85 replies to this topic

[smlobx]

Depends on terrain.
 
Outer Banks National Seashore (everything from deep sand to hard pack) I've gone as low as 28psi in the rear, 30psi up front on my LRE Toyo ATII 295-16s on my F250.
 
Normal tarmac psi is 65 and up to 75 if pulling the boat with camper in the bed.  80 psi is max;  embossed on sidewall.
 
The important thing to remember...
You must air up before driving normal highway (tarmac) speeds after airing down.  PSI represents a given volume of air in the tire carcass.  Not enough air and the tire will very quickly over-heat resulting in excessive wear and possibly failure at highway speeds.
 
I use this little pump to air up.

As Advmoto will attest driving on the Outer Banks beaches is some the softest sand known to man. My trucks suggested pressures are 65 front / 70 rear. At the beach I will start airing down to 35/30 with a light truck.
I would imagine that most places out west you could easily get by with 50 or so in my truck off-road.

[Advmoto18]

...would require long run times for my Toyo AT II..265/75 x16 tires and this would generate a lot of heat...which the pump would handle in the short term...but heat is not the friend of a compressor.

 

Phil

I completely agree!  It does get hot!  But, I have never had it fail to inflate MilSpec, Toyo or my scoot tires.

Bill

[Advmoto18]

As Advmoto will attest driving on the Outer Banks beaches is some the softest sand known to man. My trucks suggested pressures are 65 front / 70 rear. At the beach I will start airing down to 35/30 with a light truck.
I would imagine that most places out west you could easily get by with 50 or so in my truck off-road.

Outer Banks is indeed a very unique environment!

 

Have you guys made a decision on a camper?

[brianjwilson]

An 8,000-pound rig will need higher pressure than a 6,000-pound rig, whether on the street or in soft sand. Chalking your tires is still the best way to determine correct street pressures in my opinion. Our 6,000-pound Tacoma/FWC likes 45 psi in front and 50 in the rear on the street; in soft sand I would not hesitate to go as low as one bar (14.7 psi). For most of our off-pavement driving, 25-30 psi all around works well.
 
It's really critical to have a good compressor, as well as an easy way to air down tires. If the process is a 30-minute epic you're a lot more likely to skip it. Proper airing down is good for everything—your comfort, the vehicle's well being, and the trail's as well.

I run about the same on my Tacoma/fleet on e rated tires. 45/50 or 45/55psi. I haven't been off road for extended periods with it yet, so have only aired down into the 30s for shorter off road trips. Just enough to soften the rid a bit, but I would expect high teens would still be plenty safe at this weight.

[Ace!]

I think you're less likely to puncture a tire or damage a wheel if you lower the pressure, not run higher pressure.

[Ace!]

Thanks for the link.  I've considered a Viair for a long time but never pulled the trigger.  My QuickAir2 is almost 20 years old and has never skipped a beat, but now that I'm running a little larger tires I decided to order the Viair 400P

[Wallowa]

Disagree...higher pressure protects the rim and wards off punctures.. part of that is because of heat from sidewall flex at lower pressures; the rest is just mechanical protection and load bearing over larger surface.. good reads on this topic are Chris Scott's books..."Sahara Overland" and "Adventure Motorcycling".

 

But hey we pick what works for us...

 

Phil

Edited by Wallowa, 15 November 2015 - 01:57 AM.

[Bajaxplorer]

'09 power wagon/hawk, 9,000 lbs loaded. Toyo ATII 12:50×17×35 tires. Run 55-60 psi on pavement and around 25 psi in baja off pavement and AZ desert. Tires have to flex to absorb washboard, and enlarge footprint to float on sand. Letting out a few lbs does not accomplish this. If I were to run more than 60 psi on roads, it would wear out the center of my tread in no time. When aired down I never exceed 45 mph.
BX

Sent from my SM-G900V using Wander The West mobile app

Edited by Bajaxplorer, 15 November 2015 - 02:12 AM.

[ntsqd]

I think you're less likely to puncture a tire or damage a wheel if you lower the pressure, not run higher pressure.

 

That's a really big variable.

 

Going slow in soft terrain, yeah less likely to hurt something at low pressure. Not that high pressure is a risk except for getting stuck.

 

Going fast down a power line road or Saline Valley Rd or from Mex Hwy 1 to El Arco, Baja you'd better be at street pressures or higher.

 

Low pressure is also much more of a risk when running in the wet with sharp rocks. Rubber cuts much more easily when wet, just look up DIY tire siping videos to see the difference.

 

On the CTD I have hard mounted the compressor that I lucked onto in the junk yard. It's Thomas looking clone, but "Made in Chino" (I *think* that's what the now gone steeker said.... ) air ride compressor. I carry an MV-50 (or maybe it's a MF-1050, I dunno know any more) for back-up.

Edited by ntsqd, 15 November 2015 - 03:39 PM.

[Chips95]

2012 Power Wagon, I run 60 on the street and 30 off road, It seems to work for me and the wife prefers the softer ride on the washboard.