TV tire pressure

pokypa

Active Member
I have 17 inch tires on my tv. On the door it says for front 55 psi light load, 60 psi max load. Rear says 60 psi light load and 65 max load, this a DRW. The tires say 80 psi max cold. Some of you are running 80 lbs in your tires when the truck door post says 65 lbs. What is the correct tire pressure on theses tv. Most are pulling 14,000 lb trailer or over. Do I go by the truck sticker or the max on the tires.
 

Manzan

Well-known member
Best way to decide that is to have each wheel weighed both hooked up and solo. Each tire manufacturer has a chart for tire pressure required for the load. Granted I have a much smaller trailer but, based on weights, I could reduce tire pressures on my TV. Added 20% to recommended pressure which allowed me to reduce front tires to 45# from 50# and 65# rear from 80#. Have not noticed any reduction in MPG or different tire wear. Close to 20,000 miles on them since reducing the pressure. Does make for a more comfortable ride without the trailer. Trailer tires are at indicated sidewall pressure.
 

Garypowell

Well-known member
Pokypa,

as your information on the door indicates there is a relationship between tire pressure and how much load the tire can carry. With my 14,000 pound 3010 I am right at the limit (pin weight) of what my SRW truck will handle. So I put the back tires right at their limit of 80 PSI. If I am anyplace for a few days I might drop them down and then pump then back up when towing again.

In a conversation with Tread It tires when I was trying to determine what tires to use on my 3010 (picked G614's) they told me that for every 5 psi drop in a tires max load pressure you dropped 200 pounds in load capacity.

So my advice is run your back tires at their max pressure but be careful and normalize that pressure to 70 deg.
 

Jim.Allison

Well-known member
I have 17 inch tires on my tv. On the door it says for front 55 psi light load, 60 psi max load. Rear says 60 psi light load and 65 max load, this a DRW. The tires say 80 psi max cold. Some of you are running 80 lbs in your tires when the truck door post says 65 lbs. What is the correct tire pressure on theses tv. Most are pulling 14,000 lb trailer or over. Do I go by the truck sticker or the max on the tires.
The door post spec is good guidance but the real numbers are on the tire. It's hard for me to see the data on the tire so it's easy for me to make a mistake. I go to the manufacture of the tire via the internet and look at the exact specifications for the tire. In your case you need to look at the dual tire load ratings at psi for your exact tire. I would disregard the door post and go with the tire specifications for the load you are carrying. i have a SRW Ram 2500 and I could care less what RAM has on the door, I care about my tire spec. BTW, My Firestones are rated at 3195 at 80 PSI, but RAM is calling for 75 psi max. So who is right? I need the 3195 load so I run the 80 psi. More thinking is that your door post is probably calculating that at 65 psi your dual real wheels are capable of 3000 lbs each giving you a total load of 12000 lbs which is probably beyond the (theoretical) capability of the truck. The upshot is weigh the truck loaded and inflate according to the tire manufacturers spec. I bet you find that it is close to the 65 psi on the door post.
 

Jadatis

Member
I can calculate a pressure for you with use of spreadsheet I made.
Then an advice wich leaves some reserve for things like pressure loss in time, unequall loading R/L , but still no bumping.
But need GAWR's and GVWR of your TV but better weighed seperate wheel( pair) loads, or else axle weighing.
From tires maximum load, pressure needed for that ( Yours 80 psi) and preferably also speedcode of tires.
give that here and everything can be found on TV and tires sidewall.
 

Bohemian

Well-known member
Left and right tire pressures should ALWAYS be the same. They should be set for the larger of the two loads, left or right.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
My F350 DRW says 75 front and 65 rear.... So that's what I do... My truck is rated 14000 lb GVWR and 5280 payload so I would think that tire pressure is based on that. I can't find anything different in my manual.
 

Jim.Allison

Well-known member
My F350 DRW says 75 front and 65 rear.... So that's what I do... My truck is rated 14000 lb GVWR and 5280 payload so I would think that tire pressure is based on that. I can't find anything different in my manual.

In your case, you are where you need to be. But actually if you wanted to make everything perfect you could use the load data from weighing your rig, and the inflation guide provided for your tires by the manufacturer to arrive at the proper cold tire pressure. You guys with the dullies have ample load capabilities, where we SWD guys have to do a little math to get by. Question; is the pin weight a light load or a max load for your vehicle. I submit neither. so you tire pressure is somewhere in between light and max, probably closer to light than to max.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
In your case, you are where you need to be. But actually if you wanted to make everything perfect you could use the load data from weighing your rig, and the inflation guide provided for your tires by the manufacturer to arrive at the proper cold tire pressure. You guys with the dullies have ample load capabilities, where we SWD guys have to do a little math to get by. Question; is the pin weight a light load or a max load for your vehicle. I submit neither. so you tire pressure is somewhere in between light and max, probably closer to light than to max.
My pin weight is 3400 lbs, plus my auxiliary fuel tank in truck bed full is about 400 lbs, plus my cross bed tool box plus people, my payload is close to 4600 lbs.
 

donr827

Well-known member
There must be a reason why the truck manufacturer use their air pressure recommendations. Maybe you are reaching the rear axle weight max using the air pressure on the door plate. Just thinking I am no expert when it comes to this subject.Don
 

Birchwood

Well-known member
Had new tires installed on my dually at Firestone.They put 80 in the rear and 65 in the front.The old rear tires only had 65psi but I guess they thought 80 would be better.Not sure now what the correct pressure should be the truck sure hits the potholes hard.
 
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