One of the most essential skills for any vehicle owner is the ability to manage air pressure. Sadly with the status of nanny laws and the government mandating tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) on all new vehicles it’s turned tire pressure management from an active skill to passive nuisance. Now people don’t check their tire pressure till the little yellow idiot light on the dash tells them to, and even then most don’t even know that even a slightly under or over inflated tire can cause problems long before an alarm goes off.
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“Top of the World” trail in Moab, UT You can see my air pressure is low by the bulge in the sidewalls. Is that a good thing? Did I do it on purpose? |
In this week’s post I’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of tire pressure management, why it’s important on road, and why it’s doubly important off pavement, and how things like tire deflators and onboard air systems earn their keep in just a few trips. Read on for the good stuff…
Why should you worry about tire pressure?
Your tires are the most essential thing on your vehicle. Think about it, they are what connect your vehicle to the road. Without them your vehicle couldn’t move – at all. Take the motor out, and your vehicle can at least still roll. No tires, no movement. Your tires transfer engine power to the road to make you move. Your tires transfer brake clamping force to the road to make you stop. Your tires support the weight of your vehicle and soak up small bumps and imperfections in the road (or large ones if you live in a pothole prone state like I do). Also, outside of the purchase price of vehicle itself, tires are the largest recurring investment you make besides fuel. So yeah, you’re tires are important.
If your tires are over inflated, meaning there is too much air in them, the tire bulges out at the tread and reduces the contact patch of the tire. This can lead to premature wear of the tire and handling problems such as hydroplaning in rain and loss of traction under acceleration.
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Ideally you want even wear across the entire tread. This is even more important with blocky squared off treads common on A/T and M/T tires. |
If your tires are under inflated, meaning there is not enough air in them, the tire bulges out at the sidewall. While this increases the contact patch, which is something good when off pavement (more on that shortly), it can lead to premature wear of the outside edges of the tread as well as contribute to sidewall stress. Too little air also reduces the cornering ability of the vehicle causing the tread to “float” under the center line of the wheel. Take a turn too fast and you can actually fold a tire over causing the wheel to contact the road surface which can lead to things like vehicle rollover. Low tire pressure, since it increases the contact patch, also increases road noise generated by the tire as well as increase friction leading to a decrease in fuel milage.
Needless to say, managing the air pressure in your tires is essential to maximize handling, fuel milage, and the tread life of your tires. Those of us running larger more expensive all-terrain or mud-terrain tires can easily spend more than $1,000 for a set of tires. That’s a big investment. Wouldn’t you want to get the most out of your tires? I know I do.
How do you establish optimal street pressure?
If you’re running stock vehicle with OEM type tires (same size and tread type as your vehicle was sold with when it was new) then this is really easy. All you have to do is open up your owner’s manual or check the inside of the driver’s door. There will be a label outlining the tire size, tread type, and recommended optimal tire pressure.
If you’re running a modified vehicle with aftermarket wheels and tires (different size and/or tread type than your vehicle was sold with) things get a little more complicated. There are many variables that contribute to optimal tire pressure. Things like the weight of the vehicle (which has probably changed with the addition of heavy duty bumpers, extra gear, and things like that), the size of the wheel (both in diameter and width), the size of the tire, as well as the tire type (all season, all weather, all terrain, mud terrain, etc) all have subtle impact on the pressure of the tire. Sadly there is no hard and fast rule for this. There’s no simple equation for you to use. There are just simply too many variables. Luckily there is a rather simple method and all you need is a piece of sidewalk chalk.
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An almost perfect example of using the chalk test. My preference would be for a wider stripe over a few more lugs. |
The chalk method for establishing tire pressure is something anyone can do and it only takes a few minutes. You’ll want to start with a nice cool tire and a dry solid smooth surface (concrete is better than pavement, but if it’s smooth or sealed pavement you’ll be fine).
- First, wipe off a section of your tire. Remove any imbedded stones and wipe off any dust clinging to the tire. Ideally you want the chalk on the rubber of the tires, not everything you’ve driven through for the last 100 miles.
- Once you have a clean spot you’ll want to put a nice wide swath of heavy chalk on the tire. Scribble on there nice a good. Bonus points for getting your kids involved and extra points for colors like hot pink, pastel blue, and sunflower yellow.
- Next drive your vehicle forward and backward across the chalked part of the tread. Make sure to avoid puddles and deformations.
- Finally check the chalk. If it’s worn in the middle, your tire is over inflated. If it’s worn on the edges, your tire is under inflated. Adjust the pressure by 2psi accordingly and repeat the process. Make sure to do this for both front and rear tires as well as trailer tires if you pull a trailer.
However, there is a danger in going too low. This is where heat becomes an enemy. Every time a tire flexes it generates heat. As you drive down the tire this equates to hundreds and thousands if not millions of flexes. Overtime this heat builds up. Too much heat in a tire can cause things like de-lamination (how many times have you seen the tread of a semi-truck tire on the side of the road?), sidewall de-lamination (ever seen a semi-tire blow on the highway? I have) or tire bead failure (watch NASCAR for examples of this). All of these things can, and do, happen to tires off road. Also, even if the critical point of catastrophic failure hasn’t been reached it doesn’t mean the damage hasn’t been done. Couple poor tire pressure management off-pavement with poor tire pressure management on road and you have a compounding problem that can lead an on-road tire failure. It’s not all doom and gloom though. Chances are you’re going to be within an acceptable tire pressure range and as long as you’re not driving like a total idiot (on road or off) you’ll be fine.
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As tire pressure lowers the contact patch increases in size both in width and length. |
- If you feel the sidewall of the tire and it’s hot, you need to add some air.
- If you’re hitting bumps in the terrain and your kidneys are hurting, you tire pressure might be too high.
- If your tires are not deforming around obstacles (rocks, trees, etc) chances are you’re pressure is too high
- If your tire is “folding over” and the wheel rim is riding on the sidewall you REALLY need to add some air
- If your tires are slowly losing air then your pressure might be so low you’re “burping the bead” and the tire is letting it’s own air out (or you have a puncture).
- If you’re driving at a higher rate of speed in loose terrain and your steering feels unresponsive, then your pressure might be too low and the tire is folding over on itself. Same goes for rear traction and handling.
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Extreme example of tire deformation around a trail obstacle. This is actually a good thing even though it looks pretty gnarly. Arguably you won’t encounter this extreme an example while overlanding. |
Simply put, this is something that is learned over time. I’ll also be honest and say that selecting tire pressure for off-pavement travel could be an article in-and-of-itself. I wanted to keep this article more conceptual to illustrate why tire pressure management, both on road and off, is important. The concepts are important to know, and what works for me and my Jeep with it’s tires, and my driving style, may not work for you. This is where having the proper equipment comes into play.
Long before buying big light-bars, heavy bumpers, winches, or even bigger/better tires, I think every off-road enthusiast should buy their own portable air compressor. I’m not saying it has to be the best one out there, or even something like my ViAir “Ultra Duty” Onboard Air system (although it is very nice if I don’t say so myself), but any kind of quality portable compressor that can run off 12volts while go a long way into not only making the process of tire pressure management easier, but also make it more likely you’ll actually do it. Sure there are gas stations with coin-opperated compressors and some off road parks like Rausch Creek have onsite air, but last time I checked there weren’t compressors in the middle of the woods and deserts we as overlanders tend to frequent. Self-sufficiancy is a quality I think is common to overlanders, so having ones own air compressor should be high on the list. Much higher than LED light-bars, snorkels, or even a winch in my opinion.
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Do you need them? No. Are they nice to have? Yes. Do I think you should get a set? I do. Why? They save time and make life a lot easier. |
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On trail repair of a ruptured sidewall. He drove the rest of the way out with the plugs in place. Couldn’t have done that without a repair kit and an air compressor. Are you prepared for this? |
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Author’s Note: The more I think about it the more I realize I should do a dedicated article on off-pavement tire pressure. So this three part series on tire pressure management will end up being four parts. That said, I’m not sure if part four will happen next or not, most likely not. I’d like to wait till I have new tires since my current tires are on their last leg. Either that or I’ll see if I can convince a friend with more photogenic tires to help me out. Either way, there will be another chapter in this saga. It will just take me a little while to make it happen.