Air Pressure Question

[hogster3]

I have a 2000 silverado 1500 4X4 extended cab short bed. I have just replaced the tires with LT265/75-16. The originals were the p series.
My question is "What air pressure should I run in them?"
I don't tow or carry heavy loads, it is mostly highway miles, 50 per day.
The door sticker reads 35psi, but that is for P series. These are Michelin 6-Ply.
I was thinking of putting 50psi in them because of the 6 ply.
Would this be too much air, or should I stick with 35? I purchased the tires on line and had them installed locally, the installer wasn't of much help, he didn't want to commit to a answer.At 35 they look kind of low.
I would like a answer from someone who has experience and mileage of use at these pressures.

thanks alotopcorn:

[gremlin96]

i would try 40 then 45 and see ware you get the best gas milage. 50 is way to high. i have never seen a tire psi go over 45. aslo since your a high milage driver keep a check on how thay ware. to high it will ware in the middle to low and it will ware on the out sides.

when i was doing my 100 mile round trips with the truck i would check gas milage and pressure every week to see ware the best mpg ended up.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by hogster3

I have a 2000 silverado 1500 4X4 extended cab short bed. I have just replaced the tires with LT265/75-16. The originals were the p series.
My question is "What air pressure should I run in them?"
I don't tow or carry heavy loads, it is mostly highway miles, 50 per day.
The door sticker reads 35psi, but that is for P series. These are Michelin 6-Ply.
I was thinking of putting 50psi in them because of the 6 ply.
Would this be too much air, or should I stick with 35? I purchased the tires on line and had them installed locally, the installer wasn't of much help, he didn't want to commit to a answer.At 35 they look kind of low.
I would like a answer from someone who has experience and mileage of use at these pressures.

thanks alotopcorn:

I have the same vehicle and tire sizes as you... i have firestone steeltex tires... got these tires april 2000 original they lasted 92,000mi. rotate every 13,000mi. front pressures 50psi , rear pressures no load in rear 43psi.... because of this unbelieveable life i repurchased the same tires to replace the originals....i could have gone longer on originals but the side walls where cracking, i still had 30%o of tread left....i rotated as owner book suggested X pattern.........if you put too much air in rear on bumpy road ABS will prevent stopping.......

[J-Ri]

It depends on the width of the rim. A narrow rim will cause faster wear in the center of the tread, a wide rim will cause wear on the outside. This is assuming the same pressure on both rims.

I would start out at the maximum pressure, it's stamped on the sidewall. If they wear even, leave them there. If they wear more on the inside, decrease the pressure until you reach 35 PSI. I have two sets of tires for my truck, both of which I run at the maximum pressure 35 PSI for BFG Mud Terrains and 80 PSI for BFG Commercial Traction T/As. The higher the PSI, the better the gas mileage.

[hogster3]

Originally Posted by J-Ri

It depends on the width of the rim. A narrow rim will cause faster wear in the center of the tread, a wide rim will cause wear on the outside. This is assuming the same pressure on both rims.

I would start out at the maximum pressure, it's stamped on the sidewall. If they wear even, leave them there. If they wear more on the inside, decrease the pressure until you reach 35 PSI. I have two sets of tires for my truck, both of which I run at the maximum pressure 35 PSI for BFG Mud Terrains and 80 PSI for BFG Commercial Traction T/As. The higher the PSI, the better the gas mileage.

Thanks for the tips. I think I am going with 45 all the way around, i have 50 in them now and they look too much like they are going to wear on the centers.
I was waiting for some more responses before i make a decision. I didn't want to take just one opinion.

[SLJ2137694]

The tire pressure spec that is on the sidewall of a tire is the maximum pressure the tire is designed to be inflated to when it is loaded to the maximum weight also shown on the sidewall. I don't know where the "EXPERTS" get the idea that you should run the tire at that pressure for normal driving. A search on the internet will give you the information you need regarding these specifications.

[chuck16]

I have LT tires on my truck and run them at around 42-44 PSI all year long. Pretty even tire wear..

[rockwood84]

45 pounds should make them wear and ride good.

[J-Ri]

Originally Posted by SLJ2137694

The tire pressure spec that is on the sidewall of a tire is the maximum pressure the tire is designed to be inflated to when it is loaded to the maximum weight also shown on the sidewall. I don't know where the "EXPERTS" get the idea that you should run the tire at that pressure for normal driving. A search on the internet will give you the information you need regarding these specifications.

Assuming that the maximum pressure doesn't cause abnormal wear on a particular rim (or if a slightly stiffer ride is a concern), there is no reason to not keep them inflated to the maximum pressure. There is less sidewall flex on turns (better handling and less shoulder wear) when the tire is inflated more. Having more air in the tire makes a HUGE difference in rolling resistance (less=better gas mileage). The only downside I can think of is that over inflated (but I wasn't saying to over inflate) tires are more prone to damage from a curb, pothole, etc. but steer away from those things and you'll be fine.

Why should a tire not be inflated to the maximum?