I have heard conflicting answers to what presure to run on a trailer.

I have 34X9.5 TSL in my trailer. It's less that 500lbs
should I run them at street pressure or air them down?

I think airing down is a good thing. but I want to see what others say before I say why..

air them down to what

air them down and it will roll through the rocks easier and bounce less.

Originally posted by bad booger
air them down to what


Pull the core.. :D unless the load is too great..

Originally posted by Dan-H
air them down and it will roll through the rocks easier and bounce less.


I agree with the bounce less part, but how do you get rolling easier by airing down? we air down for traction, by increasing the contact patch with the ground we create more traction, thus more friction..... for this reason my vote is street pressure, or lowered just enough to take out some of the bounce, but yet keep them rolling easily over the rocks.....


:usa:

I've dragged my modified M416 trailer behind my Cruiser on some pretty gnarly trails and I like to air down the 35x12.5 BFG's I have on it to about 10-12 PSI. I find that because the trailer is light and tall, the aired-down tires give me better sideways traction when the trailer tilts, and I've had the mofo pretty twisted.. On the highway I air it back up to about 20 PSI, mine has pretty flexy worn springs and doesn't bounce much, even when empty (it has a steel lid and a fold-out tent on top of it, though)...

Yellowsub, I had the same thought. That low presure would be harder to pull.

I changed that view when I was doing some work on my rig. The rear tire had a leak and I choked that tire thinking it would hold better. well jacked the other end up and it started rollin. WTF! I lowered the floor jack and saw that the chok was under the tire.


lower pressure is better for rocks. as it doesn't have to lift over, it just molds around it.

Originally posted by kodak
lower pressure is better for rocks. as it doesn't have to lift over, it just molds around it.

exactly.

but dan, with all the crap you carry in your 500 lb trailer you might want to run maybe 3 or 4 PSI

you gonna get my old wheels hung up on gatekey again dan, and bust your r&p. Your 44 isn't invinciable! Oh yeah, my vote, like it matters is for like 12psi.
-Nate

Originally posted by kodak
lower pressure is better for rocks. as it doesn't have to lift over, it just molds around it.

I agree with the "molding around it part" for the smaller rocks, but what about the larger ones, like larger than the size of the side wall of the tire? I sure know its easier to pull a car up a curb that has air in the tires, not one thats "aired down"....


:usa:

I'd go for around 8 psi with that tire. On my dual axle trailer I lower them to 13 psi with a 28" tire. Any lower and if you turn hard the beads break off which results in an instant suck situation especially in sand.

Jason :)