2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission tire pressure for BFG A/T 295's. ????

[Smills]

I was wondering what every body running for pressure in there tires. When I had my 265's I ran 60 front 50 rear seemed good but I got new tires and the max pres. on the BFG's is 65 and there load rating is D. It will help alot if I can get your inputs so I can figure this out quicker my front tires are wearing on the outer edges a little bit so I want to beat it before they wear to much.



thanks



shane

 

[Smills]

Ow yeah mostly running empty

 

[jmtandem]

tire pressure

I have 285's and run 65 front, 60 back or 65 back with the camper. They wear just fine with the rear wearing slightly faster than the front tires.

 

[Mactruck]

Because the 295's are a little wider, I run mine at a lower PSI.

I run about 55 psi front. and 50 rear.

Mine have been wearing nice and even at this psi.

 

[DKGross]

There is a formula that was posted earlier

There is a formula that was posted earlier. I tried asking the tire manufacturers about correct tire pressure and the replies stated the vehicle manufacturers know what we should run. Go figure.



Anyway, the formula is simple.



Get max weight the tires will hold and the pressure it will take to support that weight carrying capacity.



Now you need to go to truck scale and get the weight of the front and rear for your rig.



So, let's use an example to show you how to calculate this.



Say your truck weighs 4000 lbs front and 2500 lbs rear. Now lets assume your tires support 3000 lbs at 65 psi.



Take the weight for each end of the truck and divide by the total weight carrying capacity for the number of tires for each end.



The front is simple, 2 tires or 6000 lbs capacity for the front in the example. 4000 divided by 6000 is 67%



For the rear if you have single tires it would be 2500 divided by 6000 is 42%.



If you have a dually it would be 2500 divided by 12000 for 21%.



Now take the max tire pressure of 65 psi multiplied by the percentage for each end and get the approximate tire pressure you should be running.



From the examples...

Front 65 * . 67 = 43. 55 or rounded to 45 psi.

Rear (single tires) 65 * . 42 = 27. 3 or rounded to 30 psi



Then drive it and see. Of course if you tow or carry a load then up the tire pressure in the rear.



I just got some 265 10ply and use 60 front and 50 rear and the tires seem just about right.



One other thing to add to this is feel the tires after you have driven a few miles with your hand. If the tire feels the same temperature across the width of the tire, you are good if it is warmer in the center too much pressure and if it warmer on the sides too little pressure. And this helps once you have a start point on the tire pressure.



Hope this helps.

 

[duaneparks]

There's an easier way I've found. It involves chalk...



All you do is make a chalk mark across the tread from one shoulder to the other in a straight line. Get in your truck and drive it 2 or 3 tire revolutions and then check the chalk line.



If it's worn in the middle more than on the outsides... too much air pressure, let some out, rechalk the line and repeat.



If it's worn on the outsides more than the middle... too little air pressure, add some air, rechalk the line and repeat.



Do this until the chalk mark wears evenly across the tread. The reasoning behind this is that your vehicle and everything in it, including yourself, will weigh different than mine, so my air pressure preferences may not suit your truck.



HTH.



Duane

 

[Smills]

Well thanks for the info I think Ill try the feel the tire for heat and the chalk method seems easy enough.



shane

 

[HC]

If you're already noting wear on the outside, and if by "outside" you mean both outside edges on the same tire, not just left side of the left tire, then that is a classic "underinflation" pattern. The chalk method sounds like just the ticket - compensates for all the variables like your truck weight, your pressure gage inaccuracy, etc.



My only thought is that if you already have a wear pattern, then you may not get the same accuracy of results as using chalk on a newer tire. So if your chalk test says you need to run at 70 psi or something that doesn't make sense, then I would take the data with a grain of salt.

 

[gsbrockman]

I've had great wear with my LT285/75R16 Dueler A/T's on my 2000 RAM 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 at 48 psi front and 43 psi rear. Seems as if the nose-heaviness on these trucks still wear on the outside edge some (fronts of course), but at these pressures on my truck, after rotations, the center wears down with edges (rears) afterwards.

 

[runningbird]

I used the chalk method. I ended up running 45 front,37 rear so far I have 38,000 on my 295 bfg's and there looking good...