. Guess you're sorry you asked the question.

If you do this long enough, there will be a time when you wished you had that compressor. Having one gives you options, and options are a good thing.

 

[goatman2]

I don't have a manual because it is "better". Originally I did it because those cars were cheaper. The gas savings and long term reliability of the transmission were side benefits. But now, it is what I prefer to drive. If Ford didn't offer a manual, I would not be a Bronco owner. It is that black and white for me. I have never owned an automatic car and God willing, I never will.

I'm sorry......

 

[Rspayde]

 

[NVCowboy]

My hunting group and I were generally stuck in the snow early Nov of last year. We applied tire chains and weren’t stuck anymore. Yes they are a pain, but the snow was deep and the hill was steep, and we made it to where we we’re going.

 

[shieldsy]

And you asked the question here about the best way to handle the situation you were in.

He says he is asking for best practices…but it sure doesn’t read that way.

 

[BeachTiger]

I can see not wanting to spend a lot of money on an air compressor for a once-a-year scenario. I'd offer an intermediate or stop gap solution being a cheapie (like $30) air compressor from Amazon or Walmart. The purpose of an air compressor doesn't necessarily have to be reaching full 35+ PSI highway pressures, which would admittedly take forever with a small compressor (and pretty long even with a quality one). But it can take you from 12-15 PSI off road pressures to something like 20 PSI in a reasonable amount of time. I'd be comfortable traveling at that pressure a few miles to gas station to air up fully. If it's a long ways away, then maybe all bets are off.

 

[TheKim]

I can see not wanting to spend a lot of money on an air compressor for a once-a-year scenario. I'd offer an intermediate or stop gap solution being a cheapie (like $30) air compressor from Amazon or Walmart. The purpose of an air compressor doesn't necessarily have to be reaching full 35+ PSI highway pressures, which would admittedly take forever with a small compressor (and pretty long even with a quality one). But it can take you from 12-15 PSI off road pressures to something like 20 PSI in a reasonable amount of time. I'd be comfortable traveling at that pressure a few miles to gas station to air up fully. If it's a long ways away, then maybe all bets are off.

This is the answer - for half a tank of gas, or a few dozen eggs , get a cheap air compressor and accept that you own an off-road vehicle, and part of off-roading is airing down for you and your families safety.
You've got gun safety, and you've got off-road safety. Airing down is just the smart thing to do, even if it's just a couple times a year.

 

[tourproto]

I'm sorry......

Believe me, my wife agrees with you. But I really do prefer a manual for everyday driving and probably always will at this point. It is just part of my driving DNA at this point.

 

[tourproto]

I can see not wanting to spend a lot of money on an air compressor for a once-a-year scenario. I'd offer an intermediate or stop gap solution being a cheapie (like $30) air compressor from Amazon or Walmart. The purpose of an air compressor doesn't necessarily have to be reaching full 35+ PSI highway pressures, which would admittedly take forever with a small compressor (and pretty long even with a quality one). But it can take you from 12-15 PSI off road pressures to something like 20 PSI in a reasonable amount of time. I'd be comfortable traveling at that pressure a few miles to gas station to air up fully. If it's a long ways away, then maybe all bets are off.

I hadn't given thought (and didn't realize) there were super cheap air compressors. Went to Amazon and found one for $23. Says it isn't supposed to be for truck tires, but I'll see what it can do with a Bronco tire.

I'm sure the other road warriors will still make fun of it because it isn't "tough enough", and I still don't plan to air down for what I do and how infrequently I do it, but for the price of a pizza, that sort of item would be worth keeping in the back.

 

[TheKim]

I hadn't given thought (and didn't realize) there were super cheap air compressors. Went to Amazon and found one for $23. Says it isn't supposed to be for truck tires, but I'll see what it can do with a Bronco tire.

I'm sure the other road warriors will still make fun of it because it isn't "tough enough", and I still don't plan to air down for what I do and how infrequently I do it, but for the price of a pizza, that sort of item would be worth keeping in the back.

Just be careful with heat - the cheap little ones tend to get hot, and overheat if you're doing all 4 tires real quick, especially if it's a "light duty" compressor.
I've been using a $50 compressor for a couple years now and it's been fine. It's not as fast as people with the $700 ARBs, but it's also a fraction of the price and gets the job done fine.
I go out probably 1x-2x a month, and use it each time:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077N9PXV3/

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