What do you air down to?

[TheGreyhound]

Trying to get a feel for what kind of numbers I should target for more comfortable off road exploring....

I’m in a AWD Honda Element on 235/70r16 hankook dynapro at2.... great mannered tire on road, didn’t take much of a mpg hit at all from stock 215/70on road tires.....

I’ve been running about 36 on highway... what should I air down to to get a better ride on our rocky forest roads here in WA? Lots of sharp volcanic rock and granite... trying to avoid a puncture at all costs really, though I did buy a compressor and plug kit!

im thinking.... 25? 20 even? What do you guys run?

 

[Brett L.]

18 psi give or take since that's what my Stauns came set at.

 

[California Overland]

Trying to get a feel for what kind of numbers I should target for more comfortable off road exploring....

I’m in a AWD Honda Element on 235/70r16 hankook dynapro at2.... great mannered tire on road, didn’t take much of a mpg hit at all from stock 215/70on road tires.....

I’ve been running about 36 on highway... what should I air down to to get a better ride on our rocky forest roads here in WA? Lots of sharp volcanic rock and granite... trying to avoid a puncture at all costs really, though I did buy a compressor and plug kit!

im thinking.... 25? 20 even? What do you guys run?

Personally I run 35-40 on freeway. 25ish on mountain roads and mild off road. 18psi on sand.

 

[TheGreyhound]

Personally I run 35-40 on freeway. 25ish on mountain roads and mild off road. 18psi on sand.

thanks for the videos! Seems like a good ballpark

 

[Louiston]

You'll have a far less chance of a puncture when aired down versus maintaining road pressures. This is assuming the given tire is made for off road use (a good strong sidewall).

On my KO2's, I run 36 psi going down the road and typically drop to 18 psi on loose and/or rocky stuff. Even lower when in sand.

 

[TheGreyhound]

You'll have a far less chance of a puncture when aired down versus maintaining road pressures. This is assuming the given tire is made for off road use (a good strong sidewall).

On my KO2's, I run 36 psi going down the road and typically drop to 18 psi on loose and/or rocky stuff. Even lower when in sand.

The hankook AT2 is marketed as their all terrain tire so I reckon it's better than a street tire in the durability department... At least I should hope!

 

[TheGreyhound]

Also gave this compressor a quick test run in the parking lot and I gotta say, it worked great. Pretty quick to go from 22psi to 38! Quiet too.

 

[Dilldog]

On my Escape I usually drop down to 20psi, I run 30 on the pavement (245/70r16, 3500ish pounds curb weight and I'm running Mastercraft Courser STRs). Honestly airing down is largely subjective, just play around a little and see what you like best. Just keep the spare aired up in case you go too low.

 

[Trail_pilot]

On my Jeep I run 28 on road and 6-8 offroad. That being said without beadlocks I usually don't recommend going believe 13-15. I have never had an issue yet (knock on wood) but if I did I always carry a full size spare and know how to remount tires with a hi-lift, compressor and rope lol

 

[rgallant]

Pacific Northwest 20 should be good, but your tire and vehicle weight play into that. On my Discovery II at 5500lbs (loaded), with Cooper St Maxx barely bulge at 20 psi, down from 38. Different tires will flex better or worse.

The puncture kit is nice, but sidewalls tend to get torn so have a good spare.

 

[TheGreyhound]

Pacific Northwest 20 should be good, but your tire and vehicle weight play into that. On my Discovery II at 5500lbs (loaded), with Cooper St Maxx barely bulge at 20 psi, down from 38. Different tires will flex better or worse.

The puncture kit is nice, but sidewalls tend to get torn so have a good spare.

Yeah unfortunately a full-size spare doesn't fit until I get one of those Wilco hitchgates or something..... It's definitely on my mind.

 

[BCMoto]

Ive been airing down to 20psi coming off the pavement and usually overnight they drop down to 17 by the next morning

 

[yeos]

I live in WA and 18-20 PSI has been the sweet spot for me without having to worry about rolling off the bead or sidewall punctures. This is with a heavily loaded Tacoma and moderately loaded GX470.

 

[TheGreyhound]

I live in WA and 18-20 PSI has been the sweet spot for me without having to worry about rolling off the bead or sidewall punctures. This is with a heavily loaded Tacoma and moderately loaded GX470.

Good reference. You know the kinds of rocks I'm talking about!

 

[slomatt]

Ultimately it depends on the weight of your truck, side wall height, and sidewall strength.

With the 265/75R16s Bighorns on my 4Runner 18psi works well.
With the 265/70R17s KO2 on my Tacoma 18psi is too low and 20-22psi works better.

I recommend not going below ~15psi unless you have beadlocks or a compressor and knowledge of how to re-seat a bead.