Reducing Tire Pressure?

[JanB]

I have a 2019 3500 Tradesman. The door tag specifies 60 psi front, and 80 psi rear. That's great when we use it for what we bought it for: towing a 5th wheel.

Now we want to use it on some rough road with no load, e.g. combined hwy/city/mountain use. The ride on the mountain roads is too rough, and SWMBO is refusing to go back out there.

Can I run a reduced tire pressure without significant tire life reduction when I am not loaded? What tire pressure do you recommend? Are there other low $$ solutions I should consider to improve rough road ride?

 

[oe542bob]

AlphaOBD should allow you to set them to what you want to do. On my ‘18 2500, I’m running 50 in the front & 45 in the rear.
Without AlphaOBD, you should be able to lower the front & rear pressure by 15% from the max values.
Don’t remember exactly but something like 55 front, 65 rear. If you go to the least amount and not throw a light, many times over night as the air cools, I’d would have a TPMS warning come up. Then you must fully inflate to max pressure, then back it down again.

 

[Ricktara]

I believe the tpms triggers at 20 percent down so stay above that

 

[Johnny G Bagwell]

I have a 2019 3500 Tradesman. The door tag specifies 60 psi front, and 80 psi rear. That's great when we use it for what we bought it for: towing a 5th wheel.

Now we want to use it on some rough road with no load, e.g. combined hwy/city/mountain use. The ride on the mountain roads is too rough, and SWMBO is refusing to go back out there.

Can I run a reduced tire pressure without significant tire life reduction when I am not loaded? What tire pressure do you recommend? Are there other low $$ solutions I should consider to improve rough road ride?

SWMBO?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[JanB]

She Who Must Be Obeyed

 

[Firetruck41]

Yes, you can lower your pressure. I run at 50 front and rear, my tires seem to be wearing normally. The other thing you can do, if it's washboard type gravel roads, is drive faster and "float" over the bumps using the suspension.

 

[RandomRam]

With a 2500 I am running 60/60 front and rear. I ran 50/45 for a while and found it too squirmy. I think the stock Firestone tires have pretty soft sidewalls and once I upgrade to a better tire it won’t be an issue.

You can do the chalk test to get even tread wear. Put some chalk across the width of the tire and drive a half block or less and check wear. Center worn off you have too much, outsides worn off you need more. Ideal pressure does not mean ideal handling and you may need to add some air.

Do the 2019 3500s have the TPIS like the 2018 and older trucks or is it now a TPMS like the 2500? Do you get an alarm with low pressure?

If you’re driving off pavement a lot a GOOD compressor and tire deflator is a game changer. So far I’ve been using 20 PSI on the beach and 25 on corrugated forest road. Truck is unloaded so those pressures work well. Stock suspension works really well when the tires help soak up the bumps.

My last beach trip I watched a guy bury a 2500 Cummins with BFG KO2s to the point of needing a pull out. I never came close to sinking with my crap Transforce tires aired down.

 

[Elkman]

I greatly improved the ride of my 2500 by adding a Hellwig Bigwig anti-sway bar at the rear axle. What is does is spread the impact from one wheel to the opposite wheel and this makes up for the light rear of the truck.

Lower tire pressure is a good idea on sand but for dirt or gravel doing so will increase the amount of sidewall damage and the odds of breaking the bead on a tire for an instant flat.

 

[Wadejesu]

Janb, what size tires, single or duels in rear?

 

[dbctmc]

My '19 2500 recommends 60 front and 65 rear. I am pretty sure they are the same tires. Should be no reason you can't run them at that, but it might make tire pressure light come on. I will increase to 65 front and 70-75 rear when towing my camper (TT) then back it off if not towing or hauling anything heavy.

 

[Firebird]

I'm running 65 psi front and rear, truck rides great!