Running 80PSI unloaded is a disaster as well. You will wear the center out of them due to cupping. The 80PSI is when fully loaded and for max weight carrying capacity for a load range "E" tire.

Under everyday driving (and a bit of cargo)... I have found 60PSI for the rear and 55PSI in the front works for my stock BFG Ruged Trail tires. I have 87,000 miles on them and rotate every 5,000 - 10,000 miles!!!

The door jamb is a good place to start. I however use a little more PSI due to having the diesel motor option and carrying kids, dogs and "stuff" in the rear-end... and an occasional tow... so I like having a bit more PSI... but never 80!!!!

Just becuase the tire can take it, does not meant that is the optimum pressure for "unloaded" driving use!!!!

 

Hi Folks:

First of all, if you are not checking and adjusting your tire pressures once a month, checking and setting your alignment once a year, and rotating your tires at regular intervals, you are hurting your tires. This is the minimum you should do to your tires for normal driving. If you do any towing or hauling heavy loads, it should be done more frequently. You can disagree with me, but you are hurting those dogs if your not performing the minimum regular tire maintenance.

The recommended tire size and pressures that any manufacturer puts on the door sill tag is set by the engineers that set up the suspensions and ride quality. Your tires and tire pressures are an integral part of a vehicle’s suspension. The only time you should change the recommended tire pressure is when you are carrying or towing a heavy load. The recommended tire pressures can easily handle an Ex with 5 adults.

I personally tow heavy loads frequently, and carry a complete full passenger load, 8 adults and luggage. I raise the tire pressures when I haul these loads, and then lower them when I’m back to normal loads. The ride is like night and day when I drive my Ex with the tires between 45 and 50 psi, and when I have them at 75 to 80 psi when not hauling. Driving with the tires at 75 psi without a load is like riding on bricks. Not to mention braking and cornering is effected when you ride with higher tire pressures than is needed for the load.

BTW, my info tag on my 2000 Ex is on the driver’s door , not the jam.

 

One more point. Most of the problems with the failure of the tires on the Explorer were due to abuse of the tires. Problems that were found on vehicles with failed tires were; overloaded vehicles, uneven pressures, abnormally worn tires due to lack of proper maintenance, etc. I also own a 93 Explorer that we bought new and always maintained the tires properly. I got over 50,000 miles on the original set of tires and many, many long trips and vacations. I even replaced the original tires with a set of replacement Firestone’s like the original. I put over 30,000 mikes on those before I got them replaced during the recall.

It was not solely the tires that were at fault.

 

Well, would you run less than those "recommended" pressures? The recall Ford had on the "D" load range tires had nothing to do with the tires themselves. The tires were fine ... Ford just specified the wrong load range tire (should've been "E"), and understated the needed pressures. I ran 65 PSI on all four corners of an F350 that weighed 3,000# LESS than the X ... experienced no uneven treadwear, AND I got 96K miles out of that set of BFGs. Of course, I bought another set when they needed replacing ... and again ran 65 PSI in 'em. BTW, I never rotated those BFGs on the F350.

 

My owners manual has minimum "comfort" pressures while not towing and a minimal load, for 35/45, for D's. I read the door jam pressures to be for the maximum weight on the plate. My question is did Ford ever adjust the door jam pressures during the run of the X, when they (presumably) upgraded the stock tire to E's?

 

Good question. Next time I go downstairs, I'll take a look in the door jamb of my '05.

 

The dealership scrapped off my door label/sticker of my 2000 Ex 4x4 limited because it was covered in the recall. I was told not to follow that, or the manuals recomendations, but the tire manufacturer's recomendations.

Apparently, there engineers no longer wanted to stand by those recomendations. FWIW, under-inflation was the most frequent neglected maintence issue...

 

No. No update. Pressures still are 45f/55r.

 

I could be wrong, but I think it's illegal for the dealership to do that - it's kind of like those mattress labels.

 

True ... no change. My '05 door jamb sticker says 45 PSI front & 55 PSI rear. IMHO, that's ridiculously low for a vehicle of this weight.

 

What are the recommended pressures for a Superduty truck with similar axle ratings? With all the trouble Ford has had regarding tire pressures, I can't imagine it is something they overlooked. I need to go to a tiremaker's chart and get the recommended pressure at our axle ratings. I have one from Michelin bookmarked somewhere, but I read that Michelin uses a different weight formula than everyone else. I can't find one for Pirelli. This would permit us to calculate an "almost empty" pressure scheme, and one custom configured to our actual weight when loaded. My guess is most X owners overload the rear axle rating a little bit when towing a trailer with a heavy tongue weight. All this requires is a trip to the scale. Anyone have a Good Year tire rating chart in our stock size, load range E handy?

 

I think this chart has the answer.

http://http://www.goodyear.com/truck...dInflation.pdf

 

Rear 67.5 with stock max weight and 10# add on for speed over 65?

 

Do a search for The Chalk Test - best way to set your psi for YOUR truck, with YOUR tires, under YOUR conditions, and with YOUR load...
not what da enguneers c when dey do dat at da factree

the mpg sticker also say great big numbers for all those cars and somehow they miss those too

 

I run Mastercraft and 60 PSI. Ride is ok and so is tire wear. Jim