Minimum tire pressure for off-roading

been to this places
https://www.barnwellmountainra.com/= 20psi
https://hotspringsoffroadpark.com/ =18psi
http://www.cityofbridgeport.net/322/Northwest-OHV-Park -20 psi
https://www.hiddenfallsadventurepark.com/ 18psi
Big Bend 25 PSI
tires 285/75/17 Mickey Thompson
wheels 17x9 classic baja look -12,back space 4.5 mickey thompson

 

I like my E tires when towing. Stiffer sidewall is more stable. That said - if I could have gotten a D in 235/85 16 Falkens I might have gone that way. Wanted that tire size.

 

Meh, I have C's on my 4Runner towing my ~4000# travel trailer. Seems perfectly stable. Just run the proper PSI.

But my overall point was that even C rated tires are capable of more weight than the GVWR of the vehicle itself, so it still doesn't allow to carry more weight (i.e. exceed the GVWR)

 

Take a can of hair spray.

 

"These pesky kids learning how to safely off road from the comfort of their home. Back in my day, you had to risk life and limb because not even the people you knew would give you advice!"

I can't believe any of you guys survived but I'm glad you did. The stories are incredible.

 

Very true.

 

I dunno man, seems like you're the one who should eat crow in that situation.

You had an opportunity to go out with a novice and impart your wealth of knowledge on him to make him a better and safer driver. But you would only bestow the honor of being allowed to drive with you once he's magically gained enough experience and knowledge.

And he paid a price for that.

 

Maybe I'm doing it wrong, I run as low as 10 and as high as 15 on 265/75/16 KO2's with stock TRDOR wheels. Never had an issue

 

No, that's right... These yokels running 20+ psi are missing out.

 

Yeah i run it pretty low compared to most of what i read on here. I was watching a video of an aussie dude and he went down to 4 psi before he popped off the bead.
For my c load duratrac 265’s 18 psi has been good for running general forest roads, i’ll keep it higher for long stretches of gravel at about 23 psi. 12 psi in soft sand

edit: old boss at the Forest Service refused to deflate at all and he blew 3 tires in 1 season

 

It's not "wrong" if you get sufficient traction for the trails you run and you aren't constantly popping beads. Anything in between is just driver preference.

That said, those folks running 20+ are probably afraid to go lower for no good reason. But if I were running 18+'s with small tires, I'd definitely be hesitant to run under 20psi, too.

 

I was in Moab with a guy who talked a big game, but ended up not knowing much at all.
-He air down from 45psi to 25psi in his Jeep JK. While the rest of us were at 12 and trying to convince him he should go lower.

We still tell stories about that guy. This was one of many things... like when he tripped walking towards one of the many cliff overlooks.

 

I only do 20 because my compressor is crap lol.

But on standard load I keep it higher to prevent sidewall damage. That's the original post at least

 

Let's hear some stories!

 

There's always "that guy"

 

I’ve always been told without beadlocks 12-15 is as low as youd really want to be, but there are so many factors to consider

 

I go down to 15 psi in rocky bumpy stuff. rides so nice... For mostly dirt trails that aren't super rocky 20 psi works just fine.

 

Late to the party here, but here's a video from Austrailia where dude does some actual testing. Pretty informative if you want some info beyond the usual collection of random internet forum opinions.

I think he finally ends up rolling a bead doing cookies in the sand at 6psi. He also shows you how to reset a bead using some creative thinking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oKMD8iuAJY

From personal experience, 12-15 psi is about as low as I need to go on deep & hilly beach sand dunes when I'm out surf fishing here in Oregon. As alot of people have mentioned already, 20-25 psi is safe bet in most situations, especially on trails, with 25psi being easier to inflate back up.

 

i went down to 10 once getting a buddy out of a messy snowy situation it worked well. 12-13 is my go to for wheelin. once you hit 20 and under your tires really start performing seems like. I'd go lower if i had some bead grips... those things are rad!