Light truck tire pressure

Since I don't haul heavy loads I was thinking about 36 psi except when interstate traveling or hauling the occassional load. I really want to get max life out of these tires and the right pressure and rotation is important. Thanks for the advice.

For 4 ply radials on my p/u I run 27-30. Most miles are empty on the highway. On my hay truck with 10 plies, I carry 55 and take the licks as I often have a load on it. Thank goodness I don't have to drive it very far.

Now, when Ford was having the Explorer flap, one thing Firestone mentioned was underinflating their tires being a potential source of the problem.

Well the Explorer weighed around 3800 lbs and had 4 235/75R15's. Sidewall pressure was 35 lbs and carrying capacity was 2025 lbs. So x 4 tires is a tire capacity of 8100 lbs. Real stupid if you ask me. You bounce around like a pogo stick and your suspension takes a beating, and guess what? Your tires wear out in the center. Go to any tire book and look in the troubleshooting section for center wears first and guess what it says..... over inflated. Nuf said.

My daugher-in-law had one and after I found out that she was doing the above and had the center wear and all I told her to cut her pressure to 27. Worked much better and never had a tire problem.

my 2c.

Mark

Back in the '70's smooth ride was a big deal on the Detroit highway cruising tubs of the day. Mfgr recommended air pressures were on the order of 24 front, 26 rear. Course if you were going to run fast for a long time they upped it 3 psig as I recall.

This was on a bias ply tire, but (my opinion) a radial will run much cooler at low air pressure because the sidewall is designed to flex..... that's how the belt can remain straight. The bias plies weren't built for that.

Mark