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Tire PSI Help!

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  #1  
Old 09-26-2012, 07:31 PM
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Default Tire PSI Help!

Just got some 33" Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs put on my 1500, wondering what PSI I should be running to all 4? Currently have them set to 45 PSI
 
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:41 AM
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inflate 'em to the psi it says on the sidewall
 
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Old 09-27-2012, 02:51 PM
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It kind of depends on the spec of the tires, but if its a load range C tire then 45 PSI is probably fine. .
 
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Old 09-27-2012, 02:58 PM
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Originally Posted by nibroc
inflate 'em to the psi it says on the sidewall
+1...
 
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:35 PM
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DuraTracs should be a "D" rating, I believe... and 65 psi? That's a bit much.
 
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Old 09-28-2012, 04:38 AM
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Originally Posted by nibroc
inflate 'em to the psi it says on the sidewall
No WAY, that is the MAX PSI. You'll balloon them and wear the centers out. Plus they'll ride like crap!
You never want to run them at the Max unless your fully loaded with a campershell or something.

Generally, you are suppose to go by the door jamb sticker if your within the same clasification of tires that come with the vehicle.

I run all my tires at 35psi. Car/truck/bicycle.
My Cooper Zeons are XL Load rated and I run them at 35psi. The footprint is perfect.
 
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:46 AM
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uh- pressure printed on the sidewall is what the manufacturer expects the tire to be operated at.. if a tire carries a mileage rating, that is the pressure intended to be ran to achieve those miles...

OVER INFLATING WILL 'balloon' tires and eat the center tread, (it will also decrease rolling resistance at the cost of eating tread prematurely) but not the printed on the dang sidewall pressure.. a matter of fact, most tires intended for trucks (not P rated) will have a range... select the higher range for load carrying, select the lower range for unweighted use...
 
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:50 AM
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Rule of thumb on big tires for better ride leave 10-15lbs low unless u hwy run alot then 5-8lbs low
 
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by drewactual
uh- pressure printed on the sidewall is what the manufacturer expects the tire to be operated at.. if a tire carries a mileage rating, that is the pressure intended to be ran to achieve those miles...
Uh, wrong. The only PSI rating on the tire itself is the max inflation and occasionally the max bead seating pressure. If the tire had the ratings for the each specific vehicle, there'd be nothing on the sidewall EXCEPT pressure settings.
 
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Old 09-28-2012, 09:55 PM
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Uh, no..

But arguing with an idiot is idiotic in its own right, so... Whatever.. you and I have proved this before, no?

For others: it doesn't make a difference what vehicle the tire is on... It's rated for a psi based on the temperature range achieved at highway speeds.. the compound of rubber used in the tire, and the weight of the rubber will determine how quickly heat is dispersed (hence a thicker sidewall and casing such as an E rated tire warms slower and disperses easier) .. this isn't to say its all about gauge of material, though.. its also about properties of air itself.. air under pressure is cooler, and exponentially so.. 80psi is not twice as cool as 40psi.. its several times over that.. you gotta have thick casing to harness that pressure, especially as it heats up under use and becomes even more pressure (printed psi is always rated on a cool tire).. the tire has a built in cooler when it has tread spread evenly and under high pressure..

you want them warm, as they will bite better, but you don't want them hot, as they will start sluffing tread.. they'll sluff when only part of the tread is grounded and excessive heat is on a partial patch of the tread..

The tire is designed to ride with the tread in contact with the road, across the entire tread surface.. if you run underinflated, you give to much lateral wiggle and heat the sidewall area.. if you overinflate, you balloon as dirtydog said, as the center of the tread bulges and only the center makes contact patch..

That is based solely on the design of the casing.. it doesn't have crap to do with the vehicle.. but:

If you alter loads, you'll benefit by altering pressure.. wanna dial it in? Buy an infrared heat sensing gun for $10 or so.. start hauling/dragging.. when you get to your check out stop around ten minutes into your haul, yank it out and shoot the tires.. if its hot in the center of the tire more than 10~20 degrees, you're too high on psi.. if it is hot on the outsides of the tread, you're too underinflated.. if one side is substantially hotter than the other you need a dang alignment..

The stuff on the sidewall and door jam are there for a reason.. the range stamped on light truck tires is there for a reason.. there is really no reason for people to argue about that unless they are just out to demonstrate their idiocy.. I ain't makin this crap up, you investigate it for yourselves... I rec you do..
 

Last edited by drewactual; 09-28-2012 at 11:07 PM.


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