Tow vehicle tire wear

[GTWags]

OK, I'm a noob. Hauled my new trailer 90 miles home from the dealer. When I disconnected I glanced at my rear tires on the truck. almost completely bald down the middle of the tire. Now, I didn't pay a whole lot of attention before, but they have 24k on them and were rotated and pressure checked (to pressure on label in door). Did over inflation and 90 miles do this? Or did 24k miles, and over inflation and 90 miles do this?

[jeffwelsh]

Sure sounds like over inflation. How old are the tires? How much pin / bumper weight do you have? Could be the gauge that was used was not accurate.

[DesertRat]

Sounds to me like overinflation. I replaced my OEM tires just before vacation in July. Had 42k+ miles most of that towing. Tires still had between 4 & 5/32" of tread left. Needless to say I replaced with the same brand & style that came OEM.

[RVNevada]

I'm with everyone else and with only 90 miles, and 24K on the tires, It sounds like they were over for a long time....I let someone else put air in my rear dual tires once and drove 300 miles with my 5th wheel, after arriving I noticed that the tires showed wear in the middle, I rechecked the tires and found he put the same amount of air as the front tires which hold 90lbs, The rears should have had 70lbs...

[Pirate]

I have a 2011 Chevrolet 3500 crew cab, long bed, DRW. Only have 55,000 miles on it as about all I use it for is towing the Voltage 3800.

I'm on my second set of tires, stayed with the Michelins that came on it...and I'll probably need new tires for next season.

So about 30,000 a set. I run 70 psi in all six tires and check them before each trip. The inflation never changes more than a psi or two. So wear is nice an even...they just don't last that long!

Pirate

[azdryheat]

I know of folks, on several different RV forums, that run the max amount of air the tire is rated for, usually 80 psi. Personally, I run what's on the door post - 70 front and 65 rear. 40,000 on the tires, so far, and wearing fine.

[J&HinMT]

My truck doubles as a daily driver so I'm constantly adjusting air pressure in my rear tires. The door sticker says 55psi in the front, and 80psi in the rear. But if you run 80psi in the rear while unloaded you'll burn the centers out of your tires quick. When I'm not pulling or hauling something heavy I only run 55psi in the rear tires as well and get good even tread wear.

I'll never buy another set of BFG tires. Only got 20K miles out of the last set. And that was rotated on time, truck aligned every year, and good even tread wear. Just too darn soft.
Back to Toyo tires for me. Always had good luck with them.

[GTWags]

OK, new tires, Michelin ltx m/s2's. Should I inflate to the tire rating when towing, and lower when not?

[DesertRat]

Originally Posted by GTWags

OK, new tires, Michelin ltx m/s2's. Should I inflate to the tire rating when towing, and lower when not?

That's what I do plus the ride is better when not towing.

[J&HinMT]

Originally Posted by GTWags

OK, new tires, Michelin ltx m/s2's. Should I inflate to the tire rating when towing, and lower when not?

I never inflate to the "tire rating". Your truck's door sticker will tell you what pressure to run. My truck recommends 55psi in the front and 80psi in the rear. But when I'm not towing I run 55psi in the rear as well because 80psi with no load on will wear the centers of your tires out faster.

[hddecker]

Check the door data plate, many trucks have two pressures for the rear tires. One for loaded and one for unloaded.

My Ram wants 45PSI light load and 75PSI heavy load.

[Fanboy]

This may help some.

[ATCguy]

Yeah, I've been running what the door plate recommends on my F-450:

75 psi in the front tires

60 psi in the rear duallys

No wear issues whatsoever with just over 30,000 miles on the odometer, of which over 70% has been towing the RV.

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by Fanboy

This may help some.Attachment 2547

Can't read your chart very well on the ipad. Is it the tire manufacturers chart or the something form the auto manufacturer.

The auto manufacturer puts the data plate on your drivers door for a reason. The tire manufactuer advises the auto manufacturer the recommended tire pressure for the specific vehicle. If the vehicle owner disregards the data plate pressures tire performance suffers.

Just like in NASCAR, Goodyear tells the teams the min and max pressures. When crew chiefs ignore the recommend pressures very often they have tire failures.

[Fanboy]

Originally Posted by hddecker

Can't read your chart very well on the ipad. Is it the tire manufacturers chart or the something form the auto manufacturer.



The auto manufacturer puts the data plate on your drivers door for a reason. The tire manufactuer advises the auto manufacturer the recommended tire pressure for the specific vehicle. If the vehicle owner disregards the data plate pressures tire performance suffers.



Just like in NASCAR, Goodyear tells the teams the min and max pressures. When crew chiefs ignore the recommend pressures very often they have tire failures.

https://toyotires2-1524598101.netdna...0623_Final.pdf

Stock Michelins I ran at the door place placards recommended tire inflation, loaded. Light they came down to what my trucks axles came in at the scales. After changing tires size that theory goes out the window. (Placard). I went to the chart. I have a higher load rated tire now. At placards I recommended pressure I would be wearing the center right out of these tires. This is a Toyo inflation table. Although, I do not have there tires, this table represents both my new and old tires accurately.

[calewjohnson]

Originally Posted by ATCguy

Yeah, I've been running what the door plate recommends on my F-450:

75 psi in the front tires

60 psi in the rear duallys

No wear issues whatsoever with just over 30,000 miles on the odometer, of which over 70% has been towing the RV.

Tom,

Have you been rotating your tires? If so, what rotation sequence are you using? I skipped a rotation and the fronts wore the outside bad (did not tow that much on that cycle). The next time I rotated, I stuck them on the rear insides with the hopes they will wear back flat...so far so good.

Cale

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by Fanboy

https://toyotires2-1524598101.netdna...0623_Final.pdf

Stock Michelins I ran at the door place placards recommended tire inflation, loaded. Light they came down to what my trucks axles came in at the scales. After changing tires size that theory goes out the window. (Placard). I went to the chart. I have a higher load rated tire now. At placards I recommended pressure I would be wearing the center right out of these tires. This is a Toyo inflation table. Although, I do not have there tires, this table represents both my new and old tires accurately.

Got it.

Up sizing the tires does change everything. I have never found the need to go up in tire size on my truck. The trailer on the other hand I go for the largest tire I can fit into the wheel wells.

I went up one aspect ratio and two load ranges with the last set of tires on the trailer. The were heading towards 25K miles and had another 15-20K left on them. That was until the suspension went south somewhere in the last 250 miles home from Alaska.

[GTWags]

Went from passenger goodyears to light truck michelins. Tire place recommended 40lbs towing or not. Didn't sound right. Door says 35lbs, but thats for the original tires. I'll watch the wear and adjust as necessary.

[ATCguy]

Originally Posted by calewjohnson

Tom,

Have you been rotating your tires? If so, what rotation sequence are you using?

Cale

Actually, no I haven't. I'm almost due for service & oil change, and was going to have them rotate them when I go in.

[donzinger]

Originally Posted by calewjohnson

Tom,

Have you been rotating your tires? If so, what rotation sequence are you using? I skipped a rotation and the fronts wore the outside bad (did not tow that much on that cycle). The next time I rotated, I stuck them on the rear insides with the hopes they will wear back flat...so far so good.

Cale

That's all I did on my rotation last winter and working well. Was too lazy to break the tires down in order to rotate and keep directionally correct.