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Correct Tire Pressure

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mikeyk101 Senior Enthusiast

mikeyk101

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I have 275/60R20 (33") Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires on mine now. They are not LT but are SL tires. When I had the OEM Goodyears on there, I never followed the 32psi but ran it at 35-36psi. It was actually recommended by a Chevy tech one time when I had it in for service and it felt about right. I tried the same with the Falkens for several months. The sidewall under the tire seemed to bulge a bit more than I thought it should. I recently bumped it up to about 41psi. The max cold on these are 51psi. I found I have less bulging on the sidewall now. Also when I had them at 35, it seemed to wander and I found myself constantly using small inputs to keep it moving straight. Going to 41 made a big difference. It tracks beautifully now with very little inputs. It does have a firmer ride but no where near bone jarring. I do notice defects in the road a bit more but it's still a decent feeling ride. 

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lucas287 Enthusiast

lucas287

Posted
Posted (edited)

Here's my 2 cents. 

 

The load index and max psi varies from tire to tire, so there isn't a "perfect" number as many other members have illustrated. Go with what feels right to you! My truck has approx 58/42 weight split. There's absolutely no reason the run the rear tires at the same PSI as the front, except if you're towing or hauling a lot. 

 

Watch your tire wear, and on the front pay attention to wear beyond the shoulder of the tread (aka rolling onto the sidewall). If it's doing that and your alignment is good - it needs more PSI. For example, if you have a really square tread tire, like a Continental Terrain Contact - you could probably run 30 PSI and never roll onto the sidewall. I have Pirelli Scorpion Verde Plus 2 - which is the complete opposite and very rounded - I like running a tad more (33-34) because I don't like how it rolls onto the sidewall. 

 

The rear - PSSH - lower it until your TPMS gets mad and bump it 1 PSI from there. For reference, my rears are at 26 PSI and I wish I could do 23/24. Heck, I had a ECSB NBS Silverado that I ran 20-22 PSI.

 

The chalk test has gained popularity lately, but a well-trained eye can see the same thing without chalk. 

 

And because I anticipate people saying: "that's a dangerously low amount of tire pressure - yada yada - I've driven a solid 100,000 miles between these two trucks at the stated rear pressures (including lots of ranch roads) and have never had issues. 

Edited by lucas287
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