Forum Discussion
Slowmover
May 29, 2017Explorer
Playing with tire pressure: IMHO, only if CAT Scale confirms choice.
After the Ford Explorer debacle, vehicle manufacturers got serious about the recommended pressure range. 2009 vehicles and newer reflect this on the door sticker.
A Load & Pressure Table can give adequate choices inside that OEM range.
Use of a CAT Scale to find individual tire loads solo and when properly hitched. The worst load on either end of the axle determines pressure.
Find the range. It won't be too far off the Table value. Test for pressure rise after 1.5-hrs steady state. 5-7% okay.
Remember that this is a combined rig. Higher pressure on the TV "might" seem better, but it's putting the rig through hard maneuvers that tells the story. Too high a tire pressure on the TV can make the combined rig worse off as the TT comes around. ( TT tires at full sidewall pressure.)
Some "give" usually works with TV pressure.
I run a minimum pressure. LTX on a truck usually at 9k when towing. Upgrading shocks and anti-roll bars is how to make the truck better. And I average above 100k long before 4/32s shows up. Same life for brakes.
Been RV on my own since 1973, and currently run a 2/3-full 7000-gl smoothbore tanker on super singles. A 47,000 monster back there I prefer not to ever wake up. Tire pressure is something to take seriously: Test it!!
Individual wheel loads. TV and TT.
After the Ford Explorer debacle, vehicle manufacturers got serious about the recommended pressure range. 2009 vehicles and newer reflect this on the door sticker.
A Load & Pressure Table can give adequate choices inside that OEM range.
Use of a CAT Scale to find individual tire loads solo and when properly hitched. The worst load on either end of the axle determines pressure.
Find the range. It won't be too far off the Table value. Test for pressure rise after 1.5-hrs steady state. 5-7% okay.
Remember that this is a combined rig. Higher pressure on the TV "might" seem better, but it's putting the rig through hard maneuvers that tells the story. Too high a tire pressure on the TV can make the combined rig worse off as the TT comes around. ( TT tires at full sidewall pressure.)
Some "give" usually works with TV pressure.
I run a minimum pressure. LTX on a truck usually at 9k when towing. Upgrading shocks and anti-roll bars is how to make the truck better. And I average above 100k long before 4/32s shows up. Same life for brakes.
Been RV on my own since 1973, and currently run a 2/3-full 7000-gl smoothbore tanker on super singles. A 47,000 monster back there I prefer not to ever wake up. Tire pressure is something to take seriously: Test it!!
Individual wheel loads. TV and TT.
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