Airing down, When and why

renegadekj · **Posted:** Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:47 pm

You could just get a cheap pump that plugs into your 12v outlet.(dont go to cheap if you get one otherwise it will burn out). Or you could get a high output ARB onboard air compressor probably around $250 ish. here's a pic.

Josh

bugnout · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:48 am

tommudd wrote:

Tokyojoe wrote:

bugnout wrote:

Rock Lizard wrote:

Airing down on trails will actually prevent a lot of damage to the tire, because the tire can flex over an object, such as a sharp rock or stick/stump. If you take two balloons exactly the same, air one up just enough to be squishy, and the other so it is full and tight, and poke them with a stick, I gaurantee the full balloon will pop first everytime when using the same stick and the same pressure applied to the balloon.

Now that does make sense. So we are protecting the tire by airing down. I can buy that argument.

That's what I said in an earlier post. Guess my opinion isn't worth much....

its not that your opinion isn't worth much, it's just that they do not value your opinion as much as they should!! :wink:

I'm a little slow sometimes, Marty just put it in terms I could comprehend "Don't pop the pretty balloons" :wink:

Rush345 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:27 am

Same principle for sand. As a youngster my father decided to build a DuneBuggy using a "64 VW with 15" cut out of the center of the pan and then welded back together. Heavily Modified the engine and mounted a fiberglass body. the first summer we took it to Cape Hatterus NC hit the sand with F60-14 GoodYear bias tires. Due to how light the DuneBuggy was you could only run 8 lb's of air on the street or they got to stiff and hard to stay on the paved roads , but in the sand the tread still dug a whole so the next year we got Sand tires Smooth Balloon type tires with 3 or 4 straight grooves runing down the center. The second year we went whereever we wanted on the beach including the ever enjoyable catching air at the top of a Dune.

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:15 am

I would air down if I had a way to get air back in the tires before going home

Edit: I just ordered the michelin tyre inflator from Ebay

What PSI should I air down to with mud tires on stock rims?

Thanks.

ohv_kj · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:59 am

"I Hate Corrugations!!!" LOL.nice video i must add...

chefdab · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:09 pm

I was the same way when I wheeled the KJ on stock tires without a lift. I was always trying to balance how low I could go on the pressure without losing too much ground clearance. You need to realize too that the sidewall of the stock tires is not as stiff as an MT or even an AT. That's one reason you lose clearance when you air down. Running the 245 MT/Rs you can go much lower since the sidewall is much stiffer. They are load rating E as apposed to the stock tires which are probably load rated C. The weight of the vehicle will not deform the sidewall of the MT/R until you come up onto a rock. In other words, the tire is stiff enough to hold the vehicle up without the added pressure of the air inside.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:45 pm

BeepBeepJeepJeep wrote:

I would air down if I had a way to get air back in the tires before going home

Edit: I just ordered the michelin tyre inflator from Ebay

What PSI should I air down to with mud tires on stock rims?

Thanks.

Really depends on your sidewalls. Can they take the beating? Some MT's don't have strong sidewalls. The MTR's are not MT's and have awesome sidewalls.

You can probably get away with 15-18 psi.

My very first offroad experience, ever, was at LOST Moab 2005. I had the stock SR/A's and I aired them down to 18 while doing those rocks. The sidewalls were getting beat up though and long term use doing that to them would not be good out on the highway and have one blow on me.

dloc_jeep_KJ · **Posted:** Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:08 pm

BeepBeepJeepJeep wrote:

I would air down if I had a way to get air back in the tires before going home

Edit: I just ordered the michelin tyre inflator from Ebay

What PSI should I air down to with mud tires on stock rims?

Thanks.

with ur tires u should be able to go between 12-20. trust me the first time u go out and air down (even to just 20) u will be amazed at how much better the ride is. not to mention the traction u will gain. for mild trail rides with no rocks 20psi is fine for something a little more on the wild side with lots of big rocks(my favorite) 12 psi would be a good place to start.
MTRs really do shine at low psi. your maxxis tires are really good too.

deserthorizons · **Posted:** Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:45 am

.
With tires at stock psi.
Lay a 2x4 on the ground in front of your Jeep..

Now, pull or push the Jeep over the 2x4..

It is difficult because you are having to raise the entire weight of the Jeep..

Air down to about ~1/2 psi. and try it again.. (ie: stock 35, lower to ~17.)

Much easier because the tires kinda conform around the 2x4..

With a softer tire you will also be bouncing much less,
and if you can control the bouncing, you won't use your skids so much..
.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:35 am

if anyone is interested I found a pretty good price on a CO2 setup. 209 for tank, 20 foot hose , quick connects, tire chuck, bracket etc. from trdparts4u.com Its made by Source. If you want to run tools on the trail great way to go from what I hear

dloc_jeep_KJ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:47 am

tommudd wrote:

if anyone is interested I found a pretty good price on a CO2 setup. 209 for tank, 20 foot hose , quick connects, tire chuck, bracket etc. from trdparts4u.com Its made by Source. If you want to run tools on the trail great way to go from what I hear

great price tom thanks!!! if i had the spare change right now i would be all over that.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:42 pm

ya you can tell I have been spending too much time on the Toyota sites :roll:

InCommando · **Posted:** Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:46 pm

On a trail run about two years ago I aired down one SR-A just for giggles. I learned how little it took to put the thin, non-treaded sidewalls of the SR-A in harms way. I carry a decent small compressor & aired the SR-A back up and had a happy day, but I still worry about the sidewalls every time I go playing. But that is about to change....

You guys are dead on in that only a real tire with sidewall lugs/protection should be aired down very much. Also, those thick rubber lugs conform much better if the carcass under them is flexing.

Good tires = air down
Crappy tires = don't air down very much if at all

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:04 am

I'm looking at 2 tires for the KJ: Destinations M/T and the infamous MTR's. I am leaning towards the Destinations because of the ratings for MT's on Tire Rack. Here is the question: which one would take to airing down better? I know the MTR's are great to air down but I don't know about the other one.

Terry

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:01 am

Fulltimer wrote:

I'm looking at 2 tires for the KJ: Destinations M/T and the infamous MTR's. I am leaning towards the Destinations because of the ratings for MT's on Tire Rack. Here is the question: which one would take to airing down better? I know the MTR's are great to air down but I don't know about the other one.

Terry

Yoy answered your own ?.The Firestones have 2 different versions for the 245/75's,a "C" and a "E" load range,the "C" rated tire will be more comfy on road but I personnal wouldn't air it down as much and the "E" rated version due to the weight of the KJ.

Airing down, When and why

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