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  1. #1
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    Truck Tire PSI For Towing?

    Hi Guys,

    What PSI should you be running in your truck tires while towing? My tires are rated to 51 PSI, while the sticker inside my Tundra calls for 30 PSI Front and 33 PSI Rear. I normally run about 45 PSI and haven't had any issues, but I'm getting ready for a trip where I'll be towing about 6 hours and figured this was a great time to ask!

  2. Member gdi's Avatar
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    #2
    I run mine at 40 psi on long trips but I'm loaded with all the rest of the stuff for the trip. Other than that local I run 38

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    #3
    Is there a reason you think the engineers at Toyota don't know what they are talking about? Those numbers are for max weight the truck is certified for. Try running the tires per Toyota and you might be pleasantly surprised.

  4. Member 06 SB's Avatar
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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by gehol View Post
    Is there a reason you think the engineers at Toyota don't know what they are talking about? Those numbers are for max weight the truck is certified for. Try running the tires per Toyota and you might be pleasantly surprised.
    I always have a question about this point. My Tundra originally came with Michelin LTX A/T2 P rated tires with a max PSI of 51. I tow a lot and live in the country and am planning on putting Michelin Defender LTX M/S LT tires on this fall. These have a max PSI of 80. How can Toyota say that 30 & 33 are right for this tire? I am not trying to argue that Toyota is wrong. I just do not know!

    What I have done my entire life of 40 years of driving is inflate to 90% of the max PSI rating on the tire. All my tires last a long time, get well beyond the warranty mileage and never had a failure that was not caused by road debris. I rotate every 10000 miles and get very normal tire wear. It was what my father told me to do when I bought my first truck. He was a trucker and I assumed he had the experience to know.
    Last edited by 06 SB; 04-27-2021 at 08:36 AM.

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  5. Member gdi's Avatar
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    #5
    The max psi is for full load on tires. PSI rated by car brand is for comfort.

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    #6
    Holy cow. The tongue weight of your boat should only be a couple hundred pounds max. Why would you inflate to max pressure for that? Talk about a harsh ride, wow.

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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by gehol View Post
    Is there a reason you think the engineers at Toyota don't know what they are talking about? Those numbers are for max weight the truck is certified for. Try running the tires per Toyota and you might be pleasantly surprised.

    Maybe I’m wrong but I think I’d rather go with the engineers that design the tires than the truck manufacturer engineers. The vehicle manufacturer base those numbers on the stock tires that come on the vehicle and couldn’t possibly know what tires are on every vehicle out there and make a blanket statement about what PSI to run in them
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  8. Member 06 SB's Avatar
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by BarryFL View Post
    Holy cow. The tongue weight of your boat should only be a couple hundred pounds max. Why would you inflate to max pressure for that? Talk about a harsh ride, wow.
    If that is directed at me, my Tundra rides great. My tires have 45psi in them right now. Also, if I am towing my boat, I carry tools, spare gear, jack, and many others heavy items in the bed of my truck. If I am going out locally, I have a 3 min ride to the ramp so even an F350 would ride fine.

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  9. Member
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by 06 SB View Post
    I tow a lot and live in the country and am planning on putting Michelin Defender LTX M/S LT tires on this fall. These have a max PSI of 80. How can Toyota say that 30 & 33 are right for this tire?
    Well you are changing to a tire that is not within what was original spec from Toyota. The truck was designed around a P rated tire, that is that Toyota bases what is written on the sticker in the door on. At the end of the day, its going to be up to you to figure out what is correct for whatever tire you have decided to put on....

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    #10
    Depends on what you are towing. I do not want to air up or down every time I switch from boat to travel trailer. 65 in front 70 in rear on a 80 psi max tire , works for me

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    #11
    I've pulled thousands of miles in a week more times than I can count and always run the manufactures suggested pressure. The one time I put E-Load range tires on a 1/2 ton truck (never again) I did the chalk test and ended up with 45 in a tire that would hold darn near double that. I DO max out the air pressure in my boat tires prior to leaving. Trailer tires work harder since there is no suspension.

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    #12
    If you are running stock sized tires you go by what is on the door sticker, not what the tires are rated for. Truck tires are made to work on anything from a small SUV to a HD pickup. You wouldn't run the same PSI in the tires on a Ford Ranger as you would on an F350.

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    #13
    I run Michelin LTX on every truck I’ve had and keep the same pressure towing and not, Bass boast and enclosed trailer. Loads of boat and trailer vary between 3k -7.5k lbs and do not notice a difference.

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    #14
    The max pressure rating for a tire is used when the tire is running the maximum weight it's rated for. For a ten ply (load range E) the rating may be 80# for a 3,200# load. Tailor the air pressure to the load. When I was towing my 9K camper I ran 70 PSI but daily driving 35 PSI. The chalk test showed that was the correct pressure for each circumstance. I'm now over 70,000 miles on this set of tires with even tread wear across the tread.
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    #15
    Towing in summer more air, better mileage. Less air winter, better traction.

  16. Member 61Woody's Avatar
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    #16
    When a tire is made the manufacturer does not know what vehicle it is going on. That tire on a Toyota truck requires 33-35 psi for best all around performance. If it went on a heavier duty truck the manufacturer of that truck may specify a different PSI. Either way no matter what it is on you can not put more than 51PSI in that tire. Myself if I am on a long trip pulling the boat plus camping gear I will up the psi about 10% then lower it when I get back home.
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    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by JimHaney08 View Post
    Hi Guys,

    What PSI should you be running in your truck tires while towing? My tires are rated to 51 PSI, while the sticker inside my Tundra calls for 30 PSI Front and 33 PSI Rear. I normally run about 45 PSI and haven't had any issues, but I'm getting ready for a trip where I'll be towing about 6 hours and figured this was a great time to ask!
    The correct way to determine your tire pressure, would be to take your truck and trailer to the local CAT scale and have it weighed. Then after knowing the axle weights, look up the load chart for your particular tire on your tire manufacturer’s web page, and follow that as a minimum. A little high as long as it is within spec isn’t a bad idea. Doing a chalk test afterwards wouldn’t hurt either.

    I drive a F350 and regularly haul a truck camper and/or tow a couple of different boat/car/equipment trailers. My tires vary from 50-80 psi depending on the load with F range tires.

  18. Member ampdreamer1's Avatar
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    #18
    Such a high psi on those tires. Are you sure they are the same load rating as the original tire. That sounds like an e load rating which your truck is most likely not rated for. Make sure you get the same load rating recommended by the manufacturer. Getting an e rated tire for a truck rated for less will kill your gas mileage and make parts wear quicker.
    Last edited by ampdreamer1; 05-17-2021 at 01:54 PM.

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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by gehol View Post
    Is there a reason you think the engineers at Toyota don't know what they are talking about? Those numbers are for max weight the truck is certified for. Try running the tires per Toyota and you might be pleasantly surprised.
    Actually its their attorneys that give the rating. Many years a go Michelin engineers designed a tire rated at 50psi. Their attorneys would NOT let them put that rating on the tire, so they had to put 35max. My cousin had the tire on his truck and they were not wearing properly. A few phone calls and he was able to talk with the lead engineer. The engineer asked Jim how much air he was running and Jim told him 40psi. The engineer said to put 10 more for 50psi and he told of the story why. Jim's tires straighten out and wore as they should at 50. Attorneys screw everything up.

  20. Member
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    #20
    Tires are not rated to run at a specific pressure. They have a MAXIMUM pressure that corresponds to a maximum load. If you have less than maximum load then less than maximum pressure is called for. Goodyear and others have charts available for pressure verses load.
    Why is this simple concept so hard to understand?

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