New Gen2 safety upgrade

[RTTTTed]

https://www.viperspecialtyperformance.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=159

Here's the latest addition to my Viper. Although '03 and up Vipers come with a Low Tire Pressure alert, I have bested that with this Tire Pressure Monitoring System. MY system monitors tire pressure and tire temperature. With a small LCD display I can find each tires pressure and temperature in real time. This system also flashes the screen and beeps when a tire's pressure goes below what your settings are. Traction co-efficiency depends on temperature of the tire and with this system I will have instant access to that data and can adjust my driving accordingly. Pressure and temp sensors are mounted in each tires valve stem and radio broadcast to the module mounted behind the dash which is hardwired to the dash monitor.

High Performance/Low profile tires do not change their driving characteristics like high profile tires. Usually when you get a flat tire you can't tell because these tires are low profile to save your life if you have a tire failure above 150mph. Unfortunately, althoug this safety feature will save the car from losing control as would happen with a high profile tire, it also means that the handling doesn't change when the tire pressure gets low. Driving on a low or flat tire will destroy the tier sidewall within minutes which is why I upgraded my car with this system. High profile tires do not need this system as low or flat tires cause loss of control. You track rats know the value of having temp sensors in your tires.

This site also sells a much cheaper system ($179.), however I felt it necessary to buy one with a color adjustable display and hope that the Hela name means higher quality.

Ted

 

[plumcrazy]

wouldn't nitrogen do the same ?

 

[RTTTTed]

?
It's a tire pressure/temp. monitoring system.

If you're going fast, it may save your life letting you know your tire's going flat. If you're driving down the highway and pickup a nail, rock etc. it'll let you know before you find out your sidewall is full of holes and you need to buy a new tire, instead of fixing a flat tire.

Ted

 

[ViperTony]

Maybe I'll install this when I get my new tires put on in a couple of weeks. Thanks for the tip.

 

[RTTTTed]

You're welcome.

I was driving my Stealth R/T TT to LA (1800mi.) to go on a cruise ship during the winter. I went around a corner and thought I heard some 'flapping' and may have felt a vibration in the steering wheel. Wiggled the steering wheel and didn't feel anything loose or abnormal so I drove another 1/4mi. to the next corner where I felt the vibration again. Pulled over and looked at my flat rear tire. Sidewalls were completely full of holes and the 90% tread left 245x45x17" tire was junk. Put on the temp. spare and drove another 150mi. to Van. where I was lucky enough to find a replacement tire. Because that tire was easy to find at the Yokohama warehouse in Van. I was only slowed down about 8 hrs. There was NO Viper tires in any warehouse in Van. when I asked.

That means that if you get a flat on your Viper - you'd better be able to come up with a new tire from somewhere and that may take a week or two, while you're waiting in some small town.

Ted

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

It appears that the "temperature" is of the air in the tire, not the tread. In track use, the cornering forces should increase the air temperature and pressure. If you lose air, then the pressure will be low, but the temperature might rise because the sidewall flexing is creating heat - the scenario that killed your Stealth tire? An overinflated tire will run cooler because it is flexing less?

It's a very cool system at a surprisingly low price. When you have some examples, it would be very interesting to hear what the pressure-temperature-performance-condition combinations are.

 

[dave6666]

Your link takes me to a log in page. I AM sober, I HAVE NOT been drinking yet today, I WAS going to spend some money on my Viper today. Please help.

 

[2001 GTS]

Your link takes me to a log in page. I AM sober, I HAVE NOT been drinking yet today, I WAS going to spend some money on my Viper today. Please help.

lol...suuuuure keep teeling yourself you haven't been drinking

But it comes up to a log in page for me as well...and I have been drinking...j/k

 

[kcobean]

Fixed yer link for ya Ted.

Looks like a nice product.

 

[dave6666]

Fixed yer link for ya Ted.

Looks like a nice product.

Good job Sheriff.

Now, it looks like that requires tire dismount to install. And seeing as I have SRT brakes, 20/19's and tires on my shopping list too, I think it's time to give Dan a call for the big order...

So where did you mount the display Ted? Pic please!

 

[Dom426h]

i prefer the orange electric one over the hella since with the orange, you can see all 4 readings at once as where the hella, you have to manually flip through them

i'd like to be able to glance down and see all four readings , rather than push extra buttons while driving.
also, the hella unit looks like it was designed more for aesthetic purposes (Chrome bessel trim, and fancey colors), as where the orange looks alittle more functional/racing looking. Imo
Orange Electronic Co.Ltd.

Thanks for posting this as I have a set of tires about to be mounted next week and tpms wasn’t on my mind at all. Now im on the fence whether to grab a set or not..

 

[RTTTTed]

Tom, you're right, it measures tire air temp. It's still better than just guessing. I learned the huge temp traction difference at HP Driving school, air temp gives you an educated guess at traction.

The Stealth tire was wasted when it got a flat (rock through tread) and since I couldn't tell I had a flat I drove and ruined the tire. Knowing the tire was leaking air, I could have changed to the spare and fixed it instead of having to buy a new one.

I'm glad that this product has finally been made available. Canadian Tire had a 'cheapo' system last year that used golf ball sized sensors that screwed on the outside of the valve stem, but on Vipers and Stealths that mean rocks, curbs etc. would destroy the sensors possibly causing air leaks. They were cheap, but really ugly. These systems are what I've been waiting for!

I haven't recieved it yet, but I'll post pics once I get it installed in my car. Hoping to have it mounted by V0I time.

Ted

 

[Viper Specialty]

Thanks for the plug Ted!


Hi Guys,

I just figured I would add in a few pointers that may help some of you:

Regarding Temp;
With a properly inflated tire and the ability to gauge an approximate temp, you will quickly learn the ballpark temp that a warmed up tire shold be running at. While this depends much on your setup, you will see the temp stabilize in a number of settings, and based on that you can set up the overtemp alarms. Also, as Tom pointed out, yes, the rising temps will also produce a rise in pressure. This is the reason that overtemp alarms are used, as the manufacturers know that a hot tire can mask a pressure problem, to a point at least. Thin profile tires do not suffer as badly in this respect as your average everyday tires.

Also, regarding the tire pressure sensor install;
These sensors mount just like OEM sensors do, so the mounting depends much on the type of wheels you have. Some wheels may already be set up for TPMS use, such as any OEM SRT-10 wheels. Some aftermarket wheels will either need to be drilled out or machined for the TPMS Stem size, and some wheels such as HRE or iForged will need either a set of their TPMS mounts, or a set of TPMS sensor bands that strap the sensor to the wheel. I can give you a rough idea if you send me a picture of the valve stems on your wheels which direction you need to go.