tire pressure question
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tire pressure question
i bought a 2010 15 passenger raised roof E-150 extended and am in the process of converting it into a camper. project is going well (will post some pics as i have a chance) but i have a question concerning tire pressures. as this was a heavy duty package due to the application as a multi passenger unit the stock tires are rated at 60 lbs on the front tires, and 80 lbs on the back and with the seats pulled and just a convertable sofa/bed in back and the driver/passenger seats up front this thing rides like a log truck. my question is can i retro fit the TPMS sending units from a standard van and run at a lower tire pressure to soften the ride somewhat. i'm telling you if the road surface is even slightly rough this thing will loosen fillings.
thanks for any input,
thanks for any input,
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 21,253
Likes: 1,656
From: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Wait until your camper conversion is fully finished before changing parts of the suspension. I would suggest weighing the van just before the camper build starts then again after completion to better assess what your "normal" curb weight will be. From there run the appropriate rated tires at their suggested TP for that weight.
I have a raised roof '05 E-350 window van with extended body that was formerly a wheel chair lift equipped people mover with several additional seats for passengers--maybe a total of six plus a chair or two? When first purchased it weighed just at 6,700#, fully stripped of all interior, down to just the shell it weighed 6,200#. The GVW is listed as 9,100#, as outfitted as my daily driver work truck it hits the scales at 8,460# so I run Michelin LTX 245/75-R16's E-Rated tires at 75 PSI all four corners along with Blistein shocks and Hellwig front/rear sway bars. I demand good handling over a "comfortable" ride which is an obscure and subjective term anyway.
I have a raised roof '05 E-350 window van with extended body that was formerly a wheel chair lift equipped people mover with several additional seats for passengers--maybe a total of six plus a chair or two? When first purchased it weighed just at 6,700#, fully stripped of all interior, down to just the shell it weighed 6,200#. The GVW is listed as 9,100#, as outfitted as my daily driver work truck it hits the scales at 8,460# so I run Michelin LTX 245/75-R16's E-Rated tires at 75 PSI all four corners along with Blistein shocks and Hellwig front/rear sway bars. I demand good handling over a "comfortable" ride which is an obscure and subjective term anyway.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
The tire pressure numbers on the door pillar are for maximum load, you probably won't approach that anymore so you won't need that much pressure, the correct pressure will be whatever produces a full tire contact patch with the vehicle loaded and ready to travel. And you don't need to retrofit anything, you just need a copy of Forscan with the extended license(which is free for 60days) and a suitable OBD interface cable and you can set the TMPS system to any pressure you want or even turn the system off completely. I reset the sensors on my 11 E250 to 50psi front and back and that is what the tires are inflated to.
Cross-Country
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 52
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I use the chalk/paint method on my tires but use a paint pen. I also pay attention to how they're wearing. That roughly equates to 55 front, 50 rear for me. And yeah, that makes a HUGE difference in how it rides, huge.
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boulderguy
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Feb 12, 2021 09:07 PM
