Digital Tire Monitoring

Valve-mounted sensors are often inexpensive and easy to install, but fleets may find the sensors can be damaged by curbing, and in some cases even see them causing tire failure if the valve stem is torn during the event.

It is important to note that tire temperature, one of the key measures to avoid permanent tire damage, is not measured by valve-mounted systems, but rather calculated via an algorithm, which in some cases can lead to inaccurate results.

Wheel-mounted, also called rim-mounted, sensors are attached to the wheel using a metal clamp. While protected from damage caused by curbing, this type of sensor may be damaged during the tire mounting or dismounting process.

In addition, the metal band attaching the sensor to the rim receives heat as the wheel turns, causing expansion and contraction of the clamp. After a period of time, the clamp may loosen and allow the sensor to spin around the rim, causing damage.

In terms of measuring temperature, the sensor can be influenced by heat from the vehicle’s braking system, in which case it would not deliver accurate tire temperature data.