TV tire pressure (mainly the front tires)
Looking for some clarification on TV tire pressure, I am clearer on TT pressures. I was always under the impression that you were supposed to air up your TV's tires (ALL FOUR) pressure to max cold wh...
Forum Discussion
The problem with blanket statements is the the meaning gets lost and then it gets applied wrong or out of context.
Tires have load ratings and a "must" is the tire must have adequate air pressure to carry the load. This one if pretty cut and dried.
Now the shades of gray and this gets more complex as newer vehicles have changed to larger wheels and lower profile tires. When towing the tire stiffness can make or break a stable rig. P tires and even LT tires can have very flexible side walls. They ride nicer non towing and they help cushion the ride while holding the weight.
However, cushy tires and trying to control a TT can have very opposite results. They are saying to air up your tires is meant to stiffen the tire. You have to have the pressure to handle the load but you also need the stiffness to help control the TT.
There are a number of factors that affect how much extra pressure is needed all the way up to max cold pressure. And in some cases, even max pressure is not enough. Truck wheelbase, truck type of suspension, how loaded that suspension is and even more so, brand/type of tire to name a few.
If the front tires are not stiff enough, as a sway force hits the trailer, the truck tires have to resit it. If they flex very little in the side wall, the truck stays stable left to right. If the tire is soggy, the front of the truck will fell like it is shifting left to right, sometimes it feels like the back of the truck is shifting but it can be the front.
They do not create a stiffness rating for tire side walls so you sort of buying blind. Some have P tires that do very well while others can't control much no matter what they do. Even some LT tires are like this. The max pressure guide is a way to help create that stiffness. How much is an experiment. Start in 5 psi jumps above door sicker pressures all the way to max. In the LT tire you can approach a hard bounce where the truck little feels like it just jumped left or right after a bump. That is too stiff back off 5 psi and try again. A gasser 3/4 ton truck might have the hard bounce issue on the front where the same truck with a diesel up front won't. Same tire but different loading.
I have found the newer, large rim/smaller profile tire if a lot stiffer from the get go. Since there is less rubber profile the tries flexes less. They do ride harder but flex less. It's a trade off.
So while from a load stand point you may not need extra pressure, you may from a stiffness stand point.
Good luck and hope this helps
John
Tires have load ratings and a "must" is the tire must have adequate air pressure to carry the load. This one if pretty cut and dried.
Now the shades of gray and this gets more complex as newer vehicles have changed to larger wheels and lower profile tires. When towing the tire stiffness can make or break a stable rig. P tires and even LT tires can have very flexible side walls. They ride nicer non towing and they help cushion the ride while holding the weight.
However, cushy tires and trying to control a TT can have very opposite results. They are saying to air up your tires is meant to stiffen the tire. You have to have the pressure to handle the load but you also need the stiffness to help control the TT.
There are a number of factors that affect how much extra pressure is needed all the way up to max cold pressure. And in some cases, even max pressure is not enough. Truck wheelbase, truck type of suspension, how loaded that suspension is and even more so, brand/type of tire to name a few.
If the front tires are not stiff enough, as a sway force hits the trailer, the truck tires have to resit it. If they flex very little in the side wall, the truck stays stable left to right. If the tire is soggy, the front of the truck will fell like it is shifting left to right, sometimes it feels like the back of the truck is shifting but it can be the front.
They do not create a stiffness rating for tire side walls so you sort of buying blind. Some have P tires that do very well while others can't control much no matter what they do. Even some LT tires are like this. The max pressure guide is a way to help create that stiffness. How much is an experiment. Start in 5 psi jumps above door sicker pressures all the way to max. In the LT tire you can approach a hard bounce where the truck little feels like it just jumped left or right after a bump. That is too stiff back off 5 psi and try again. A gasser 3/4 ton truck might have the hard bounce issue on the front where the same truck with a diesel up front won't. Same tire but different loading.
I have found the newer, large rim/smaller profile tire if a lot stiffer from the get go. Since there is less rubber profile the tries flexes less. They do ride harder but flex less. It's a trade off.
So while from a load stand point you may not need extra pressure, you may from a stiffness stand point.
Good luck and hope this helps
John
