255/70-16 door tag says 29 lbs for the front??? Does anyone else run 29lbs on the front tires, seems way to low?

01 f150 xlt

 

Really fast internet search says

The tire size for the 2001 Ford F-150 is Front Tire P255/70R16 and Rear Tire P255/70R16. The recommended tire pressure for front is 29 psi and rear tire is 32 psi. The standard wheel size is 16" silver aluminum wheels.

Now...
​​​​​​​Are you running the factory tires still?
Did you refer to the tire manufactures pressure for axle or tire weight? If you use this method, you need to go scale your truck with a full tank of fuel and the way you normally drive it and find out.

 

Tire size was replaced with the size it says on the door tag. Just wondering if 29psi on the front is correct, all the shops I have been too say not to run at that low pressure. Can't do the scale because I live hours from them.

 

Some people use a chalk stripe across the tread, or driving through a wet spot, or driving over a dusty road to see how the tread is contacting the ground.

Here's a basic primer on the effects of too much or too little.

Don't overlook that the type of tire has an effect also. More than just size.

https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-pressure

 

On my '03 I run 255/70R-16 and the door tag says 30 psi, cold, front and 32 psi, cold, rear.
I have been using those pressures since I bought the truck 15 years ago. Every shop I've gone to has used those pressures. Not one has suggested a deviation.

 

28 PSI was what caused the Firestone Explorer deaths and the biggest tire recall in history
Ford has for many years relied on low tire pressure to make the suspension soft
They always told us in screwell that the tires were a big part of the suspension, and that the vehicles suspension was engineered around a particular tire
Case in point was the MK8 Lincoln, The original tires were a Continental tire that started failing on the car that was designed to use it
I personally go with the numbers on the tire for what inflation spec to use
My Mercedes is similar only with higher recommended inflation numbers

 

Thanks. What happened with Firestone tires is why I brought up this question. My tires only have the max pressure of 44 lbs, I would never go to that. ????

 

Your question can't really be answered directly. Tire pressure is a common topic across many car forums. Some people run maximum pressure on their E-rated tires, apparenly so that they'll be ready for maximum load-carrying at a moment's notice. They suffer the hard ride.

For what it's worth I've found that about 40 psi works well on my LT245/75R16's to give best handling and tire wear. I use the contact patch to determine the pressure, determined by dusty or wet roads. I had a slow leak on one and I could feel the squishiness when it got low, and I've had more pressure across all of them and the truck gets "skatey".

My truck is a lightweight 4,000 lbs and the tires are skinnier than the factory tag shows. 245mm versus 255. I'm cheap so I run the pressure to get even wear across the tread.

Also, the door tag specs don't really make sense if you consider the weight distribution. Ford wants more pressure on the lighter end of the truck. Probably for safety if the user loads the bed.

 

The pressure on the sidewall is the MAXIMUM pressure the tire was designed to have for safety. It is NEVER the recommended tire pressure for use.