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Tyre pressures

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gords:
I've seen mentions of and references to people adjusting tyre pressures when tackling different terrain.

Is this common practice? If so, please explain :)

Barry Scott:
I presume lower pressure will put more tyre on the ground, but I would not want to guess at how the terrain type affects that.

Sorry, not the most helpful response.

Eeyore:
You're about right.

For example, for day to day driving I have approx 28-30psi in the front tyres.

For play sites and the like I can air down to about 15-16 psi to increase grip (broader and longer tyre contact patch). It can be good for playing on boulders too - the tyre is more squashy and moulds to the shape of the ground better and increaes grip. However, your rims take bigger hits (and mine have had a battering).

Any less than 15 psi and my tyres start loosing air all by themselves and I end up completely flat in about an hour.

Some tyres will run lower pressures still, but the problem then becomes holding the tyre on the rim.

The next problem is inflating them again as 235/85s take a lot of air.....

HTH
cheers
 8)
Eeyore

gords:
wow, 15- 16psi ... that seems pretty low!

I assume at that pressure, you'd need to keep your speed very low to avoid continually banging the rims!?

I assume the relationship between grip and pressure is a gradient, but how linear is it? E.g. if you go from 30psi to 25psi, is that half the gain of going to 20psi?

How do you know what's best, or is it a case of "as low as possible"?

Digsit:
My Discovery owners book has the figures in the front :D  I will look when I get home.


Personally I have never bothered. Seems like a lot hassle to me :?  Surely there is also a pay off between tyre pressures and ride height too ie if you lower pressures then you put the axles closer to the ground :?

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