Tow Vehicle Tire Pressure
Do others increase / decrease the tire pressure in their tow vehicle when they are pulling the trailer? My truck specs say 35 psi for all 4 tires, but nothing about adjusting when towing. I'm thin...
Forum Discussion
trailer_newbe wrote:
“”You, DON'T account for heat. The engineers have already done that. You always set them cold. If they are at correct pressure, the heat buildup is normal. Now, if one gets low that will create excess heat that can raise the pressure to the point of a blowout.
Mark””
I do not agree. The manufacturer list the MAX pressure on their side wall. Granted they usually say cold, but anyone who thinks they engineered all road temperature conditions, I have a bridge across the Grand Canyon I’ll sell you. Set to 80 PSI then drive through Yuma on a 120 degree day, bad idea. I’ve aired to 80 PSI then hit the road and observed 86 PSI, which I’m good with, but where I live the temperature (and more importantly) the asphalt gets so hot it starts to melt. You can’t just air to max (cold) and take off, because you need to compensate for the time of year and where you are heading.
Thing is. If you keep airing down the tires when they heat up. (Not a good thing) When they do cool down after driving. They will be severely underinflated, if not flat.
as for the time of the year. Cold PIS at 80F. Is completely different than cold PSI at 30F. Even though the gage reads the same. So you have already compensated.
Always have to add air in the winter, because they were aired to cold psi in the heat.
