Tire PSI

[Kobaal]

I'm curiouse as to what tire PSI everyone is using. I've got an 05 Xtra cab long bed with P245/R16 wheels and I recently checked my cold tire pressure and it read 36 psi on every tire except the rear driver side which read 30 psi. I looked in the owners manual and it says i should be at 29 psi for all tires. The max psi on my tires sidewall reads 50 psi. I was told that the owners manual usually under states the psi to give customers a "smoother" ride but I'm thinking about an even 32. I realise that your psi will be different depending on the activity but I'm trying to figure out an optimal psi for regular highway driving that wont kill my gas mileage.

[kf4mnc]

I thought that the 05's had the tire pressure monitoring system, but maybe not. Regardless, check the sticker inside your driver side door jam. It will tell you what the psi should be in the front and rear tires.

Since most of us have a truck with the tire pressure monitoring system, we usually set it to the factory recommendations in order to keep the low pressure light from coming on.

It is my understanding that if you have a different size tire than factory you will have to go to toyota and have your computer reprogrammed with the new factory size in order to keep the light from coming on.


Hope that helped!

chris

[GreenMtnMan]

I still have the stock 265/70 16s. Sticker says 29 psi all around but I'm running 34. Doing so gained about 1+ mpg and I like a firmer ride anyway. After 5k miles at this pressure there is no evidence of overinflation wear. I think most manufacturers inflation recommendations are generally too low.

[Kobaal]

I'm not familiar with the TPMS or what it does but I'l try out 34 psi and see what happens!

[flyman767]

Thats strange.. opposite of what it should be(normal loading 29psi front, 32 psi rear). Consider this, tire pressure rises or falls about 1 psi for every 10 degrees of outside temperature. So, let's say you check your tire pressure (on a cold tire, of course) in July, when it's 90 degrees out. It's 30 psi. If you check it again in January, when it's 20 degrees, your tire pressure will be 23 psi, which is dangerously low (70-degree change, 7 psi change). Probably not a large psi swing in Glendale,CA but this may represent a few +/- psi. Also, I found many air gages loose their calibration over time. I always like to double check my cold readings with a few different gages.

TPMS = TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM
Increasing or decreasing your psi beyond a 'defined range' may activate the TPMS warning light. If this is the case, the system will need to be reset as per the reset switch switch mounted below the steering wheel 'as per the manual'.

[Mike-in-WV]

One of the best ways to tell if you have the proper tire pressure is to use the chalk method. If you don't know what that is here is what you do....
With a piece of chalk draw a line across the tread of your tire, all the way across and do it to all four tires. Now drive without turning your wheel about 50' and then get out and look at the chalk mark. If it is wore off even all the way across then your pressure is good. If it's just wore off on the center of the tire then the pressure is to high and you need to let out some air and try it again. If it's wore off on the outside edges only then it's to low. Hope this helps. The best place to test it is on a parking lot like Wal-Mart early Sunday morning, Lol. Mike

[Splicer]

Originally Posted by Mike-in-WV

One of the best ways to tell if you have the proper tire pressure is to use the chalk method.

That's a good way to set a baseline, but it doesn't consider cornering. Your driving style (aggressive?) and pavement type will affect tire wear, especially on the fronts. Regular checks with a tread depth gauge will help spot uneven wear long before you can see it. You may even find you need more pressure in the front tires to maintain even wear. And or course, rotate regularly -- and when you do, adjust the pressure again.