Tire Pressure
Tire Pressure
Understand Tire Pressures For Your On & Off-Road Driving Situations
OVER INFLATION
Too much air in the tire, resulting in premature wear in the center of the tread.
AIR PRESSURE
The amount of air inside the tire pressing outward on each square inch of tire, which is expressed in pounds per square inch (psi) or kiloPascals (kPa), the metric designation for air pressure. Airtight Synthetic Rubber.
Formulated with virtually impermeable butyl rubber, this material replaces the inner tube in modern, tubeless tires. Check you air pressure monthly, as some air loss occurs over time.
COLD INFLATION PRESSURE
The amount of air pressure in a tire, measured in pounds per square inch (psi) before a tire has built up heat from driving.
INFLATION
The act of putting air into tires.
KILOPASCAL (KPA)
The metric unit for air pressure. One psi is equal to 6.9 kPa.
MAXIMUM INFLATION PRESSURE
The maximum air pressure to which a cold tire may be inflated; can be found molded onto the sidewall.
PSI
Abbreviation for pounds per square inch, which is the automotive industry's measurement of the pressure in a tire.
UNDER INFLATION
Operating a tire without sufficient air pressure to support the weight of the vehicle with occupants and additional load; could cause failure of the tire when heat is generated inside the tire to the point of degeneration of components.
In regards to Off-road Tire pressures and preserving tire life, it's key to remember two points below:
- heat (caused by over-flexing/overload) is the greatest enemy of a tire
- It's air in the tire that carries the load, not the tire itself
To avoid excessive heat build-up caused by over flexing, ensure there is sufficient air pressure in the tire to carry the load.
In most conditions your vehicle can be driven off-road at the same tire pressure as on sealed roads. However, in low traction conditions (ie. Sand), it can be beneficial to slightly reduce tire pressures to achieve better grip. Lowering inflation pressures for improved floatation are only adequate if the tire maintains sufficient load carrying capacity.
Please note that tire load, speed and pressures are all interrelated. If you want to reduce your pressure whilst maintaining your load, you must reduce your speed. Reducing your pressure without reducing Load or Speed will lead to excessive heat build-up in the tire.
Pressures lower than 20psi may be used off-road provided speeds are reduced to 25kph or less, when the tire has adequate load-carrying capacity.
Always remember to reinflate your tires to correct pressure immediately upon returning to sealed roads. Failure to reinflate tires for highway use will seriously affect vehicle handling and possibly result in tire failure.
*Please note: the technical advice given by us is only a recommendation based on the information provided by you. BFGoodrich is not responsible or liable for any damage due to utilisation based on our technical advice.
WHAT TIRE PRESSURE SHOULD I INFLATE MY TIRES TO?
The vehicle manufacturer selects the size and type of tires for their vehicles. They perform the necessary testing to establish the vehicles' optimised operating tire inflation pressures which can be found on the vehicle placard (located on the inside of the driver's door) and in the vehicle owners' manual. If the tires on your vehicle are the same size as the original equipment tire, inflate them to the pressures indicated on the placard.
If the size of the tires is different than the size indicated on the placard, please contact your closest authorised BFGoodrich dealer for a pressure recommendation.