Question--DuraTrac tire pressure on Rebels

[Lamarsh]

Hoping you guys with Rebels can weigh in on this. I have a 2020 Rebel that came stock with the DuraTrac tires. I've put these tires aftermarket on previous trucks, and did the "chalk test" to determine proper pressure for optimal wear (put a thick line of chalk on tire and drive forward and back on flat surface to determine the pressure that gets the most even wear). And that chalk test showed about 35 psi got the most even wear. However, Ram suggests a PSI of 55/45 for front/rear on the inside of my door. I presume they took into account that this truck has DuraTracs.

Just wondering if anybody runs their Rebel with DuraTracs with the recommended 55/45, or whether they have done a chalk test and run it lower in the 30s. I have been doing sort of a happy medium and keep them at around 40/50. Just not sure what will happen long term.

Thanks

 

[DIRTRIDER]

You only get a 20% variance from factory pressure before setting off TPMS system, can’t run them too low . I run mine at 50 at all 4 corners.

 

[DeckArtist]

Haven't had any undue wear and I am at 16.5k after 5 months of driving. Mine was delivered at 59 psi at all four corners but the first three oil changes have been at the dealer and they changed it to the 55/45 standard. Haven't noticed a big difference at all.

 

[mikeru]

The chalk method is more for when you are replacing factory tires with larger tires, and you want to establish a baseline tire pressure. You should always run with the manufacturer's recommended tire pressures for street use if using OEM tires. Also keep in mind that for larger tires, the chalk method may give you a lower pressure which might not be stable at highway speeds. At the least that can give you higher rolling resistance, and worst case it can cause tire failure if the pressure is extremely low. In your case, 35 psi won't cause much of an issue other than affect your fuel economy. I would (and do) stick with the recommended pressures. But it's your truck, do what you think is best for your situation.

 

[Lamarsh]

You only get a 20% variance from factory pressure before setting off TPMS system, can’t run them too low . I run mine at 50 at all 4 corners.

The TPMS light going off is annoying, but I'd rather have my tires set right than deal with that warning light. On all my old trucks with aftermarket AT/MT type tires I ran at around 35psi per the chalk test, and that damn TPMS light was always on lol. I looked into ways to recalibrate it to a lower threshold but never figured out a way.

Haven't had any undue wear and I am at 16.5k after 5 months of driving. Mine was delivered at 59 psi at all four corners but the first three oil changes have been at the dealer and they changed it to the 55/45 standard. Haven't noticed a big difference at all.

Good to hear, thanks for letting me know. I had two sets of DuraTracs on prior trucks. Both only lasted me 50k miles, which is about 20k less than what most seem to get on tires like BFGs, but I never cared becaues I think the trade off is the DuraTracs are softer, so they wear faster, but the softer tire is better on nice (I live in Michigan), and the DuraTracs are usually a less expensive tire.

My buddy is an engineer at Ram, and told me their suggestion on that 45/55psi was more driven by fuel economy than tire wear.

The chalk method is more for when you are replacing factory tires with larger tires, and you want to establish a baseline tire pressure. You should always run with the manufacturer's recommended tire pressures for street use if using OEM tires. Also keep in mind that for larger tires, the chalk method may give you a lower pressure which might not be stable at highway speeds. At the least that can give you higher rolling resistance, and worst case it can cause tire failure if the pressure is extremely low. In your case, 35 psi won't cause much of an issue other than affect your fuel economy. I would (and do) stick with the recommended pressures. But it's your truck, do what you think is best for your situation.

Yup, that's exactly right, but I was just wondering whether Ram took tire wear into account with the 45/55psi recommendation, because the chalk test shows around 35psi for the most even wear. But you are right, it is worse on the freeway. And it is worse on fuel economy. Bona fide trade off.

Thanks for all of your guys input.