2023 2500 Tradesman Tire Pressure

[Tulecreeper]

Here is something I have never run into before. I have many years of towing experience and maintained a CDL until I retired. Under normal circumstances, the tire pressure on the door pillar is what is suggested for everyday driving, i.e., 35 PSI all-around, even though the max on your tire sidewall says 65 PSI. My new RAM 2500 door pillar says 75 front/80 rear, and the max on the sidewall is 80. I looked through all the data I could find and that is apparently what it's supposed to be. This is not what I have known from experience. The door pillar is for normal driving and you add PSI according to your load, up to your max PSI on the sidewall, which you pretty much never get to. The manual even says (paraphrased), "The tire pressure indicated on the door pillar is the recommended pressure up to your maximum GVWR." If I were to go by the calculations that I know, it should be running somewhere in the 40 PSI range on every tire, but if I drop it that much my TPMS will come on and not go away until I air it back up to 80 PSI again (so says the manual) For info, I have:

2023 RAM 2500 Tradesman, 2x4, 6.4L Hemi, Reg Cab, LB, GVWR 10,000# GVWR, Payload cap. 3913#, Towing cap. 15,540#, Tires: Firestone Transforce 245/70R17E 119/116R

Anyone got an input?

 

[Farmer Fran]

I go by the pillar. Can you grab a picture of the door stickers? Does it indicate anything about the pressure? My RAM 1500 just said "Cold Pressure", does your label say something else?

 

[Tulecreeper]

I go by the pillar. Can you grab a picture of the door stickers? Does it indicate anything about the pressure? My RAM 1500 just said "Cold Pressure", does your label say something else?

Yes sir, as I said in my original post the pillar sticker says 75/80, front and rear respectively. Here is a pic of the yellow one, the white one says the same thing.

I thought that was astronomically high, but when I look at the tread touching the ground it is flat from side to side with no lifting on the edge. And I did the chalk test also on both the front and rear, and it indicates proper inflation. And I've been driving the truck for two months and there is no noticeable wear anywhere on the treads. I also noticed that even with the PSI that high I do not get a particularly rough ride. I'm stymied.

 

[Dean2]

Yes sir, as I said in my original post the pillar sticker says 75/80, front and rear respectively. Here is a pic of the yellow one, the white one says the same thing.

I thought that was astronomically high, but when I look at the tread touching the ground it is flat from side to side with no lifting on the edge. And I did the chalk test also on both the front and rear, and it indicates proper inflation. And I've been driving the truck for two months and there is no noticeable wear anywhere on the treads. I also noticed that even with the PSI that high I do not get a particularly rough ride. I'm stymied.

I have a 2021 2500 gas. My door pillar says 65 rear 60 front, tire is max 80 psi. I switched out the Firestone Transforce ATs that came on it as the off road upgrade tire, because they were totally useless off road. Now running my long term favourite all round tire, Goodyear Duratracs in the same 275-70-18 size that came on the truck.That pillar door pressure is for the 10,000 GVW.

For my normal driving I am running at about 8200 pounds, scale verified. I find the ride WAY WAY better at 45 front 40 rear, empty. The ride quality did not noticeably improve until I got below 50 pounds. My bet is, if you drop yours that far you will also see a tremendous difference.

Tire pressure by weight for a huge variety of tires can be found here.

https://tirepressure.com/lt275-70r18-tire-pressure

I used AlphaOBd to reset the TPMS thresholds to 50 front and 45 back so I don't get the warning light till I go more than 20% below that. You current TPMS is also set at 20% below your door pillar so yours will go off at 60 and 64 pounds respectively.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I have a 2021 2500 gas. My door pillar says 65 rear 60 front, tire is max 80 psi. I switched out the Firestone Transforce ATs that came on it as the off road upgrade tire, because they were totally useless off road. Now running my long term favourite all round tire, Goodyear Duratracs in the same 275-70-18 size that came on the truck.That pillar door pressure is for the 10,000 GVW.

For my normal driving I am running at about 8200 pounds, scale verified. I find the ride WAY WAY better at 45 front 40 rear, empty. The ride quality did not noticeably improve until I got below 50 pounds. My bet is, if you drop yours that far you will also see a tremendous difference.

Tire pressure by weight for a huge variety of tires can be found here.

https://tirepressure.com/lt275-70r18-tire-pressure

I used AlphaOBd to reset the TPMS thresholds to 50 front and 45 back so I don't get the warning light till I go more than 20% below that. You current TPMS is also set at 20% below your door pillar so yours will go off at 60 and 64 pounds respectively.

While I agree with most of that, I have to remind you that both the door pillar and owners manual still say 75/80. Reprogramming the TPMS so it will activate at a lower pressure will not change that. If I were to lower the PSI even to the 60/64 you mentioned - which I don't necessarily disagree with - and I have an accident, especially while towing a trailer, the accident investigator will say my tires were grossly underinflated because he is going to go by what the door pillar and the owners manual says. Who knows how that will affect who was at fault. I know this because I am retired LE and I have seen it happen.

As for the 10,000 GVWR thing. The owners manual states that the PSI on the door pillar is to be used up to the GVWR.

The PSI on the door pillar is based on the size of the tires I put on the truck, not the brand, so this means that throughout the life of the vehicle whenever I buy new tires of any brand the 75/80 PSI thing remains the same as long as the tires are the same size.

 

[White six four]

I run my tires between 50 and 55 psi. For the tires I have on my 16 if I remember correctly around 52 psi they will "carry" the grwr. So like you're saying if I were to get in an accident and I was overweight I would also be over my rear axle weight. At that point what's the difference if they're going to come after you for one or the other. I never am over loaded but just saying. 80 psi unloaded is way too much. At least in mine.

I also lowered my tpms limits with alfaobd.

 

[Dean2]

OP. AT 45 psi all round I am at 10,000 gvw with 2500 pounds per tire, at 60 all round I am at 12,000 gvw, at 80 psi I am at 15,000 pounds load capacity. So would you care to try to explain how Ram gets the pressures they set. Over inflated tires are just as dangerous as under inflated. On top of that they wear poorly, take longer to stop, hop in corners and they ride like crap.

Do what you like but having the tire makers pressure chart for load I have more than adequate defense to a claim my tires were grossly under inflated.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I run my tires between 50 and 55 psi. For the tires I have on my 16 if I remember correctly around 52 psi they will "carry" the grwr. So like you're saying if I were to get in an accident and I was overweight I would also be over my rear axle weight. At that point what's the difference if they're going to come after you for one or the other. I never am over loaded but just saying. 80 psi unloaded is way too much. At least in mine.

I also lowered my tpms limits with alfaobd.

And if you got in an accident and were well within the cargo/axle/towing capacity of you vehicle in all other respects, but were way under the recommended tire pressure listed on the pillar and in your manual?

I guess in a nutshell here is my question:

Why would both the door pillar and the owners manual list the proper inflation for normal driving all the way up to max GVWR as 75/80 PSI when everything tells us that this is not correct? Is it something special about the particular truck I have - 2023 2500 ,regular cab, long bed, with zero options on it giving it the maximum cargo and towing ability for its trim? I have never seen anything like that before...have you?

 

[Tulecreeper]

OP. AT 45 psi all round I and at 10,000 gvw with 2500 pounds per tire, at 60 all round I am at 12,000 gvw, at 80 psi I am at 15,000 pounds load capacity. So would you care to try to explain how Ram gets the pressures they set. Over inflated tires are just as dangerous as under inflated. On top of that they wear around, take longer to stop, hop in corners and they ride like crap.

Do what you like but having the tire makers pressure chart for load I have more than adequate defense to a claim my tires were grossly under inflated.

You get no argument from me. What does your door pillar say? I have the tire maker's chart - several different charts, in fact - and they all say for the base weight, front and rear axles, of my RAM it is actually 80 PSI front and rear. My door pillar says 75 front/80 rear, so it is within those specs. So if I get in an accident and my tires are noticeably off from those PSI rating I will be grossly underinflated.

 

[Dean2]

You get no argument from me. What does your door pillar say? I have the tire maker's chart - several different charts, in fact - and they all say for the base weight, front and rear axles, of my RAM it is actually 80 PSI front and rear. My door pillar says 75 front/80 rear, so it is within those specs. So if I get in an accident and my tires are noticeably off from those PSI rating I will be grossly underinflated.

Like I said above my pillar is front 60 rear 65 for the stock 275 70 18 Firestone Transforce ATs. The manufactures inflation chart from Firestone for the OEM tires shows much lower tire pressure of just over 45 psi at 2500 pounds per tire than the door post shows me.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://commercial.firestone.com/content/dam/bcs-sites/firestone/TBR/load-inflation-tables/mar2015/FS_TBR_load-inflation-tables_web_2014.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiw3-aZsJb_AhWbFTQIHYi7BBkQFnoECC0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1yGrPnBuAVJzhV4iktwW6z

I would truly love to hear how Ram comes up the the pillar inflation pressures and what their rational is for recommending tires be so over inflated. Got to be a reason but I sure can't figure out what it is.