Thread: Lowering tyre pressure not the answer?

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

Of those 20 people and their 20 different opinions not one of them will give you this bit of advise.



Slow the hell down.



ID love to have had the cost of the new tyre donated to me every time Ive been hassled for going slowly only to pass the hassler on the side of the track later with them changing a staked tyre. (actually the same could be said for suspension components, loss of vehicle controls, fuel stops)



Slow down, it costs less and is usually quicker at the end of the day.

Pressures down - speed no more than 90km/h has always been my standard practice.

I have been known to go a little quicker, but not sustained and no corners!!!!

In all my years driving central and northern Australian rough, rocky, corrugated roads, I've found higher tyre pressures much more reliable. 35-45psi (depending on load). This coupled with the right tyre choice (best IMO 10ply Bridgestone 661 235/85R16) and correct speed for conditions (usually around 80km/he on corrugated fast dirt, means fewer punctures. I believe Flat vertical sidewalls are always better except in very soft sand. And narrow tyres are better than wide.

I've come across a property owner in the Flinders who told me to put more air in not let it out. I compromised and only let half of what I'd planned to out. He said that sliced sidewalls is a daily occurance with city folk who all let their tyres down on arrival..Many don't listen to him and many leave needing a new tyre or two.

The roads around his property were quite rocky/flinty.

In my experience most stakings are on the exit of corners and usually wind up being a rear or trailer tyre, and typically enter on the shoulder of the tyre.

one of the more educational things you can do is grab a good trusted friend and have them drive your car for you on sealed roads with varying tyre pressures, loads and speeds to see what the tyres are doing and where they are being placed.

With that up your sleeve, watch the way a rally car spits rocks on a grabel road. Then have a look at the underside of a car thats rently been on a gravel road but hasnt been cleaned. Something causes all the little didts in the dust on the underside between the wheels.

unless the road surface wont take the weight of the vehicle a higher pressure is better.

with modern tyres my money is generally on road pressure for anything hardpack when I dont need the extra flex in the sidewall or treadface to keep the contact patch sound. But I also gnerally only hang around the 80kph mark if Im on gravel. Good for fuel, tyres, suspension, fatigue and it helps keep the dust down.

I perhaps should also have said, speed was no higher than 80 at any point and more typically 60 to 70.

On a side trip in just the 110 yesterday afternoon I ran 40 front and 45 back. No punctures but ride much harsher. Had some scrapes on the sidewalls still. Would they have been a puncture at lower pressures? Who knows.

What are your thoughts on the 4 P.S.I. rule?

It seems to work for me.

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

What are your thoughts on the 4 P.S.I. rule?

It seems to work for me.

My thoughts are: "What is the 4psi rule?"

4psi is to do with heat. To find the optimum tyre pressure by checking the cold pressure versus the run hot pressure. I agree, to an extent, without regard to sand and very difficult off road.


Cheers,