The BAD News About Airing Down Tires

[@mrpenn4613]

The heat is not due to the larger contact patch it's the additional flex in the sidewall, only really a problem at high speeds. When you change a tier that's been run low too long you find a lot of rubber dust from the sidewalls.

[@off-roadingexplained8417]

Yeah

[@daveisnothere]

The friction between the inside of the sidewall and the inside of the tread is what gives is what gives you the rubber dust and that is usually from being severely run under-inflated or flat.

[@renegalindo187]

Thanks for bringing actual knowledge to the masses.

[@matthewcaldwell8057]

Correct. Bend a thin piece of steel back and forward. Feel the heat generated and think about sidewall flex

[@shaneshonda]

People just spew nonsense all over the web nowadays this guy is no exception

[@voyager11221]

I’ve gone 40-50MPH countless times on gravel roads running low PSI and never had an issue. I think these concerns are a little overblown. The only time I’ve experienced noticeable wear and tear is rock crawling.

[@daveisnothere]

I remember hundreds of times we'd get done with a trail at 8 psi and have a "road-trip" we needed to take to get to the closest place to get air. Now you might not want to do 70 mph but we'd hit 45 a lot and with the heat that built up they actually inflated some by the time we got to the compressors which helped on the road.

[@123yrmama]

I run at 15 psi on the highway to get to another trail. No problems mud tires are not weak. That's a myth I'm not gonna drive 500 miles but 20 is a non issue.

[@clark5583]

Something else to consider: water is wet.

[@turtletube]

Oh yeahhhh I forgot about that one

[@AB-vm2nz]

It’s the additional friction and the work for deformation and flexure of the rubber of the tire which is create by driving on low pressure

[@jameseroh6544]

This clearance issue while airing down, is exactly what appeals to me about portal axles. Weld 74 sells a complete set for $20k. For a Jeep that will be normally heavily modified with 4" of lift and gear down to lower gears. The price may not be so bad.

[@gailmaplesden7380]

Some people complain about getting a tire that's too tall because they lose torque. When you air down, you reduce the diameter and regain your lost torque. As a tire gets older, you may experience delimitation of the belts in the tire and then have them come apart on the highway. Just pay attention to the tire and change them out after a couple of years and let someone else put them on a trailer or ranch truck that doesn't go on the highway.

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

Many of the problems you describe from driving on low air pressure is from economy tires. There are off road tires engineered to operate even at highway speeds with low tire pressure.

[@bamafencer12]

Yeah the Patagonias he’s running aren’t that good

[@AB-vm2nz]

Äh… no

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

@@AB-vm2nz Yes so say's Nitto Tire, I and others have run them at 10-12 psi at highway speeds for over 40 miles and took less than one hour.

[@AB-vm2nz]

@@1a1u0g9t4s2u they are engineered that the don’t fall apart instantly, but the friction and work from compressing an relaxing the rubber increasing you fuel consumption and the wear down enormously. Also it increases the aging of the material, rule of thumb: every +10°K you double the speed of aging.

[@daveisnothere]

I have been airing down tires for close to 45 years and have yet to have issues with 'micro-cracks', they would grow into bigger cracks over time and still havent see ln any even working as a tire tech. Maybe thats another 'feature' of those Patagonias.

[@TrailRecon]

Running 8 psi on the rocks and getting the rubber pinched and bent beyond what the manufactures tolerance can cause micro tears.... I had conversation about this with a BFG tire engineer last year.

[@daveisnothere]

@@TrailRecon I should clarify, you did say if you go too low on the air, but 8psi might not be too low for a lot of people, I never went over 8psi on my old CJ5 with 33's, and went as low as 2psi in the sand. The actual pressure someone should run is based on a lot of factors, the most important of which is the weight of the vehicle. Your Wrangler weighs in about twice as much as my old CJ, so you need a lot more air. Wheel width can also factor in, the same tire on a wider wheel needs less are do to the extra volume. When a tire flexes so much that the sidewall rubs inside it doesn't cause cracks, it scuffs the rubber like you rubbed it with sand paper, if the tire cracks it is faulty/old/dry or poor quality, period. Years ago BFG was infamous for this, but from what I've heard they are better quality now. That BFG engineer was probably the same one who said it was ok to run a 33x12.50 on a 8" wide wheel, too. Sure it will go on and it will do ok, but it will give you issues with wear, handling and allow the sidewall to rub on the inside with more air pressure than if you had the same tire on a 10" wide wheel. That engineer has only one thing on his mind, protecting BFG from liability and selling more tires, even if he says he doesn't. I have one thing on my mind with the advice I give, to make sure those I talk to get the most out of their tires and are safe when doing so. Of all the YT channels you have been the closest to spot on with your advice. Not perfect, but that's not possible for someone who hasn't worked in the tire business for nearly 20 years. There is so much misinformation going around in our world, and a I am not just talking about with tires. Misinformation relating to tires is very common and I've been trying to help others filter this since the 80's when I started learning myself. Air pressure, wheel width, and how much to air down are the most common areas that I help people understand. Maybe later we'll discuss the Patagonia tires...:P

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

One thing I’ve been wondering about is how much airing down affects trail MPG. I get 370 mile range on the highway, but when I do the 130 Mojave road, I’m exiting the trail running on fumes. I’d like to do the trail again closer to street pressure to see the difference.

[@sf8334]

Sounds like a Patagonia problem

[@daveisnothere]

I was going to say the same thing, After seeing all the issues Matt's Off-Road Recovery has with his and looking at them from a technical standpoint (I am a tire tech), they are very much over-rated and are no where near as good as people think. But there isnt enough room here for me to go into details on why. Sad part is Matt doesn't understand the issues he is having and loves the silly things.

[@LivingTheDream-OffroadUSA]

Are the red ARB dif covers worth it? How are they holding up?

[@northwestitude]

This was SO helpful

[@torresmilochomil]

Apreciate the info Brad, greetings from Mexico!!

[@jasonmerlino3903]

Ive had my padagonas at 18psi everywhere for the last 4 years and they are still great. Even at 70mph on the highway. Have never had a flat or any problems.

[@carvesnow]

Can loose uop to 1.75 inches in clearance or more depending on tire construction and pressure the beadlocks you have will remain competent.

[@sergneo]

Totally solid advice 💯🙏🏽💯

[@1cavscout160]

I generally only drive at slow speeds while aired down in my Jeep and also offroad only, but in my Can Am I run 13 psi in 33" Tensors on Method bead locks all the time. I run straight out of my garage in Arizona and drive on the street to the trails. No problems at all.

[@thespacedpirate]

As a dune runner, I'll keep rocking 5psi at 40mph. The worst I'll ever have happen is debeading the tire.

[@daveisnothere]

I got you beat, I ran 2-3 psi in my tires in the sand haha. Darn CJ would keep up with most buggies around.

[@thespacedpirate]

@@daveisnothere I don't own beadlocks. Not willing to debead a tire again going lower.

[@daveisnothere]

Yeah it also depends on your vehicle. I've never run beadlocks though, and never had a tire come off. But I wasnt doing donuts all over the place either, even though for a lot of that time I was a hot-rodding teen. I was in an old V6 CJ5 with 33's and the wheels I owned had really good locks inside for the bead. I only ran 8psi on the highway as well.

[@thespacedpirate]

@@daveisnothere I did donuts and lost a front tire on my old Nissan. There was a broke down raptor so I had to make sure he was outdone and it came back to bite me for having been as low as I was on 15" wheels and stock size tires. A pathfinder v6 makes a little bit more power than a v6 CJ, since my wifes friend owns one I have something to compare against even though she's on 35s instead of the 235s I had

[@daveisnothere]

@@thespacedpirate Yup, usually how it happens.. Testosterone did it. haha I find it odd the Pathfinder had more power than the V6 Jeep, the CJ is way lighter, the one I owned had low gears and I put a small 4-bbl on it and headers, it was a little hot rod esp after I did a few things to lighten it up a bit. I was always pulling away from a friend in his AMC CJ with a 304 in it, used to make him so mad.

[@SawdustAndCalluses]

Surface area (contact patch size) is not an element of friction. Only weight and the materials coefficient of friction.

[@teamidris]

It really gives the beads a rough time, but tyres don’t last long off-road anyway. It’s a low ply rating being used in abusive conditions. I soon got a trailer queen, because slashes aren’t dangerous at road speeds if it isn’t on the road :o)

[@EAZYDUZiT69]

Thank you sir, great video!!… 👍🏾 Question , what kind of valve stems are those? Thnx

[@backwoodstherapy]

Finally got the chance to watch it. Disappointed that that part of the trail is closed to motor vehicles. I wonder what happened? Also, KJ looked like it did fantastic. Glad it's up and running again.

[@dirtyd8611]

Not airing down is ruff on drive terrain, ill stick with airing down its cheaper to replace a tire witch I haven't had to do in my 50yrs of off roading because I aired down, thats why I carry an air compressor. When in doubt bag the tires!

[@charleswinters7129]

I raced in muddy conditions many times with low air pressure to get better traction. It will increase your chances of flat tires.

[@Escape.Idiocracy]

Can you do a review on the MT02’s. Pretty sure you ran the regular MT’s a few years ago…. Thoughts on the differences?

[@garrykennedy5484]

A LOT of this also depends on the weight of your vehicle.

[@off-roadingexplained8417]

Static clearance... I lose about a quarter of an inch when I go from 36 to 26... Functional clearance... You could lose an inch under load when aired down. (31 inch tires )

[@garyosborn3168]

Literally none of these are "things to consider" or even things you should slightly be concerned with...

[@elixtido1448]

Do E range tires air down well? Does it take forever to air up?

[@craighandley7535]

Why dont you support US tire manufacturers?

[@jtrowe3921]

Because us manufacturers won’t give him free tires to market 😂

[@daveisnothere]

Manufacturers only want to tell you the politically correct information that protects their backside, not what the truth is. I've been trying to spread the truth for years but it is really funny how many people dont want to hear the truth.

[@jameshill7694]

I'd like to see a video covering load range. I've yet to find a video worth sharing. *I understand the importance, but too dumb to explain it to people.* I've always ran load range C on my JK and WJ, and had no issues airing down. But my RV's flat-tow liberty has used load range E tires on it.. airing down barely makes a diff.

[@daveisnothere]

Load Range is a simple concept, it is how much weight a tire can carry at a given pressure. Load Range C might be 1500 lbs at 50 psi, and Load range E might be 3500 lbs at 80 psi. (exact numbers may be different, used those just to show the idea). You would need to air the Load Range E tires quite a bit more to see them deflect like your C rated tires on your JK/WJ.

[@jameshill7694]

@daveisnothere right, you'd think that's how it'd work... 😆 but I've seen so many people running E on Wranglers. I've never really understood it. Once on a trail in Vegas, I climbed this waterfall on sandstone with no issues. Running Maxxis Bravo 770 A/Ts load C on my JK. This other guy on Nittos M/T load E on his JK couldn't make it. He kept bouncing to the point that he was gonna flip his jeep. We had gotten into an argument about his tires not cutting it. We decided to settle it and swap tires right there on the trail to prove a point. Our group of about 20 was happy to hang around and see the results. He went right up with my tires on his (built better than mine) jeep. 😆 and he still kept running his mouth.

[@daveisnothere]

@@jameshill7694 The higher the load range the thicker/stiffer the tire, he might have been able to drop down to much lower pressure and make it with his Nittos as well. There is a relatively popular YT'er that has 2 yellow vehicles that are about the same weight as the V8 392 Wranglers and he says he runs 8 psi in the Load Range E Patagonias on it, they very rarely flex when he runs over a rock and he struggles more than he should in the sand, and rocks. His helper has a new Bronco with Load C tires and out performs him all the time. Go figure.

[@WarpathFilms]

I have 24” wheels with a -42mm offset and 37” tires what do I do?😅

[@JeepTJ1999]

I have the same wheels that you do. What’s PSI do you decrease to with your Teraflex wheels?

[@TrailRecon]

I talk all about tire pressure in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp2Ukn-Cgqd0q6M

[@kx8960]

I have a 2024 Colorado ZR2, and since if the trail opens up I can run faster on it, I only air down to about 28 (from the OEM 36) so I don't bend a rim. I figure I get most of the benefits of lower pressures but lose almost no ground clearance and I can still safely run 45mph on pavement without worrying about it. I typically don't drive deep sand or mud etc. where I need lower than that. I'm new to wheeling and the truck so I may adjust that down a couple psi as I get more experienced, but don't think I'd ever even go down to 20, but who knows.

[@markstambaugh3273]

I am new to this. Why would you not air down only when you need to? I see people airing down as soon as they get off pavement.

[@chronicle_4]

He is putting fear and over exaggerating. Many have airdowned their tire and came up just fine. Tire is easy to replace compared to other parts..

[@abdulamki1294]

What is that you are using for deflating the tyres?

[@JKUguy]

What roof rack is that and if it’s a rino what are the measurements of it??

[@adamreno3653]

This is news to me but makes sense if you consider that they don't make anything like they used to.

[@everymanadventures9285]

First I’ll say this. Anyone who off roads regularly already knows they’re putting their tires through hell and that is factored into the cost of four wheel driving. Personally I could care less about micro cracks and tire heat while off road. It aids the suspension by becoming part of the suspension. Try running highway pressures over rocky terrain or on corrugated dirt roads. You’ll need an alignment and a retightening of your tie rod ends when you get home. And also a chiropractor and probably dentist to replace the fillings you lost. This video is misleading and dumb. 🙄

[@kg0311]

Is there a reason you don't use diff skids

[@thelonewrangler1008]

I knew this vid would bring out all the know it alls in the comments😂🤦‍♂️

[@joeybart1776]

HALF AN INCH!!😮😮😮😮😮 OH NO!!!! Call the Fire Department!!

[@MrCrazypops]

You can hear your tires squeal in pain after a long day on the hot sand

[@burnerloco4138]

It’s sounds like he just wanted to make a KZbin video.

[@TrailRecon]

Lots of them! 😂

[@762N8O]

Also the risk of bent rims !!

[@chrisyoung1478]

This guy almost knows what he's talking about.

[@Backyard_Buzzard]

Your also more likely to get a flat at higher psi

[@dadgarage7966]

Airing down also ruins the stance.

[@everymanadventures9285]

😂

[@daveisnothere]

Actually, it improves it, slightly lower center of gravity.

[@austinvargas2909]

Your the best 🥹🙏🏻

[@SuperiorAutoSalesNV]

You are in a stockish size jeep. Talking about ground clearance. Get a real rig and have ground to talk about

[@andreykolakov8813]

Little use is made of the advantages of different tyre pressures.

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

Bottom line, leave your tires st factory specs.

[@JBarnes917]

That’s the safe choice for you at the mall…

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

@@JBarnes917 What choo talking about Willis, at the mall?🤔

[@JBarnes917]

@@Workerbee-zy5nx yeah if you are all about factory specs… come off road with us and leave your tires at factory spec…

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

@@JBarnes917 Had a cool zuke sumerian 4x4, it handled great, it had no balls on. The highway, but off road it was a gem dandy. 🤠🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Been ridin' racing since 85, and some euro sports car resto too...🤠👍🍺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@daveisnothere]