Oops!

I should have clued-in on the 'Melanie' parts in the OP and post #2!

I'm not very bright.

I know I can't judge a picture perfectly, but THAT particular terrain looks way too 'hard' for under 35psi. The arroyos sound like fun though....

 

No worries! It's hard to tell on these boards sometimes


Pretty nasty stuff, huh? So, if I start at 35 lbs I should be okay. Or maybe 40lbs and go from there? I won't have a heavy load, which is good, so I don't have to worry about that. I won't be towing anything either (hopefully not anyway, because if I am, it'll be something broken)

The arroyos are fun! This part of Baja is incredibly beautiful and there are miles of dirt roads and canyons to explore! And the stars at night.....don't get me started!

 

Again, I'm just looking at a picture, but yes......35 to 40 should be fine to start. You could always air down more if you need to (I've had to do that on the island). Keep in mind, if you are running on 'E' load range tires, them suckers have max psi's of 80lb.........So with 40psi, you're taking it down halfway (I know, I know...few people run their tires at 'max'...). Also, it IS a heavy truck. What? 6000 lb?

If the guys and gals here that are 'desert terrain' experts see anything wrong with what I'm saying, PLEASE say so here. Again, I don't know that area too well (or at all). But I DO think it'd be important not to under-inflate.

Oh yeah. When I said 'nasty'.....Just a figure of speech. But it does look like you'll bump into rocks on occasion. And when you said hardpack, you meant it...(haha).

My nearest bump with the desert was a cross country trip coming back from California back to NC.....I 40. Watching the sun come up on the stretch across AZ/NM border. Uh......PRETTY spectacular!

 

Definitely check the load rating first! I wouldn't go any lower than 45 psi until you get into some deeeeeep sandy stuff and really need the flotation, the lower pressure on the hard pack will make driving at higher speeds way more dangerous so depending on how fast you plan on driving the hard pack be careful with how low you go. Flotation isn't really needed on the hard pack but it does soften the ride a bit. You do not want to go so low as to break a bead or puncture with the rocks.
I run my E-rated 37" Toyo's at 26psi when in deep snow, sand, mud and won't go any lower, I also don't drive over 35 mph when that low. In the Badlands I drop it to 35psi for the washboard roads where there is alot of rocks and deep ruts, you never know where that drop off is going to be!
Good luck and have fun!

 

Good post, rotun. I was worried that the 'desert rats' stopped posting......Glad you chimed in. You brought up a point I didn't........the SPEED you might be going. I don't go over 25mph when I'm on the island on the straightaways with the tire pressure down. Of course, I've got over 2200lb sitting on the back of the truck too.....

 

Just got back from Baja. We took a new road out to the race course and it was smooth hardpack so I didn't even need to use 4WD! I was actually dissapointed that the road was so nice! I'm still glad I posted my question though, because you all gave me a lot of great information that I'll definitly use in the future.

Now the sad part. 15 miles from home my transmission let go. All of a sudden I'm coasting to the side of the freeway. Argh! At least it happened on this side of the border where I could call AAA for a tow.

But the race was fantastic and I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, this just turned into a very expensive trip!!

Thanks again to everyone for all your great advise!

Melanie

 

Are you calling John Woods for your replacement? oh yeah, and if you have pics, post them up please!!! thanks!!

 

The only call I'm thinking about right now is to someone who'll go to the liquor store for me!

And I assume you mean pictures of the race, right?

 

hahahaha - I rarely drink, but always have the fixin's for margaritas handy. You're a bit far for me to be of help on that one!

Yes, I did mean pics of the race, but also your rig, and it is nice to be able to put a face to a username, but that's totally up to you!

(from a distance->)

 

Thank you for the upbeat reply! I need upbeat right now! I'm not a drinker either, but a shot of something, anything sure sounded good! .

I'll post up pictures from the race as soon as I can get my camera unpacked. We were at a great spot (mm 315ish) and I'm anticipating some good shots!

Na Zdravi!