Connect A Compressor To A Car Tire

Those of us that use compressed air all of the time, take for granted that everybody else knows the various air tools that are available. For example, if you don’t know, how do you find out what you use to connect a compressor to a car tire?

Starting right here, that’s where!

When you buy your air compressor, the basic DIY models often come with a 25′ or maybe a 50′ PVC type air hose. It will either come equipped with a connector at one end and a coupler at the other, or be a ‘bare bones’ air line with only male fittings on either end.

To connect a compressor to a car tire to air it up, you will need…

• • an air line with a connector on one end that fits into the discharge coupler on the air compressor
  • at the other end of the air line should be a checked coupler
  • and you need a TIRE CHUCK with a connector on one end, a connector that fits into the checked coupler on the end of the air hose

In the image above, the item on the left is a tire chuck. On the left end of it is a female thread, into which you would thread a connector that would connect to the end of your air line.
To purchase that tire chuck go here; CZC AUTO Heavy Duty Inflatable Air Chuck, Straight on Foot Dual Head Truck Tire Chuck, 1/4″ FNPT Extension Stem Compatible with Inflator Air Pump Compressor Accessories for Truck Bus Car Motorcycle
The item on the right is a typical car tire valve.

The ‘red dots’ with the line between them try to show what part of the tire chuck fits onto the tire valve.

In the port, shown beside the red dot, on the tire chuck you can see a small metal protuberance in the middle of that port. Now look at the center of the car tire valve on the right. See the little bit of metal in the center of the port on the tire valve?

When you place the port of the tire chuck firmly onto the tire valve port, the metal parts connect, and that allows compressed air to flow from the tire chuck, into the tire valve, and into the tire.

You cannot see it in the image of the tire chuck in the photo above, but they typically also have a tire valve connector port right on the end of the tire chuck as well,  placed there for folks that have the room to push the tire chuck directly down onto the tire valve.

When you have connected your air line to the tire chuck, and assuming your air compressor has air in the tank, pushing the tire chuck to valve connector down onto the tire valve firmly and properly aligned will allow air to flow into the tire. If the tire chuck is misaligned, air from the tire chuck may exit, or air from the tire may actually exit as well.

The purpose of the tire chuck is typically to inflate a tire, though some actually do come equipped with a small extension on the end, instead of another air port, which can be used to depress the small lever in the center of the tire valve to speed air out of the tire, when this is desired.

Not too much air!

Your air compressor may have 150 PSI or more air pressure in the tank if it has filled up to its normal, filled pressure, cut out level.

Your tire may only need 35 PSI or so to be filled. So, be very careful then that you do not overfill the tire. Too much air in the tire will increase the pressure in it, possible creating a dangerous situation.

Use a tire pressure gauge (some tire chucks come with them built in) to check your tire frequently as you fill it so that you do not over pressurize the tire.

Buy it here;Freeman FATDTI Digital Tire Inflator with LCD Pressure Gauge

If we haven’t explained it carefully enough, and you still have a question about how to connect your compressor to a car tire, just add it below as a comment. Someone will respond fairly quickly, we expect.

Tire compressed air woes

Question: So I get my new to me compressor all rebuilt and working again. I turn it on and let it pressurize to it’s cutoff pressure. I turn the regulator up to about 70 psi, then try to inflate my car tire that is low.

I put the tire chuck on the hose, push the chuck onto the tire stem vavle and…nothing! No hiss of air going into the tire or anything. The tire pressure is still low and I can’t figure out why my 25 gallon, 125psi,  7CFM rated compressor can’t inflate a tire to 32 psi?

Any ideas?

We answer…

Hi L.

The piece of information that’s missing is…what is the cut-out pressure of your compressor?

Is there not a gauge on the tank to show pressure inside it? What does that say?

Obviously, if there’s not high enough pressure in the tank, it can’t blow up a tire to greater pressure.

But I’m going to assume that your pressure in your compressor tank is above the 32 PSI required for your tire.

If you have the pressure in the compressor tank, and since high pressure WILL ALWAYS flow to a low pressure area, your problem must be in the air delivery system.

Toggle the stem tire valve by pushing in the center of it. Does air come out? If it comes out, then it’s a good guess that air can get in.

If the tire valve works then the problem has to be in the valve on your air line (the one that connects to the tire valve), a blockage in the air line itself, a blockage in the connector that inserts into the coupler on the discharge line of the compressor, or the coupler on the compressor itself. It can’t be anything else.

Take a small blunt object and insert it very carefully into the center of the coupler of the air discharge connection on the compressor. Does air escape when you depress the inside center of the coupler? If not, it may be a problem with the “checking mechanism” of this coupler.

If so, then it’s working. If it’s working and the valve on the tire is working, and you’ve got enough pressure in your compressor tank, then the problem has to be in the hose between the two.

Good luck with this. Maybe let us know how it turns out?

Cheers,

-UAC