tow vehicle tire pressure w/hitch
I am towing a trailer with 1000 lbs. tongue weight using reese dual cam weight distribution hitch.I realize more weight goes to the front tires.Door placard says 60lbs. front and 80 rear max.Truck is...
Forum Discussion
The tire placard on your door column also shows the carrying capacity of your vehicle. The air pressure that is listed is specified by the vehicle manufacturer and is based upon many factors which include:
1. Carrying capacity
2. Ride characteristics and comfort
3. Mileage
4. Braking capability
5. Tire wear
You will not hurt anything by inflating the tires higher than the placard as long as you don't exceed the rated pressure for the tire and/or wheel combination while the tires are cold. But, it is not necessary to adjust the tires to an amount higher than specified by the placard just because you're adding weight. That is already calculated in your carrying capacity. And adding pressure does NOT increase your carrying capacity. There are other limiting factors such as brakes, suspension and drive train that come into play.
When I was in the tire business, most truck owners would ask me to inflate the tires to the maximum cold pressure that the tires/wheels would allow. I will tell you that doing so will not necessarily give you better tire longevity, and in fact may actually hurt it by causing the center of the tire to wear faster. Also, pressures that are significantly over the manufacturer's recommendation may impede traction and braking on surfaces with a low coefficient of friction such as dirt, ice and snow.
A potential benefit of increasing pressure is that if you do develop a slow leak, the increased pressure may actually give you more time to react vs. a tire that is right at the manufacturer's rating.
1. Carrying capacity
2. Ride characteristics and comfort
3. Mileage
4. Braking capability
5. Tire wear
You will not hurt anything by inflating the tires higher than the placard as long as you don't exceed the rated pressure for the tire and/or wheel combination while the tires are cold. But, it is not necessary to adjust the tires to an amount higher than specified by the placard just because you're adding weight. That is already calculated in your carrying capacity. And adding pressure does NOT increase your carrying capacity. There are other limiting factors such as brakes, suspension and drive train that come into play.
When I was in the tire business, most truck owners would ask me to inflate the tires to the maximum cold pressure that the tires/wheels would allow. I will tell you that doing so will not necessarily give you better tire longevity, and in fact may actually hurt it by causing the center of the tire to wear faster. Also, pressures that are significantly over the manufacturer's recommendation may impede traction and braking on surfaces with a low coefficient of friction such as dirt, ice and snow.
A potential benefit of increasing pressure is that if you do develop a slow leak, the increased pressure may actually give you more time to react vs. a tire that is right at the manufacturer's rating.
