iRunUphill
New member
In general, when off-roading, what is the minimum tire pressure I can run on non-beadlock wheels.
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
Tire pressure
- Thread starter iRunUphill
- Start date
ExploringNH
Explorer
It very much depends on the tire, vehicle, terrain, and goals.
Can you provide a little more information?
I would say a good, safe starting point is 15psi but this will vary widely depending on the setup and intended use. You could be down as low as 10psi in some cases. In the following photo I was at 10psi. This is the limit for my setup and a pressure that I likely wouldn't run again, even though it worked well in those conditions. The risk of losing a bead at 10psi on my setup is higher than I am comfortable with. You can really see the sidewall deflection in the photo. The photo is of my Defender, but the same concept applies to any vehicle.
In my 4Runner on 285/75/16 All terrains, I would run as low as 7-8psi in the snow but was more comfortable around 12psi. In the summer I would rarely drop below 15psi. A lot of this has to do with the types of driving I was doing. Here in New Hampshire, there is generally paved road time in between trails. I didn't want to air up and down all day so 15psi was a good middle ground for this type of driving. In the Defender above I was off-road 100% of the time, so 10psi worked well for that specific application. The 4Runner is a lighter vehicle and could probably have gone lower than I pushed it, but it is always a balance.
Can you provide a little more information?
I would say a good, safe starting point is 15psi but this will vary widely depending on the setup and intended use. You could be down as low as 10psi in some cases. In the following photo I was at 10psi. This is the limit for my setup and a pressure that I likely wouldn't run again, even though it worked well in those conditions. The risk of losing a bead at 10psi on my setup is higher than I am comfortable with. You can really see the sidewall deflection in the photo. The photo is of my Defender, but the same concept applies to any vehicle.
In my 4Runner on 285/75/16 All terrains, I would run as low as 7-8psi in the snow but was more comfortable around 12psi. In the summer I would rarely drop below 15psi. A lot of this has to do with the types of driving I was doing. Here in New Hampshire, there is generally paved road time in between trails. I didn't want to air up and down all day so 15psi was a good middle ground for this type of driving. In the Defender above I was off-road 100% of the time, so 10psi worked well for that specific application. The 4Runner is a lighter vehicle and could probably have gone lower than I pushed it, but it is always a balance.
Last edited:
bonomonster
Adventurer
There is no set in stone pressure. It depends on your tire/wheel combo, vehicle weight, driving style, and what your going thru (mud, rock, sand). I drive an FJ Cruiser with 285-70-17 (33'') ******** Cepek FC2. I drop down to about 10psi for almost everything. If I was on stock tires I wouldn't go below 15psi due to weak sidewalls. I'm also not a huge wheel spin person (love A-Trac). If I was, I would run a slightly higher pressure. I hope this helps.
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1911
Expedition Leader
+1.
I can go below 10 psi on either my Land Cruiser or my FJC and never roll a bead, but it depends too much on your tires, your wheels, your vehicle weight, etc. to make a generalized rule of thumb.
Having said that, I will air down in a couple of stages at least - 20-25 psi if I'm on a dirt road but want to be able to drive on pavement again without airing back up, 15-20 psi for extended drive on dirt roads, and less than 15 for the best traction off-road on slow technical stuff. If I'm still slipping on rocks then I'll keep going down to 8-9 psi.
iRunUphill
New member
Wow guys, awesome responses, thanks so much. Ive got an 09 DCLB Tacoma. I will put some aftermarket alloys on there in the spring and probably run an AT tire like Cooper Discoverer AT3s or maybe step up to a full offroad tire.
Good to know I may be able to get down to 10psi depending on the load. I think even 15psi would be great for where Ill be running.
Thanks,
Steve
Good to know I may be able to get down to 10psi depending on the load. I think even 15psi would be great for where Ill be running.
Thanks,
Steve
Usually with my Tacoma DCLB I air down to 15psi. Keep in mind my truck is fairly heavy. ( Plate bumpers F & R, Sliders,Full Skids,Gear,etc ) I've had good experiences at this PSI,on slow off road rock crawling & sand dunes. Haven't gone below as with all the weight I'd be worried about rolling a sidewall. I'm on ProComp Xtreme M/T's and they have taken some harsh damage and held up well. If you could I'd get the full offroad tire, I had A/Ts prior and they didn't compare.
Here's a picture of my rig, you can see the front tire conforming to the rock:
Good posts. Wheel width is going to play a decent role, since you said you got aftermarket wheels.
As an example, I wheeled once with a guy with 35x12.50's on 15x10 rims, and I had 35x12.5's on a 15x7 rim, and I could go much lower than he and not lose a bead, and he was losing them occasionally, same trails, and virtually the same truck (first gen 4runners, though there was likely some difference in weight).
In snow, I like to run as close to 5 as I can go on 265/75's, but won't dare go below 12 on dirt. Not saying that will be the same for anyone else, but just a reference point for a 3rd gen 4runner.
As an example, I wheeled once with a guy with 35x12.50's on 15x10 rims, and I had 35x12.5's on a 15x7 rim, and I could go much lower than he and not lose a bead, and he was losing them occasionally, same trails, and virtually the same truck (first gen 4runners, though there was likely some difference in weight).
In snow, I like to run as close to 5 as I can go on 265/75's, but won't dare go below 12 on dirt. Not saying that will be the same for anyone else, but just a reference point for a 3rd gen 4runner.
