Tire Pressure Difference Sticker/Tires

[NeedforSpeed]

Unless you want your truck to bounce down the road and feel every pebble an crack in the road, use the recommended pressure on the sticker. If you're going to put an elephant in your bed, use the max tire pressure

It would need to be a small baby elephant if it wants to hitch a ride in my hybrid.

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[Pee Dee]

Yes, the sticker on the door jamb should reflect your optional wheels. It should list the specs of

The only time you really need to adjust your PSI is if you're getting thinner or wider tires than stock- wider tires will require lower PSI since they have a greater contact patch and thinner tires would require a greater PSI because of the lower contact patch.

That seems counterintuitive. A wider tire leaves a wider footprint, so why would you want to run lower pressures and further increase the contact area? Narrower tires have a smaller footprint, so it would make sense to air those tires down a little.

 

[Tyler]

That seems counterintuitive. A wider tire leaves a wider footprint, so why would you want to run lower pressures and further increase the contact area? Narrower tires have a smaller footprint, so it would make sense to air those tires down a little.

Because the weight of the vehicle is spread over a larger contact patch, meaning you need less pressure per inch to support the weight of the vehicle.

Some rough math for a maverick: 5000 lb gvwr spread over 4 tires = you need 1250 pounds of pressure per tire to support the weight of a vehicle. a 225 width tire will usually have ~36 sq inches of contact patch (variable based on load and tire PSI) which means 1250 pounds per tire / 36 square inches of contact = ~34.7 PSI required per 225 width tire on a maverick to support 1250 lbs per wheel. If you increased the contact patch to size to 42 sq inches of contact patch you would only need ~30 psi to support the same 1250 lb weight.

The math is a lot more complicated than that though because contact patch varies based on load and tire PSI.

 

[Pee Dee]

Because the weight of the vehicle is spread over a larger contact patch, meaning you need less pressure per inch to support the weight of the vehicle.

Some rough math for a maverick: 5000 lb gvwr spread over 4 tires = you need 1250 pounds of pressure per tire to support the weight of a vehicle. a 225 width tire will usually have ~36 sq inches of contact patch (variable based on load and tire PSI) which means 1250 pounds per tire / 36 square inches of contact = ~34.7 PSI required per 225 width tire on a maverick to support 1250 lbs per wheel. If you increased the contact patch to size to 42 sq inches of contact patch you would only need ~30 psi to support the same 1250 lb weight.

The math is a lot more complicated than that though because contact patch varies based on load and tire PSI.

Okay, now that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation!

 

[Mother Trucker]

I was actually going to ask about the tire pressure on my new delivery. And about if the on board pressure readings are accurate. I haven’t checked them with a gauge cause then I’d be asking is my gauge accurate. lol
Here’s a screenshot from the fordpass app for cold tires just now - mine have been a bit high since delivery last month. The ride has seemed okay so I didn’t make any adjustments but I’ve read in the past that overinflation can lead to the center of the treads wearing faster. If the readings are accurate, I guess my dealer didn’t adjust the shipped pressure to the recommended level. Hybrid XLT if that matters.

 

[Wolves80]

My sticker says 35.. I think.. but I have the optional 17" wheels and different from standard tires so I wonder if I should just stick with 35 (cold) or if it should be different. I guess my question is, does the sticker on the door jamb reflect my optional wheels/tires? I set them at 35 which usually equals about 38 when driving.

I have the same wheels/tires as you and the sticker recommendation is 35psi. Mine came from the factory with that setup so I’m assuming it’s correct. I typically run 33-35psi cold and that seems to work pretty well for me. Ride gets a little harsh in the higher 30s and low 40s.

 

[Justin says...]

I have the same wheels/tires as you and the sticker recommendation is 35psi. Mine came from the factory with that setup so I’m assuming it’s correct. I typically run 33-35psi cold and that seems to work pretty well for me. Ride gets a little harsh in the higher 30s and low 40s.

I totally agree. Everybody around here comments on how nice the truck rides and to be frank, I just dont see it. When the pressure is set around 35/36 it's a little better but overall it's pretty firm. But, that's ok.

 

[CD_SM]

Yep. My dealer didn't do it either (even though their pre sales inspection checklist says they did). They also didn't fill the windshield washer fluid.

 

[CD_SM]

I don't know if my gauge is accurate, but if it isn't, it's off by the same amount as all 4 of the TPMS sensors in my truck ...

 

[fossil]

I don't know if my gauge is accurate, but if it isn't, it's off by the same amount as all 4 of the TPMS sensors in my truck ...

my gauge agrees with the TPMS with the exception of the left front that reads +1psi on the dash.
not too bad, glad I'm not OCD. Guess if I were I could drop the LF a pound but I'd still know that, oh the horror

 

[Montana]

44 is a bit much even rolling hot.

Adjust around 35-38psi when cold and that should get you around 38-42 when warm and rolling. I think I have mine set to 36 (granted, they are 245/65R17 KO2's, but still would have been the same with the stock tires maybe 37). Mine get to around 40 on warm days longer trips.

Measure the pressure at the wheels and they should be within 1 or 2 psi of the dash.

 

[Master Blaster]

Get a new dealer and drop a complaint about them to Ford. They obviously never did the PL/PD when it was delivered, and that could be really dangerous when it loses a wheel for example because they never retorqued the lugnuts either. What else is mandatory that they failed to do?

 

[BlueRaven]

i love educating people on tires. most people are idiots when it comes to anything car related. i think a basic 1 day class should be required for EVERY driver. YEARLY.

 

[dlhort1955]

I prefer to look at the side of the tire. Never know if that sticker is correct, whereas you know the tire will have the correct pressure.

 

[Montana]

I prefer to look at the side of the tire. Never know if that sticker is correct, whereas you know the tire will have the correct pressure.

That's max pressure

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