How vital is it to air down?

In the sand?

 

try it out and see for yourself. 5 or 10 lbs down would be ok. I usually start at 5 and go from there

 

If I were 2wd, I'd probably do it religiously, but seeing as I've never owned a 2WD truck, I've never done it and never had a traction issue in 4wd

 

I didn't air down and once I hit that loose sand I knew I was screwed and I was.

 

I'm guessing you're a Prerunner then?

 

Yes.

 

I will never buy another 4x2 in my life!

 

Thats why I've never bought one in the first place

 

my 2wd kicked some ass this weekend.... i was pretty surprised with the stuff that i overcame, as were most of the 4x4s that i was riding with... did get stuck on a small incline in slippery mud, not thick and the incline was low, stock radials let me down there, but i got up some steep creek beds... great time
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/off-roading-trails/44137-shoe-creek-va-run-pictures.html

 

Did you air down?

 

no air down

 

4X4 or 4X2 it's always good to air down...you will get better traction and a more smoother ride on the trails. Now unless you like bone Jarring, teeth rattling rides then don't air down at all.

But if you want a smooth ride out on the trials, or be able to climb over rocks, and have better traction in the sand...it's rule number 1.

 

I got a 4x4 and the first time I went to the dunes, I didn't air down, as soon I left the pavement, started losing traction but the truck moved on, then hit a soft patch and sunk in. I tried rocking the truck forward and reverse but only sank deeper, before the diffs touched the sand I remembered to air down and viola, a couple of forward and reverse and I was running again in seconds.
I just dropped from 30psi to 20psi and made a whole lot of difference.
Now every time I go off the pavement I air down to 20psi no matter the conditions.
Also I got a MV30 for $35.00 at pepboys and air up after the trails.

For me now is SOP to air down whenever I go off road

 

any off road condition shouldbe aired down.. this should havebeen a poll, do you air down or do you get stuck. u may not gewt stuck by not airing down, but then again even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

I don't air down until I have to.

I run normal on-road pressure whereever I go, but if I get in a sticky situation, I'll air down then. It's sorta a backup when you get stuck without airing down, you have an "evacuation" plan, which is to air down. When you already air down, there is no plan. You're completely stuck then.

 

Yup yup, I've seen 2x4's aired down tackle trails in Moab that Jeeps couldn't do aired up (silly jeepsters). This is probably one of the best "free" features you can to do assist you in traction and off road, now you just gotta get a compressor to air up for the highway ride back home so maybe it's not so free after all...

Rob

 

I always air down to usually 15psi

no way i would run 30-40 off road (I don't mean dirt roads though)

 

2x4 here. I air the rear down to 16-18 PSI and leave the front at 32.

It makes all the difference in the world.

 

why didn't you air down the front tires?

(i am completely acting like a sarcastic noob )

 

I'm wondering the same thing, the effects are only half felt if the fronts are full, plus it make the approach much harder without the "give" of the front tires "biting", but we each have our own ways, I'm curious as to this method too.

Rob