The tire inflation table that Beerstalker posted is right on the money. I put the numbers into an Excel spreadsheet, created a line graph, printed it off and put it in my glove box.

Empty, I run 55 front and rear. This is a little more than is necessary but it gives me a good solid ride and is easy to maintain.

When I load, I inflate higher than I think is necessary (never over max) until I can hit a scale and then I adjust to the tire table. In my neck of the woods anyway, there are unmanned but operational scales everywhere.

The only time I use pressures higher than the load table is when I'm carrying my camper. The load tables would put around 55 front, 60 rear, but the camper is so top heavy that I find going to the max of 80 takes out a lot of the sway I would otherwise get.

I can also attest to the fact, from experience, that running more air than necessary WILL wear the inside of the tire out faster than the outside. As expensive as these tires are, I'd prefer to get as much wear out of them as possible. On my current truck, I have the stock BF Goodrich tires and at 40k miles, they still have a decent amount of tread left. I plan on replacing them before the snow flies, because they are starting to lose a little traction in the snow.

 

Being an ex front end guy for Ford & Lincoln for 20 years. I found the best way to get the absolute best tire pressure for a vehicle/tire combination is to adjust tire pressure based on tire temperature. Using a simple pyrometer, you can quickly test temperature and write the info down to find out whats perfect.

First thing is to drive the vehicle down a hwy "UNLOADED" for awhile(15 minutes or so...when its dry out). Then pull over and check the temp in at least 3 places. In the middle, outside & inside of the tire tread. If the temp is higher on the outside and inside of the tire, the pressure is too low and needs to be raised a bit. If the temp is too high in the middle of the tire, the pressure is too high.

It takes a little time to get it perfect, but after you find out what its supose to be, you WILL get the absolute best tire life.

 

Great point - whenever I'm traveling on long highway trips like family vacations, when I stop in a service area, I check the tires by hand and adjust them as needed... Now, my hand isn't very accurate, but I can tell when they're getting too hot from experience.

When the rears are hotter than the fronts, I adjust them up, and likewise the other way around...

I also get great tire wear that way too...

 

Great tip... I think I will get a non contact thermometer gun and throw in my glove box, and take along a tank of air. I always wondered the best way to figure out how to get the best wear out of them, this sounds like the easiest one I have heard of so far.

 

Because the rearend is lighter than the front(unloaded), you'll need to have it lower than the front. Just remember though, whenever you haul a big load to make sure you jack the pressure up again. Regardless of what temperature it may say in the rear while loaded, "I WOULD" have the pressure where the tire manufaturer recommends. When the weight is removed, adjust it to what you found to be the best.

 

Mine recommends 55 front/80 rear, I have BFG A/T 33x12.5x16.5
I got the truck in December and the front tires are worn on the outside, but the rears are OK. I was wondering if 80 was too high on the rears (seems high to me...my first Super Duty)? I don't want one to blow on me. I am running the fronts at 65 right now to try to wear the middle of the tread.

 

I usually have 40-45 in the rear. The other day I put 65 in the rears cause i had to carry some firewood..For the life of me I can't see how anyone can stand pressure like that. The truck drove like crap and banged and bounced all over the road. Take some air out and enjoy the ride.


Dick

 

Yeah, unloaded 80 psi in the rear would beat you to death. I would only raise the rear up when I had a allot of weight to haul a long ways.

YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THE TEMPERATURE METHOD!

BTW, in my opinion, Firestone got a bum deal years ago with the blown tire issue on the Explorers. Ford recommended a tire pressure that was waaaaaay too low in an attempt to make the vehicle ride better. I butted heads with every Ford rep that came to the dealership!

 

If it is wearing on the outside, the tire pressure was too low. Probably too late now to correct as the tire is already worn.

 

Isn't the recomended for max load?

 

Then why was Firestone the only one that had that problem that dramatically?? I say it was a combination of lower pressures and poor tread adhesion due to sub-par assembly materials. Lower pressure alone shouldn't have caused it. Look at the ratings of any tire and you'll see that a belted radial is designed to work (that includes heat dissipation) anywhere from min 25psi to it's max psi rating. Ford's recommended 30psi on the Exploders should not have been an issue.


Ugh, I gotta stop reading all these tire threads.......

 

I don't care what anyone says, I was the one getting the heat from customers when the inside & outside of their tires were wearing. When this is happening, theres no doubt theres too much heat. The reason there was so much problem wih firestones is because the majority of the Explorers came with Firestones.

Is firestone tires as good as say Michelin?.....absolutely not.

Yeah, it maybe 30 now, but years ago, they said like 26 or so.

 

On my 99 Exploder the factory rating was 30. I still got the freebies. I think the 26 rating was for earlier then mine even, and I'd have to agree that that is just asking for trouble.

 

Firestone took it up the azz on this on big time. I have a friend that owns a mid 90's explorer, and I saw the door post that recommended 23psi in the rear tires. This was done to soften up the ride. Yes, firestone did admit to using rubber that was too old, but that wasn't the only problem, in my opinion. Ford decided to soften up the ride by running too low air pressure in the tires. What happens when running a tire too low on air will cause the tire to flex too much, weakening the sidewalls, and generate heat. Heating the air causes it to expand, then tire failure.

 

By the way, the reason Bridgestone/Firestone were the only ones that caught heat for this was that those were the brand of tires that Ford used from the factory.