put it in your sig & fill it out so people know more about you.

 

will do that tonight (when I'm not checking FTE at the office..).

 

So.... here's a question for you tire gurus...

I have 33 inch Dean Mud Terrains that are running about 26-27 psi cold. Max press on sidewall is 35. Rec. pressure on the door of my truck is 35 and 41...

What should I run for best tire wear and gas mileage?

 

Hi guys,

The pressure on the side of the tire is the maximum cold inflation pressure and does not necessarily reflect the pressure to which the tire should be inflated. Tire pressure is actually predicated by load and tire dealers have tire inflation charts which reflect the correct pressure given the weight on the tire. Pressure also varies depending on single or dual applications. Tire pressure will drop approximately 1/2 psi per 10 degree drop in ambient temperature and increase to a comparable degree when temperature increases.

This is seldom an issue with passenger vehicles as weights vary little with load. With trucks load may vary widely and impact ideal pressure. While you can always inflate to the maximum cold inflation pressure on the side of the tire, doing so may actually reduce tire life.

If you are going to load your truck, you may trade a little tire life for convenience by running the higher pressure. For those who cruise rather than use, you may want to at least consider running a lower pressure.

Under inflation accelerates wear more than over inflation, so when in doubt, err on the side of too much rather than too little. Too low a pressure can negatively impact mileage, but it is unlikely it would do so to the degree first noted, particularly when running empty.

Inflating the pressure stamped on the tire is normally done given potential liability. Best example here was the past Explorer lawsuits against the tire manufacturer when the most likely culprit was Ford's attempt to smooth ride by recommending too an inflation pressure which did not reflect tire loading.

Those of us who RV have our rigs weighed at rallies and set our pressures accordingly, from weigh charts handed out at the time provided by tire manufacturers.

Steve

 

Well put Steve..

khardrunner14... tell us more about your truck.. yr, make, model, reg, super, or crew cab, 4x2 or 4x4... and if you can copy the GVWR and OE tire info off the door sticker that woudl be a great help to making an accurate recommendation.

 

I personally don't think its all that difficult to deal with. I like running a little higher air pressure for better gas mileage. Plus I'm ready for hauling. Tire width verse rim width matters more about wear than a few pounds here and there. Tires to wide for a rim/wheel will bow in the tread section causing center tread to wear faster. If tire & rim are sized properly then filling to the proper sidewall press cold should make the tire wear fine. Other scenarios apply here too, such as bad shocks, alignment etc. These will all cause problems with wear. Bad wheel bearings or brakes sticking can cause heat to build up in the tire & cause degradation of the tire structurally. If all your stuff is within the norm & the tires weight rating is good for your truck then the pressure your running is ok. I would put 32 or so psi in it for the long trips though & make sure you gauge the tire after they heat up cause you may have to let some air out.

 

OK guys i am no genius ( i did go to USC for yrs WOOT ) but aside from that ....

I use to work at a jiffy lube yrs ago ah ha, and i was told always put pressure 3-5 psi below tire rating .. due to heat ,friction etc, when towing always put it at tire recommended psi, tires are meant to FLEX don't worry you will be ok....
* this was just advice *
do what you feel is right...

jayson

oh and if you ever catch your self rock crawling .. 5 psi should do AH HA

 

Better have beadlocks. Thats a tad low for me. 8 to 12

 

ahah i was just makeing a joke... lol hope no one take me serious , course around here you never know ..... Beadlocks are for pu$y$ real men use RC tire Glue AH HA


jayson

 

it's a 95 f-150 with the 4.9L, manual, 4x4 long bed. It has a 4 inch rough country sus. lift. and a cap on the back. The tires on it are load range C, 2plys I think.

 

Reread my post above & see if that helps.

 

Hi Jayson,

The advice you were given was technically incorrect. If tire pressures are set that way now on vehicles with the new pressure sensors built in, the low tire pressure warning light will illuminate on the dashboard in many vehicles.

On passenger vehicles, the safest way to go is with the manufacturers' recommendations for the vehicle. With trucks, where the gross vehicle weight can vary widely depending on load, go to the max cold inflation pressure on the sidewall or weight the truck and set the pressure according the tire manufacturer's table for pressure according to weight.

Steve