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Check Your Tire Presure!

btfarm

btfarm

America First!
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Cold weather is coming (or already here). Check your tire pressure, especially with aluminum rims. I had lost 4-6 psi on the PYOs and her 5 spoke Tahoe LTZ 20s had lost 2-3 psi with the onset of colder weather.
 
Have to drain out the summer air and fill 'em up with winter air. :D

I check air pressures like a Nut anyway plus I have a screw in the RF of the 93. The screw I used replaced the ROOFING NAIL.. in a pinch. :mad2: Lovely road hazards they are. Now the head of the screw is worn off and it's leaking... again..

I have a new tires waiting in the wings that need 'on there'..
 
On the subject of checking tire pressures... Anyone have a formula for calculating the correct tire pressure range based on tire size / load range / type, number of wheels, and vehicle weight?

And yeah, I know about half y'all are gonna say "Go by what's on the sidewall", and the other half are gonna say "Sticker on the door has the pressures". What's on the sidewall is simply the maximum inflation pressure the tire is rated to handle, and inflating to that will, 90% of the time, result in overinflation. And going by the door sticker is fine, if you're using stock tire sizes and don't mind a semi-soft ride.

In my case I'm using a heavier tire than what's called for (Load Range E instead of D), running commercial traction tires, and have the truck loaded right to the limit of the GVWR. And the sticker on the door would be wrong anyway, since it's for when the truck was just a cab & chassis, with no rear box.

I'm looking to improve my fuel mileage as best I can, but without over inflating and wearing down the centers of the tread. It's a PITA with these rims to adjust pressures on the rears since you can't actually get a chuck on the inner valve through the hole in the outer rim. You have to actually pull the outer wheels to adjust air pressure on the inners (yes, I've tried extended valves - angle is still wrong) so I want to do that as few times as possible.

Tires are B.F. Goodrich Commercial T/A Traction in LT225/75 R16 load range E and the truck was just weighed at 9,955lbs
 
I experimented with mine. For a Duramax, the sticker suggests 55 front and 70 back. I didn't like the ride with those pressures, as I like to have equal tire pressure all the way around. I feel that the truck handles better with equal tire pressures. I am running a larger tire size of 265/75/16 E. My truck rides best at around 58 lbs all the way around. Experiment and go by what feels best for you.

When I tow my camper, I run more tire pressure due to the load. I usually run about 70 front and 75 in the back.
 
As I said, experimenting isn't really an option due to the need to remove the outer rear wheels to get at the air valves on the inners.
 
I run what gives me the best wear pattern and rotate every 15k.
Like Jeff said, with 4x4 you need equal pressures (meaning even OD) all around or you'll be bucking in 4 WD.
 
btfarm said:
I run what gives me the best wear pattern and rotate every 15k.
Like Jeff said, with 4x4 you need equal pressures (meaning even OD) all around or you'll be bucking in 4 WD.
Click to expand...

Right, but by the time wear patterns start to show up you're 30k down the road and halfway to a new set of tires. And if the wear pattern is bad, well, you may be going for a new set a lot sooner than you expected to.

I know there's a formula automotive engineers use to calculate what tire pressures should be, I was just hoping someone would have the formula here.
 
RI Chevy Silveradoman said:
Just rotate the tires every oil change, and you will get the most longevity out of your tires.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but to get back to what I was asking, at what pressure? And, as I originally stated, I'm looking to maximize fuel economy but without being over inflated. Also, rotating at every oil change simply is not an option. Rotate and balance on all six wheels is about $100 and I get the oil changed every 3k, so about every 60 days.
 
I say roll up yer sleeves.

Duallys get an odd wear pattern due to the crown and/or wear pattern on the roads. Just an anomaly one has to accept.

A 6 wheeler will suffer on MPG compared to the same setup on 4.

A boost in MPG could be as easy as adjusting your right foot. ;)
 
No need for any foot adjustments, or heavy lifting. I found some load/pressure charts on the Goodyear site for RVs that covers my setup perfectly. :)
 
I've always adjusted mine for the load they are carrying. My 88 had D rated tires, and they are around 45 front 38 rear, unloaded. When i put the trailer on the back, I bump the rears up to 50. I can see how much the sidewalls bulge and with the wide flat tread on my tires, it's easy to spot over/under inflation.

This article was covered in their magazine awhile back. Has some good tips. There are many method to this, over the years you find what works just by knowing the vehicle. The chalk method is one of the easiest ways to see how your tires are riding on the pavement.

http://www.4wheelparts.com/tire-wheel-package-guide/tire-pressure-checker.aspx

As with winter, another thing to remember is your RV/Trailer tires! Particularly their condition/age. Another good article.

http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techar...iler_motorhome_tires_safety_and_loading_tech/
 
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