Recommended tire PSI
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Recommended tire PSI
Hey guys, i Have a Ford F250 diesel with a 6 inch lift and 35 inch pro comp xterrains. I drive alot of highway miles and do some driving in sand and some in snow. What is a good PSI to run these tires at for these terrains? Thanks for the help
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Joined: Jul 2006
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All of them are different.
You do not want to run in the sand with as much air as you would on the street. Floatation is key, and lower tire pressures are required. This will also eliminate a bunch of wheel hop associated with sand.
Snow will not require quite as low a tire as the sand will but will also benifit from the larger foot print and aired down tires offeres.
Both of these lower pressures will bring an early end to tires if run on the street for too many miles, steering will be slow, and the handlining will be affected.
There really is not a one shot answer here.
Air down for off road conditions, and the truck will perform better and will be less likely to cut tires, air back up for the drive home.
Otherwise, you will probably spend more time on the road than off-road, so run the suggested road pressures all of the time. Will not eprform off-road as well, but the benifits of on road characteristics will outweigh the loss of off road performance.
Nice little compact compressor works well here.
You do not want to run in the sand with as much air as you would on the street. Floatation is key, and lower tire pressures are required. This will also eliminate a bunch of wheel hop associated with sand.
Snow will not require quite as low a tire as the sand will but will also benifit from the larger foot print and aired down tires offeres.
Both of these lower pressures will bring an early end to tires if run on the street for too many miles, steering will be slow, and the handlining will be affected.
There really is not a one shot answer here.
Air down for off road conditions, and the truck will perform better and will be less likely to cut tires, air back up for the drive home.
Otherwise, you will probably spend more time on the road than off-road, so run the suggested road pressures all of the time. Will not eprform off-road as well, but the benifits of on road characteristics will outweigh the loss of off road performance.
Nice little compact compressor works well here.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
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From: Louisiana
75F350 covered this one.
For the few times your going to be in the sand, just take the slight loss of traction with the more air, over decreased mileage on the tires, and more gas useage b/c of low air pressure.
So run full pressure. Very seldem do I ever let air out of my tires when going off road, b/c I know I will need to air them back up for the drive home.
For the few times your going to be in the sand, just take the slight loss of traction with the more air, over decreased mileage on the tires, and more gas useage b/c of low air pressure.
So run full pressure. Very seldem do I ever let air out of my tires when going off road, b/c I know I will need to air them back up for the drive home.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2004
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From: St George, SC I-95
With TSL SXs I run 2psi more in the front than rear. If I were you Id start at 25psi front 23 rear and see how you like it. Move up and down 1psi at a time until its most comfortable on the road. I think you can live with the psi you come up with off road.
I run 21psi front and 19 psi rear with 38.5x14.50x16.5 swampers
I run 21psi front and 19 psi rear with 38.5x14.50x16.5 swampers
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Houston, Texas
Best method to determine PSI is to mark the width of the tire with chalk, then drive around the block. You should see even wear on the tire when all of the chalk is missing. If after the test, there is chalk present in the center, PSI is too low....chalk present at the edges, PSI is too high.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Raleigh, NC
Originally Posted by JeremyH
Best method to determine PSI is to mark the width of the tire with chalk, then drive around the block. You should see even wear on the tire when all of the chalk is missing. If after the test, there is chalk present in the center, PSI is too low....chalk present at the edges, PSI is too high.
Post Fiend
Joined: May 2004
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From: St George, SC I-95
I dont think that will work on bias tires. On my swampers no matter how much I air them down (9psi min I think) they are still rounded with the center tread as the main contact patch and tapering outward with less contact. At 19psi on a heavy 79 F250 the last 3/4" on the inside and outside of a 38.5x14.50 tire on 12" rims dont touch at all. I havent done a "chalk test" but my business has crush and run in the back and that tells the tale right there. Radial Super Swampers are the only ones Ive ever seen lay flat on the road.
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From: So.Ca./ N.E. UT
Use a flat smooth surface and wet half of it really good, drive through the water immediately onto dry smooth surface and you can see your footprint, adjust pressure as necessary. Using the mfr.'s rec.'d pressure can result in uneven tire wear, the perfect pressure is found by having the full weight of the vehicle on and adjusting pressure so that 100% of tread surface is making contact. You'll want to start from the max pressure and air down until you see it is making 100% contact, don't start with low pressure and air up.
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