Sky Miner wrote:Bumping an old one
i know this has been talked about.....somewhere here but buggered if i can find it
Having a bit of an argument on another forum bout tire pressure's weather to inflate V deflate on rocky ground
The point being made is a softer tire will give you better grip and a softer ride but allso you run the risk of spinning
your rim and breaking the bead
(just for argument sake a 33") but my point is it exposes your
sidewall to more damage, inhence i personaly like to run mine at highway pressure's (35/40) to minimise sidewall
damage but then the other side of the argument is tire tread (lugs) are "ripped" off due to a higher/harder tire pressure
+ a harder ride, tread damage i can live with' sidewall damage is certainly the end of the tire.
What are people's experence's/views on this.
I think it was in Motoz's trip report of his south oz adventure....where a property owner laughed at them for lowering pressures
Lower your pressures....DEFINITELY!!! I add a little disclaimer and say it would depend on the circumstances though, only you the driver, can judge the situation.
Generally speaking though, anytime you are going to engage low range on a track, tyre pressures also lowered to suit.
In all the sharp rocky tracks we have done down here, Wheeny Ck, Lake Lyell etc (anyone who has done lake lyell can attest to how sharp some of the shale type rock is out there) we have only seen one sidewall damged by a rock, and that was one of my Mickey T ATZ's.......the rock cut an L-shape cut in the sidewall.....I would like to think it wouldnt of mattered what pressure i was running that day.
Forgetting damage to tyres and comfort inside the vehicle for a minute........The biggest thing to remember is track damage by runnning highway pressures. You cant tell me you have never spun wheels trying to climb a loose rocky track with full tyre pressure.....because i have seen many people who have tried, then literally walked up the same section with lowered pressures
But its a lot easier to drive the track and better on the the vehicle also to attempt it with lower pressures. You can try it for yourself if you like
Do a run with full pressure and then the same run at half that pressure.
Is your only reason for running highway pressure out on the tracks the fear of staking a sidewall?? I actually cant think of a single offroad situation where i would prefer to have higher pressures compared to 18psi.......rocks, sand, mud, slippery clay, ruts.......you will benefit in all those situations. I would say if you are going to stake a sidewall on a tyre.....it will happen regardless of pressure, thats just bad luck. Running a good quality LT tyre with 3 ply sidewall will help minimise any damage