I have Goodyear Wrangler Kevlar tires on my F150. They normally run at 38psi. I also live in central Florida, a part of the world made largely out of very fine sugar sand, that will sink a 4wd truck to its axles if you aren't paying attention, stop, start abruptly, or turn too hard.

How much can I safely air these tires down so I get more float in the soft stuff? I would air back up before hitting the road, but it would be good to know what latitude I have with these tires.

Goodyear was absolutely useless as I got a lawyer's answer from them. "The manufacturer of the truck has determined the recommended tire pressure for safe operation." Or some such bullshit.

Yes, I get that. But you manufactured the off road, or at least multi use tires on the truck. It is common practice to air down in sand. You should know how much the tire sidewalls and beading will stand. In fact, the OBX area website recommends 20-25 psi, and suggests you might have to go lower in some conditions. How is it that the damned manufacturer doesn't have guidelines for this?

Any ideas on what is reasonable for these tires?

Thanks all.

A

What size and load range (assuming they are LT tires) are your tires? What does your truck weigh?

ArtieS as someone who drive in the deep soft sand of the Outer Banks in NC somewhat regularly the answer is...It depends.

As a general rule of thumb you should easily be able to lower it to 20-25 psi without issue. If you find yourself getting stuck, stop immediately and lower to 18psi.

I assume that you have it in 4x4 and depending on the circumstances you may even wish to put it into 4WD Low if you find your transmission getting too warm.

Of course you should be driving slow...maybe 20 mph or less and air up as soon as you can once you get back on pavement but I have been known to leave the tires aired down all week when on vacation at the beach...

Edit to add that I saw where you referenced driving at OBX so I'm just reinforcing the comments you made....

I air my Jeep down to 10 when off road and traction gets questionable. I feel like I could go considerably lower as well if I were to get really stuck, but 10 has done me well without pushing the envelope.

Running the beaches of the Wilmington area I have an times reduced the pressure to 14 PSI but conditions usually don't required such a reduction, most of the time 18-24 PSI will work. Never drive on the pavement at these pressures, air up just before leaving the beach area using a pressurized tank or on board compressor. This is a 4000# all wheel drive vehicle for reference.

Could you please be more specific in your thread title.

Only deal with mud here, not sand, but roughly 50% or until I can easily notice visually the low condition.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
Could you please be more specific in your thread title.

Done.

As for the vehicle, it is a Ford F 150, 4x4, rear locker, traction control OFF, approx 5k lbs. with my ass in it. Tires are 275/65R18 LT C rated.

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
I air my Jeep down to 10 when off road and traction gets questionable. I feel like I could go considerably lower as well if I were to get really stuck, but 10 has done me well without pushing the envelope.

What wheel and tire?

10 without beadlocks seems like a scary thought to me. But my Expedition is a wee bit heavier than a Jeep.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:
Could you please be more specific in your thread title.

Done.

As for the vehicle, it is a Ford F 150, 4x4, rear locker, traction control OFF, approx 5k lbs. with my ass in it. Tires are 275/65R18 LT C rated.

What year and what locker?

2018 with the factory locker as part of the FX4 package.

I don't have beadlocks so I air down to 15 PSI for offroading.

Carry a shovel and get some recovery boards. I have these from X-Bull.

Edited to add these two tire items for deflating and inflating tires.

Staun Tire Deflators: you can dial these in for your set pressure and it makes deflating simple and fast. They are pricey but quality costs.

Viair portable compressor: this model has a continuous duty cycle so I don't have to wait and let it cool between reinflating tires.

Thanks very much, all.

A

I seem to remember running 12 to 14 pounds in my dads truck when we went to Pismo dunes.

He drove gently and not crazy. If you drive crazy, I would bump that up to 18 pounds or so.

I used to stick my head out the window and watch the tires flex. Pretty cool to see them bend and flex and just crawl right over things.

The real question for newer trucks is are you running 20" (or something bigger) wheels. The older arrangements with less rim and more tire allow for running less air pressure than the bigger wheels with less rubber. If 16" wheels or smaller you can take it on down to 18 with no problem, and lower WHEN NECESSARY. I run 18" rims and don't take it below 20 psi, except for emergencies. Don't accept someone else's answer to your question without knowing what rim size they are running, that's what makes all the difference.

quote:

Done.

As for the vehicle, it is a Ford F 150, 4x4, rear locker, traction control OFF, approx 5k lbs. with my ass in it. Tires are 275/65R18 LT C rated.

I have a 2015 with the same locker, tires, etc. I drive on a Rhode Island beach that I have a pass for all the time. My truck does best in the 18-20 psi range. It is imperative that you turn the traction control feature off. I have smelled a few F-150s out there!

When I lived in Cape Hatteras we learned from the locals that 15psi was the lowest you could go w/o beadlockers.....

I wouldn't go lower than 15, I think 18 will work. I run 15 when crawling around, in deep sand I go to 12. I have D rated tires on my Wrangler, a little stiffer, probably less likely to break a bead at low pressure.

.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
I air my Jeep down to 10 when off road and traction gets questionable. I feel like I could go considerably lower as well if I were to get really stuck, but 10 has done me well without pushing the envelope.

What wheel and tire?

10 without beadlocks seems like a scary thought to me. But my Expedition is a wee bit heavier than a Jeep.

15x8 wheels wearing 31x10.5r15 Duratracs. I really feel like I could safely go down a few more PSI with no issues. I'm not afraid of the skinny pedal.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
I air my Jeep down to 10 when off road and traction gets questionable. I feel like I could go considerably lower as well if I were to get really stuck, but 10 has done me well without pushing the envelope.

What wheel and tire?

10 without beadlocks seems like a scary thought to me. But my Expedition is a wee bit heavier than a Jeep.

What’s a beadlock?