Tow Vehicle tire pressure

[synergy141]

When towing a boat do you guy keep your vehicles recomended tire pressure on all 4 tires? or can you add more air pressure to the rear wheels of your tow vehicle to support the tongue weight a little better? Or should I just keeps all 4 tires to manufacturers specs?

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

The recommended tire pressure is usually a compromise between passenger comfort, handling and tread life. Some automakers like Mercedes and VW will give a pressure for light load and another for full load. Many vehicles have a different tire pressure front to back

My advice as a Bridgestone/Firestone dealer of many years is to consider that the tow vehicle is fully loaded-you, the gear, the beer, and the one you hold dear.

My trusty K1500 Suburban calls for 35 PSI. I like to add about 5 psi above the factory recommended on all 4. Handles better.
Make sure you don't exceed the maximum cold tire pressure.

Most P series truck tires will take 41 or 44 psi max cold. Its written on the sidewall.

What are you towing with?

 

[gstanton]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

I always keep all tires inflated to whatever pressure is on the sidewall - tow vehicle and trailer.

 

[synergy141]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

Im towing with a 2002 Cadillac Escalade 6.0 Awd , The tires are recomended to be at 35 psi . But when I have been towing Ive been running 35 psi in the front and 38 in the rear. I dont know is this is right or not?

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

Sclade Eh! Nice.

Be carefull, AWD's like yours and Denali, or even a Buick Rendezvous are very
sensitive to any difference front to back. 38 sounds good, but have all 4 the same. Hard on the driveline otherwise.

 

[synergy141]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

Thanks fot the help "Baileysboat"

 

[Jeepster04]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

I always keep all tires inflated to whatever pressure is on the sidewall - tow vehicle and trailer.

Be careful with that. Usually the pressure on the side wall is the MAX pressure which means the tire should never over that pressure. There is a safety zone there so the tire isnt going to just explode if you run that pressure but usually its best to run the pressure that is indicated by a sticker thats usually located in one of the door jambs. My Jeep calls for 33PSI but I run 35PSI usually. According to my Evic(tells me tire psi, mpg, etc), my tires get up to 38psi+ when going down the highway.

 

[gstanton]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

So what Jeepster is saying is to overinflate the tires?

Yeah, there is a fudge factor, but, it's my understanding that the tire engineers allow for the increased pressure as normal diving heats up the tire. That's why they want you inflate the tire to its max pressure - cold.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

I have 10-ply tires on my PU. They hold up to 85# which will bounce the bed all over the road empty. I adjust the tires according to load. Generally, I keep 40# in them with no load.

 

[pinkham89]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

wouldnt be a bad idea to fill the tires (both boat and trailer) with nitrogen. Working at a tireshop up here in maine we see more and more people doing it, which really seems like a good idea.

For those not in the know, nitrogen doesnt expand and compress with temperature changes nearly as much as compressed air which means on cold days the tires not underinflated, wearing the shoulders and burning a lot of fuel (as well as wearing the tire excessively) and on how summer days the tires not overinflated, wearing the centers out of the tires and possibly causing a blowout.

on that same principle we have guys fill inflatable boats with nitrogen to tow behind sailboats because again, on cold days, the pressure doesnt drop nearly as much and isnt producing as much drag.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

The atmosphere is 78% nitrogen. There is almost no difference in expansion and contraction between air and pure nitrogen. The biggest advantage for consumers is the lack of moisture in pure nitrogen, which reduces corrosion of the wheels.

 

[thepotroast]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

It also gives longer tire life. When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.

Nitrogen is all around us... the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen (as mentioned above), 21% oxygen and the rest is small amounts of other gasses. When it comes to tire inflation, nitrogen has many advantages over oxygen. With nitrogen tire inflation, improvements can be noted in a vehicle's handling, fuel efficiency and tire life through better tire pressure retention, improved fuel economy and cooler running tire temperatures.

 

[pinkham89]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

The atmosphere is 78% nitrogen. There is almost no difference in expansion and contraction between air and pure nitrogen. The biggest advantage for consumers is the lack of moisture in pure nitrogen, which reduces corrosion of the wheels.

correct. I had neglected to mention though that our nitrogen generator here in the shop generates pretty durn near 100% nitrogen, without any moisture or particulate oils/grit

 

[thepotroast]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

You can get all the benefits of nitrogen with a purity level between 93-98%.

Bridgestone/Firestone researchers say that 93-95% nitrogen is all you need.

According to Ford Motor Co., there is no difference between 96% and 99% nitrogen purity.

I can cite my sources. Fact being, Nitrogen is great for tires. Anything over 93% nitrogen will get the job done.

 

[pinkham89]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

you know i just had a total brainfart. I bet it would work some sweet with float tubes too. Not that i would ever be caught dead in one but....

 

[boat1010]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

If you really think about the toung weight of most trailers are not more than a couple of hundred pounds. To the overall picture if the vehicle it isn't that much weight. I tow with a 3/4 ton P/U. I usually run a little less than recommended to make it a little smother. When towing the fifthwheel i will take the pressure to the recommended amount, but the weight of the fifthwheel is considerably more than my boat.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

Gstanton: Jeepster is not recommending inflation to the maximum on the sidewall. He is only indicating that if you do, the tire will not likely explode as the tire heats up. The words Maximum Inflation Pressure mean that when cold. The problem with inflating tires higher than the recommended on the inflation pressure label on the door or in the glove box of your vehicle is that over inflated tires wear the center of the tread. Underinflated tires wear the outer and inner edges of the tread. AWD systems MUST have all four tires inflated the same and when replacing tires, replace them as a set. Replacing just two (front or rear) means you have slightly different diameters which when AWD is active you have different drive shaft speeds which then creates issues with the transfer case components. Lastly, the tire manufacturers have no idea what size or weight vehicle their tires will be mounted on so the maximum inflation pressure is directed at the tire. It is the vehicle manufacturers that specify the normal operating pressures (light load and heavy load) for their vehicles based on data given to them by the tire manufacturer. Charts from the manufacturer specify tire load limits based on given tire pressures. Trailer tires tend to be operated very close to their maximum load capacity so they should inflated to the sidewall pressure.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

It also gives longer tire life. When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.

All you need to do is keep regular air away from the outside of the tires for this to make a noticeable difference. I busted tires for about 9 years, long before the nitrogen fad. Even the rattiest looking tires looked great inside. Ozone and other environmental pollutants will damage tires from the outside decades before the insides deteriorate from reasonably clean regular air. The other theoretical benefits from running nitrogen (improved fuel economy, etc.) are so small as to be virtually unmeasurable in the real world, and exist mainly in the sales pitches from the makers of nitrogen generators. If a shop wants to fill my tires with nitrogen for free, I'd let them, but I wouldn't pay a dime for it.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

Another thing to think about is that the sticker on the door only applies to the original tires on the vehicle. My original tires were 265/75/R16 load range E with a max pressure of 85. My new ones are 285/75//R16 load range D with a max pressure of 65. If I went by the door sticker which recommends 60 lbs front and 70 lbs rear I'd be over the max pressure so I run them somewhere between 40 to 45 lbs.

The only time they get inflated to near max pressure is if I'm going to load a couple thousand pounds in the bed of the truck.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Tow Vehicle tire pressure

if its cold, i go with max recommended on sidewall. if its warmer, i take at least 5 psi off of that.