Well folks, I just had my new BF Goodrich 285/65/R20's put on my factory 20" wheels. At 35 inches tall they look nice, but I was trying to find out what the tire pressure was supposed to be and it says on the sidewall that it's supposed to be at 80 psi cold! I was having a 300 moment in my head, thinking "This is madness!", but sure enough the guys at the shop had put them at 80 psi... needless to say the ride was a little 'bumpy'. Is this the correct tire pressure? Can I run these tires with less pressure? I was thinking something closer to 40 psi would be reasonable, but will that ruin $1600 worth of tires? Advice please!

Thanks in advance!

 

I'm pretty sure 80 psi is MAXIMUM on these tires....they should be fine around 40-45.

I would be scared to be next to the tire when they were putting that much air in them

 

80PSI is @ MAX LOAD. You can inflate them well over that, but why would you be scared? They are designed for that. Scared is pulling over with your tires at 80psi and them being too hot to touch.

 

If it were me I would run 40 both front and rear, and then see how they are wearing after a few thousand miles. I am running my stock 275/65/18 AT/S's at 40/front 35/rear since in the winter I am not towing or hauling much, and my 325/60/18 Nittos at 40/front 45/rear because I am towing and hauling more often (short trips, only 5-10 miles) yet still want a good ride.

 

I'm sure the tires can handle it..Honestly, it's just kind of a phobia I have. I didn't mean that you shouldnt be near the tires while putting in that much air, I just meant I, MYSELF, woulndnt feel comfortable near them. Sorry for the confusion

 

I run my 35's at 40psi. They have been great so far

 

them being at 80 psi... i assume your running Load Range "E" tires.

If so, many tire manufacturers say max load psi 80. But there are some now getting down to 60 psi with the same load carrying capacity (fyi)

40 psi would be running a tad on the low side. I would keep them closer to the 45 psi mark for everyday driving (that where mine sit right now)

You guys who keep chiming in with "40 psi + great" what load range ? How many miles ? What tire company ? Whats the use ? Daily driver ? Towing ? Hauling ? just wondering. (Don't want the poor guy running E rated tires at a General tire psi )

 

Who are you talking about, me or someone else?

 

hey just wanted to add, i have heard that if you want to put 35's on stock rims (width 7.5") you should run a bit higher psi, but im thinking about 60ish would be better

 

When my Pirelli's wear out, I was seriously wanting to get this exact same tire (BFG 285/65-20). I just find it hard spending $1600 for a set of tires when a brand new set of the Pirelli Scorpions would be around $500-600 max!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would those 285/65-20's fit with just a 1.5" Autospring spacer? The shorter the spacer, the better as far as I'm concerned.

 

Kinda an "anyone" question. Wondering if you guys running 40 psi have load range E tires, and if so if your seeing any odd wearing on them.

 

I run 35psi front and rear, and up to 40psi in the rear while loaded or towing. This is of course on load rang D tires, that suggest a maximum pressure of 45psi.

Bear in mind that as the tires buildup heat, the air inside them pressurizes more. So, 80psi cold could be 90psi in the summer heat... 90psi is not something I would want to screw around with.

 

Here is a crazy idea...call manufacturer...

Pretty sure they dont put 80 psi on the tire so that they can kill you...

 

80 psi is the max pressure...only put those puppies at 80 psi if you're towing/hauling a heavy a$$ load.

I ran my 35" tires (range E) at 50 psi for on/off road. it gave me decent road manners (less sidewall flexing) and the tires could still flex somewhat when offroad.

IMO, 45 psi is the least you should go. those tires are designed for higher pressures. and they are on a truck...you can only soften up the ride somewhat

 

Exactly what I did about 5000 miles ago when I put a set of BFG AT KOs (285/65-18E) on my factory rims. The tech said that the KOs used to be offered in load ranges C, D, and E, but the D range was dropped to consolidate the higher range tires. Now, I asked him about running less pressure in the tires on a 150 if I am not hauling at the time with a definite yes on the 40-50 psi range. He said that the 80 psi is only for max loads to prevent overheating of the tire on say an F-350 hauling about 5000 lbs in the bed. For these 150s, anywhere between 40 and 50 is fine, even for the loads that we can haul (maybe 50-60ish). For everyday driving, I run about 45 psi and have not seen any hint of uneven wear so far (only 5K) with, I suspect, a smoother ride. Someone mentioned running higher pressures if you have a tall sidewall. It would make sense to me since one would want to prevent alot of flex while turning, but I am not an expert...why I called BFG.