Tire Pressure Too LOW? GY DuraTrac E Load

[ajwhitt44]

UPDATE: All four (4) tires have been re-balanced. Pressure has been set to 44psi. They run perfectly now all throughout the speed range.

Hey guys,

I very recently put a set of 265/70/17 Goodyear DuraTracs on my 17" Method wheels.

I asked the tire guys to inflate them to 35psi all around as I read they could handle that low of a load (they are rated to 80psi).

After driving around for a week they felt kind of stiff in the front, so I checked the pressure and found them to be at 85psi!!!!!! Yikes!! So I immediately lowered them to 40psi all around, but I just want to be sure that's okay.

I've posted some pics. The fronts definitely look a bit deflated, but again I was told it should be okay at 40psi for both driving and even tread wear. Again these are E Load DuraTracs.

Let me know what you think. I've searched and all seems correct, I just need confirmation for my sanity.

ALSO!! My steering vibrates over 70mph. Is that a result of improper tire balancing or is that just the deep tire tread? I like to drive at 75+ on the highway and I can't deal with the shake.

 

[KidVermicious]

40 PSI is fine.

They're an e-rated tire with an aggressive tread. You will get road noise and you will feel them in the steering wheel. If a quiet smooth ride was a priority, e-rated offroad tires probably weren't the best choice for you. You can try playing around with the tire pressure and seeing if you can get an improvement.

 

[cbielat]

I run mine at 42

 

[cbielat]

Give us a full side shot! I want to see the truck.

 

[JDMcQ]

Do the chalk line test.

 

[ajwhitt44]

What about the shaky steering wheel at 70-85mph? Is that normal or is that out of balance?

I'm quite happy with road noise and overall ride quality!!! I just don't like a shaky steering wheel!

 

[acuracing]

I run mine at 44psi. I get a slight shake around 55-65mph. Doesn't happen all the time but it is noticeable when it does occur. Mine are bead balanced as well.

 

[ajwhitt44]

Give us a full side shot! I want to see the truck.

Side shot!

 

[JB.]

After driving around for a week they felt kind of stiff in the front, so I checked the pressure and found them to be at 85psi!!!!!! Yikes!! So I immediately lowered them to 40psi all around, but I just want to be sure that's okay.

35psi minimum. 40 is a good number, imo, and I'd expect better wear patterns there. You can play with pressure to see how it affects the highway buzz.

If you want to nerd out.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/general-discussions/110299-lt-tires-need-more-air-pressure.html

 

[Canazes9]

I run 40 psi in my Mickey Thompson E load MT's on my wife's 5th gen. If you're getting a lot of steering wheel vibration it probably is a balance problem. Toyota's aren't easy to balance, get 'em checked.

David

 

[fourwd1]

Hey guys,

I very recently put a set of 265/70/17 Goodyear DuraTracs on my 17" Method wheels.

I asked the tire guys to inflate them to 35psi all around as I read they could handle that low of a load (they are rated to 80psi).

After driving around for a week they felt kind of stiff in the front, so I checked the pressure and found them to be at 85psi!!!!!!

The 80psi on the sidewall is the maximum pressure they can handle.
If is in no way a suggested operating pressure !

 

[sandcrawler]

Hey guys,

I very recently put a set of 265/70/17 Goodyear DuraTracs on my 17" Method wheels.

I asked the tire guys to inflate them to 35psi all around as I read they could handle that low of a load (they are rated to 80psi).

After driving around for a week they felt kind of stiff in the front, so I checked the pressure and found them to be at 85psi!!!!!! Yikes!! So I immediately lowered them to 40psi all around, but I just want to be sure that's okay.

I've posted some pics. The fronts definitely look a bit deflated, but again I was told it should be okay at 40psi for both driving and even tread wear. Again these are E Load DuraTracs.

Let me know what you think. I've searched and all seems correct, I just need confirmation for my sanity.

ALSO!! My steering vibrates over 70mph. Is that a result of improper tire balancing or is that just the deep tire tread? I like to drive at 75+ on the highway and I can't deal with the shake.

i run that same size E-load Duratrac on my 2010 Trail at 44 psi. have nearly 32k on them and while they're getting louder there has never been any kind of vibration or negative feedback at all. i think you have a bad balance and considering the shop initially inflated them to 85 it's no surprise and you should take it back and have them re-balance them.

i don't think that initial over-inflation did any harm. an initial under-inflation can cause problems, however.

good luck. you'll love those tires once they're set up properly!

 

[nevada]

What about the shaky steering wheel at 70-85mph? Is that normal or is that out of balance?

I'm quite happy with road noise and overall ride quality!!! I just don't like a shaky steering wheel!

thats a balance issue.

and has been said, 40 should be fine. but watch for uneven tread wear, and adjust accordingly.

 

[WXman]

Some misinformation in this thread, so I'll try to clear it up a bit.

First of all, shops will almost always inflate tires to the MAX psi listed on the sidewall. They do this for liability reasons. That way the owner can't take the tires and throw them on a heavy duty truck and then claim they were underinflated if there is a blowout. In your case, knowing they were going on a 4Runner, they should have obliged but looks like they followed protocol and put them at max inflation anyway. This is why owners should always check tire psi regularly. Take ownership, don't assume anybody or any shop is doing it right.

Second, 40 psi is way too high. What you need to do is figure out what the total load capacity of your 4 tires is. Then figure out how much of that you need.

For example (just pulling random numbers here) if your tire says 3,000 lbs. max load at 80 psi, then that means all 4 tires can hold a max of 12,000 lbs. combined. But, your 4Runner only weighs let's say 4,300 lbs. So, you are only using 35% of the tires' load capacity. Which means you only need 35% of the max air pressure.

So, you should run them at 28 psi.

I like the 25-30 psi range generally because it will wear better and ride better. However, if fuel economy is your main concern...going up to 35 is fine.

An "E" rated tire at more than 40 psi on a light duty rig like ours is way too much and will beat your intestines out.

 

[sandcrawler]

Some misinformation in this thread, so I'll try to clear it up a bit.

First of all, shops will almost always inflate tires to the MAX psi listed on the sidewall. They do this for liability reasons. That way the owner can't take the tires and throw them on a heavy duty truck and then claim they were underinflated if there is a blowout. In your case, knowing they were going on a 4Runner, they should have obliged but looks like they followed protocol and put them at max inflation anyway. This is why owners should always check tire psi regularly. Take ownership, don't assume anybody or any shop is doing it right.

Second, 40 psi is way too high. What you need to do is figure out what the total load capacity of your 4 tires is. Then figure out how much of that you need.

For example (just pulling random numbers here) if your tire says 3,000 lbs. max load at 80 psi, then that means all 4 tires can hold a max of 12,000 lbs. combined. But, your 4Runner only weighs let's say 4,300 lbs. So, you are only using 35% of the tires' load capacity. Which means you only need 35% of the max air pressure.

So, you should run them at 28 psi.

I like the 25-30 psi range generally because it will wear better and ride better. However, if fuel economy is your main concern...going up to 35 is fine.

An "E" rated tire at more than 40 psi on a light duty rig like ours is way too much and will beat your intestines out.

wrong.

 

[Skidmarcx]

I usually run 32psi on the street which I feel is a bit high for the vehicle weight, but it offers better MPG ... Pretty easy to monitor tire wear and make adjustments if I feel the need... A lot depends on your tire size since surface area is a big factor.

 

[fourwd1]

" A good shop " is going to inflate them to the pressure stated on the tag on the drivers side door jamb.
Then you can adjust to suit your needs.

But, it doesn't hurt to fill them to the max for the first 20-30 miles or so to make sure the bead seats properly on the rim.

 

[Canazes9]

Some misinformation in this thread, so I'll try to clear it up a bit.

First of all, shops will almost always inflate tires to the MAX psi listed on the sidewall. They do this for liability reasons. That way the owner can't take the tires and throw them on a heavy duty truck and then claim they were underinflated if there is a blowout. In your case, knowing they were going on a 4Runner, they should have obliged but looks like they followed protocol and put them at max inflation anyway. This is why owners should always check tire psi regularly. Take ownership, don't assume anybody or any shop is doing it right.

Second, 40 psi is way too high. What you need to do is figure out what the total load capacity of your 4 tires is. Then figure out how much of that you need.

For example (just pulling random numbers here) if your tire says 3,000 lbs. max load at 80 psi, then that means all 4 tires can hold a max of 12,000 lbs. combined. But, your 4Runner only weighs let's say 4,300 lbs. So, you are only using 35% of the tires' load capacity. Which means you only need 35% of the max air pressure.

So, you should run them at 28 psi.

I like the 25-30 psi range generally because it will wear better and ride better. However, if fuel economy is your main concern...going up to 35 is fine.

An "E" rated tire at more than 40 psi on a light duty rig like ours is way too much and will beat your intestines out.

Talk about misinformation!

OP ignore this!

Here's reading on the subject as previously pasted by [MENTION=2798]JB.[/MENTION]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/general-discussions/110299-lt-tires-need-more-air-pressure.html

David

 

[WXman]

wrong.

Nope.

 

[WXman]

Talk about misinformation!

OP ignore this!

Here's reading on the subject as previously pasted by [MENTION=2798]JB.[/MENTION]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/general-discussions/110299-lt-tires-need-more-air-pressure.html

David

He'll pay attention to it closely if he wants his tires to wear properly and ride closest to stock.

A thicker, heavier constructed tire needs MORE air pressure to carry the same load? Um, no. This doesn't even jive with common sense, much less real world results.

Not many people here run the larger 35x12.50 and up sizes, but go over to a Jeep Wrangler forum and ask what those guys are running their tires at. NONE of them will tell you 40 psi or higher. Almost everyone is running 20-35 psi on the street with larger LT tires.

We have on many occasions seeked help from tire manufacturers and also tire distributors/vendors about the proper pressures to run in larger tires, and NEVER have they told us that a heavier duty tire or larger tire needs MORE air pressure. In fact it's just the opposite...larger tires hold more air. A higher volume of air requires less of it to hold the same load. This is science I know.. but science and common sense agree in this case.