What's the lowest tire pressure I can air down to to drive 4 miles?
- Thread starter conlopez
- Start date
I don't have beadlocks, so wouldn't 8 be to low anyways? I was thinking of just going to 20 or maybe 15
Limit your speed to 20-25 mph and you can make it to the gas station with aired-down tires. You just want to avoid going fast enough that they would overheat and blow. I ran 8 psi quite a bit with 35's on my previous 8" wide non-beadlock wheels and I never lost a bead. I wouldn't try 8 psi with 10" wide wheels though.
You will be just fine at anything 12 psi and over. 35 mph shouldn't be a problem.
You will also be fine at 8-12 psi, but those lower pressures make some people nervous and you should go a bit more slowly.
"Popping" tire beads won't be an issue for you. Neither will rim width.
For your future use, or while you are deciding what inflation and deflation systems and techniques you want to use, these articles on tire pressures and airing down are by a true expert on the subject and are quite illuminating. The first article will help you determine the best starting offroad tire pressure for your tires and the weight of your jeep rather than rely upon well meaning generalizations from magazine articles or Internet forums that may or may not be right for your particular situation or equipment.
https://www.coyoteents.com/stuck-in-sand/
https://www.coyoteents.com/temperature-and-tire-pressure/
https://www.coyoteents.com/compensating-tire-pressure-readings-for-elevation/
You will also be fine at 8-12 psi, but those lower pressures make some people nervous and you should go a bit more slowly.
"Popping" tire beads won't be an issue for you. Neither will rim width.
For your future use, or while you are deciding what inflation and deflation systems and techniques you want to use, these articles on tire pressures and airing down are by a true expert on the subject and are quite illuminating. The first article will help you determine the best starting offroad tire pressure for your tires and the weight of your jeep rather than rely upon well meaning generalizations from magazine articles or Internet forums that may or may not be right for your particular situation or equipment.
https://www.coyoteents.com/stuck-in-sand/
https://www.coyoteents.com/temperature-and-tire-pressure/
https://www.coyoteents.com/compensating-tire-pressure-readings-for-elevation/
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Possibly though few experienced offroaders consider anything 15 psi or higher to be aired down. It's when you get down to slightly lower air pressures like 12 psi where you start really seeing the benefits of an aired down tire.
I am by no means an "experienced off-roader" but have driven several miles at 15 PSI on several occasions. What I found was the the ride was quite pleasant. When I stopped to air up I checked carefully and did not notice any signs of additional heat. I had no need to go below 15, I was not trying to greatly enlarge the contact patch of the tire for serious rock crawling, just looking for a little softer ride on mild terrain.
Not that anyone should, but I have successfully driven both my non-beadlocked 33s and 35s aired down to 8psi at highway speeds multiple times over longer distances between trailheads. I don't really give it a second thought.
Ive done 10-12psi (stock Moab wheels) a few times between trails at highway speeds as well (55ish). It wasn’t my favorite feeling, but it didn’t feel unsafe. I’d not go much faster for much longer though!
I think this is probably a situation where the term "serious offroader" was used when "serious rockcrawler" would have been more accurate. The first encompasses the second, but not necessarily vice versa.
There are many experienced offroaders with many decades of experience on multiple continents happily traversing dirt and gravel roads and mild and moderate trails with tires aired down to 15-18 psi and no lower. Would they be happier at 12 psi? Maybe, maybe not. Does not airing down to 12 psi or below somehow make them clueless or render their experience of no value? No, it does not.
In the rockcrawling arena, 15 psi is way too high. Soft sand beaches too. But not everywhere.
For me, in my jeep, 12 psi is my starting point for an offroad pressure. Frequently I go lower. However, in my Xterra 15 psi is a better starting offroad pressure because some trips are constantly on and off pavement and I can go all day without changing tire pressure if I only go down to 15 psi. The tradeoff is that my fillings rattle a bit more on the washboard sections. Everyone's needs and applications are slightly different.
Speed is the big factor aired down. Speed on a flat tire builds heat leading to sidewall damage and a shredded tire. The best person to ask is the tire manufacturer or retail tire shop.
Aired down is meant for crawling around. If you don't see a sidewall bulge, which is what causes a heat build up, you are likely OK. TJs are pretty light weight and 35s are massive on them. The lighter the vehicle, bigger the tire, the lower you can go.
Why not buy an air compressor and be safe?
Aired down is meant for crawling around. If you don't see a sidewall bulge, which is what causes a heat build up, you are likely OK. TJs are pretty light weight and 35s are massive on them. The lighter the vehicle, bigger the tire, the lower you can go.
Why not buy an air compressor and be safe?
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You're kidding, right?
The tire manufacturer is going to tell you to inflate to the pressure on the sticker in the vehicle door and the retail tire shop is going to inflate those puppies to the maximum pressure shown on the sidewall.
Airing down is not a language they speak.
Ya, first person I'd ask about tire pressures for sure. Those guys that just put my new tires at 52 psi because it says so on the sidewall.
Ron Hockett
TJ Enthusiast
I’m running Falken Wildpeak 35”s on 12.5 rims and stay in the 10-12 range. I use CO2 to air back up as I personally prefer it over air pumps. I don’t drive it fast, if I am just cruising dirt or gravel I go down to 15 psi.
L0jik
TJ Enthusiast
I drive around town on 8 psi when im too lazy to air back up. Not that I can say this is the smartest or the safest but i've gone probably 50 or 55 on 8 PSI for short distances and never had an issue. A lot of people are so concerned about debeading their tires but if you ask around its actually pretty rare. That usually happens on the rocks or in the woods where it can get pinched/caught. You will not debead your tire just driving on the road unless maybe your air pressure is non-existent.
Your tires are living on borrowed time by doing that. It's not losing a bead that is the issue, that's nothing and easily fixed if it happens. It's that the tires run significantly hotter when aired down that far and they can fail from the heat when run at such speeds when aired down to a lower air pressure like 8 psi.