How far can you air down without bead lock wheels?

[sl65racer]

I took my 37” KO2s down to 8 psi on Method Bead Grips on snow and icy gravel this winter. No issues.

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[KevinM60]

15 psi in the morning in Moab turns into 18 or so when it warms up.

My tire pressure usually increases about 3psi from cold to hot so if I’m airing up or down when they’re hot I'll add a couple lbs.

 

[Koolcarguy]

As the title says... I went to 19/20 psi and did not have a problem, but I have been wondering how far can I go without upgrading?

I know wheel & tire combo may need to be factored in but I don't want to go so low that I have a tire(s) come off.

Thanks in advance.

I've went down to 15psi on my 37 M/T' never saw reason to go any lower

 

[RangerG]

Was that on the OEM falcons? If so, I would love to see a pic of the amount of squish with that setup.

BFG TA KO 2 , 37/12.50/17

 

[pcrawfordpt]

There is actually a method to determine how far to air down with your specific rig,, wheel, and tire combo. Have your vehicle loaded to your current trail weight (racks, gear, etc). Fully inflate your tires to spec. Take a measurement of the sidewall height at full inflation. Now let air out and lower it by 10% of that initial sidewall height. This is good starting point pressure for dirt roads etc.. The next pressure is lowered until it’s 15% of that initial sidewall height. This is good for rough trails, rocks, sand, higher traction needs. Lastly, lower to the pressure until you reach 20% of that initial sidewall height. This is for maximum traction. For my Gladiator on Icon Rebounds with 37” Toyo RT Trail tires, these figures turned out to be 16, 14,, and 12 PSI. No guessing, real life data specific to your set up. I wheel very hard trails at 12 psi regularly, and never lost a bead. Today’s tire technology is very good. Excellent traction and conformity to rocks etc can be achieved at a little higher pressures than your dad’s or grandpa’s tires.

 

[MaximusTX]

I went down to 8psi on my 42x13.5r20 along with the other vehicles I was with all went to 8psi and no one had any issues.

 

[fourfa]

testing Method bead grip wheels at 0 psi

 

[dos0711]

Just put a set of bead grips on today can’t wait to try them out

 

[hjdca]

I’ve got method bead grip rims. I’ve go to 10 psi, no problems. These are not bead locks, DOT approved

I am also running 17x8.5 Method Bead Grip rims. I have used them with 3 sets (different brands) of 37x12.5x17 tires. I normally run 12 to 13 psi off-road and have run 10 psi a few times. No problems, the tires did not even spin on the rims - but, I in the trails I do, I am running slow speeds at that psi. Even in the sand at higher speeds, I have run 12 to 13 psi with no problems. I do remember losing 2 psi on one tire during a big "bump burp" in the desert one time....

 

[hjdca]

There is actually a method to determine how far to air down with your specific rig,, wheel, and tire combo. Have your vehicle loaded to your current trail weight (racks, gear, etc). Fully inflate your tires to spec. Take a measurement of the sidewall height at full inflation. Now let air out and lower it by 10% of that initial sidewall height. This is good starting point pressure for dirt roads etc.. The next pressure is lowered until it’s 15% of that initial sidewall height. This is good for rough trails, rocks, sand, higher traction needs. Lastly, lower to the pressure until you reach 20% of that initial sidewall height. This is for maximum traction. For my Gladiator on Icon Rebounds with 37” Toyo RT Trail tires, these figures turned out to be 16, 14,, and 12 PSI. No guessing, real life data specific to your set up. I wheel very hard trails at 12 psi regularly, and never lost a bead. Today’s tire technology is very good. Excellent traction and conformity to rocks etc can be achieved at a little higher pressures than your dad’s or grandpa’s tires.

Very interesting, thanks for this.. ... Using trial and error, I have also settled on 12 psi being the best for traction in the rocks and keeping a decent ride height on 37s. I usually run 14 psi on easier trails.

 

[Terminus33]

I've done 12psi on kenda 35x10.5r17 on stock wheels but no speed or large rocks and it's held up fine.

 

[Gvsukids]

As the title says... I went to 19/20 psi and did not have a problem, but I have been wondering how far can I go without upgrading?

I know wheel & tire combo may need to be factored in but I don't want to go so low that I have a tire(s) come off.

Thanks in advance.

I've been down to 10 on stock wheels with 33" Falkin Wildpeak tires on the dunes.

 

[RealTruck]

testing Method bead grip wheels at 0 psi

It was interesting to see how the lower psi performed in this case. The Method bead grip is definitely a game changer.

 

[Jefe1018]

Maybe I just don’t wheel hard enough, but for me it has never been about traction, but instead comfort for me and passengers. I’ve settled on 12-16psi, that’s a whole lot of comfort for me and I don’t think I’m risking debeading a tire.

 

[Silverator]

Just put a set of bead grips on today can’t wait to try them out

I'm with ya!!!! Waiting for a set of 703 bead grips. Should be in and installed next week. Looking forward to it!!

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