# f-350 tire pressure



## smokey (Dec 17, 2002)

What is the recommended tire pressuer for a 2000 f-350? My spec decal is missing from the door jamb.


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## gordyo (Feb 12, 2002)

Dump or Pickup??


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Depends on the truck,,weight,how it is outfitted,and the load you are carrying.

50-60 PSI would be OK empty,and 80 psi (max) when loaded near GVWR.


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## smokey (Dec 17, 2002)

Thanks, its a pick up used for heavy towing ,you would think there would also be a tire pressure chart in the owners manual also,but there isn't.


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## Pelican (Nov 16, 2001)

I found the handling improved greatly on my F-350 when I ran them up to full pressure, it took a lot of sway out.

I had run the factory recomendation as Wyldman posted, but pumped them up to 80 to haul a heavy load. I've left them there since. A bit rougher ride, but much improved handling.


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

Truck tires seem to do best when inflated to the maximum recommended pressure. All tires made in the past umpteen years have that information molded into the sidewalls.


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## gordyo (Feb 12, 2002)

As these guys have posted, I run 55 front and 80 rear on my F-350 dump and my fleet of 10 E-350 15 passanger vans.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Running the tires at max pressure unloaded or empty will cause excessive centre rib wear,and a harsh ride.It is also dangerous in the wet weather,as tires will be prone to sliding.You may have to experiment some,but try to find something that gives a good ride,handling,and still properly supports the weight your carrying.

Tire pressure is even more important with the bigger and wider tires the OEM's are using,and aftermarket oversize tires.A wider tire is more sensitive to tread deviation when over or under inflated,and uneven tire wear will result.


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## Heron Cove PM (Aug 4, 2003)

> _Originally posted by wyldman _
> *Running the tires at max pressure unloaded or empty will cause excessive centre rib wear,and a harsh ride.It is also dangerous in the wet weather,as tires will be prone to sliding...B]*


*

I have run mine at max pressure for YEARS, and I have NEVER had any of these problems.

Hey wyldman... how come a nice guy like you who has a mo...mo...mopa...(sorry having a hard time bringing myself to say it) mopar is always posting in the FORD section  *


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

I'm fully Ford factory trained,and have 8 years experience at a Ford dealer.A large majority of our customers are Ford drivers,most of who follwed me here from the dealer.I use to run pretty much all Ford's in the fleet too,only swithed to Dodge a while ago.

I run an independant shop,so we see all makes and models,and I am fully trained on pretty much everything.I also don't mind helping out just about anyone,so I try to post in all the truck forum's if I think I can be of any assistance.

If your truck is heavy,and has a lot of extras,then running the tire pressures at the max will not hurt it at all.If your on the light side you will see uneven tire wear.There is no perfect tire pressure for everyone,and you will have to experiment to find what works best for you in terms of load,handling,ride quality,and tire wear.


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## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

Heron Cove PM, welcome to PlowSite. This is a really good and helpful site to be a part of. Wyldman is one of those guys that knows his stuff and trys to help everyone and we are all very lucky to have a guy like him here. He is a very well respected guy here on PlowSite and when he posts, people listen. Once again, welcome aboard buddy! Mike :waving:


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

Wyld,

Your comments about the problems with over inflation are all very valid. But I think that they are more applicable to trucks used as cowboy cadillacs than to work trucks. 

If you're running a truck as a TRUCK the only way you can be safe when loaded is to run the tires at max pressure. Maybe it is possible to always anticipate your loads, but I doubt that is practical. 

In my work I may run empty for days (8600 GVW pickup) and then need to get material and need all the capacity I can get. As far as I'm concerned a loaded truck on undeinflated tires is far more hazardous than an empty one on overinflated skins. 

While I may lose some in wet traction and tread life I think it is a reasonable trade-off to being in an unsafe condition with a loaded vehicle. With that in mind I run my tires at max pressure to keep maximum load capacity.

Another thought is that the Great Flipping Explorer fiasco was at least partially a result of the vehicle manufacturer spec'ing a lower than max pressure to gain ride qualiity and sacrificing handling at the same time. In those test films it was obvious the ooutside front tire was virtually rolling under the rim. I wonder if the actual flop was initiated by the wheel contacting pavement and digging in.

We've run various Chrysler Corp. minivans for 16 years now, and to some extent they also are recommending lower perssues than I feel comfortable riding on, particularly for that front drive platform. At the rec. pressures the things are "mushy" at the least. Our van tires run at 32 psi all around and give us far less sidewall roll and resulting soggy steering response than they do at the recommended 26 psi.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

You are correct Alan.Most of the problems we see with tire wear at max pressures are on light duty trucks,used primarily for personal transportation.

I'd rather run the pressures to high than too low.At least that way the tires won't end up coming apart.


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## Heron Cove PM (Aug 4, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Mike 97 SS _
> *Heron Cove PM, welcome to PlowSite. This is a really good and helpful site to be a part of. Wyldman is one of those guys that knows his stuff and trys to help everyone and we are all very lucky to have a guy like him here. He is a very well respected guy here on PlowSite and when he posts, people listen. Once again, welcome aboard buddy! Mike :waving: *


Sorry Mike, to leave the WRONG impression. I have been a member here for a while now. I have changed my log in name to reflect my company.( LOOK IN SIGNATURE AKA TILLERMAN1664)

Yes, you are correct wyldman is VERY well respected even by me and he has a WEALTH of knowledge. I was taking a shot to poke some fun and see if he would bite. This place can be way too serious and stale at times. He didn't bite that's fine... wyldman, mike, everyone else, my apologies.

Heron Cove PM
Tillerman1664
Marshall Moneymaker


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## Mike 97 SS (Aug 11, 2002)

No no, no need to apologize. I kind of figured you were messin around, but also thought maybe you might be a newbie who thought they knew everything about everything.  Yea, I recognize your other name now, I didnt know you made up a new name. No need for apologies whatsoever. You are right, sometimes this place can be too serious, which is why I like to clown around also, hence me calling you "buddy" in the above reply!  Glad to have ya here!! Mike :waving:


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

I kinda figured you were trying to get me to bite 

I may know a lot of stuff,and answer a lot of questions on this board,but it never hurts to challenge or question someones response.I have been wrong many times,and I am never afraid to admit it.Even better if I (or someone else) learns something new in the process.A lot of people base tire pressures on personal experience,or what they think is right.If unsure,always run them higher,or at the maximum to prevent underinflation.

Alan had an excellent response,which demonstrates another side of the tire pressure issue.Other members benefit as they learn this stuff as well,and it may help them decide what is right for them.


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## Pelican (Nov 16, 2001)

I can say I've experienced both sides of this issue. 

I had a truck that I ran 33/12 X 16.5 C rated tires on that wore the center tread when inflated to maximum pressure. I've never had that happen with the E rated tires on my newer trucks though, and I've run them at maximum pressure since new.

I think the heavier duty tires must be more resistant to ballooning.


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## wyldman (Jan 18, 2001)

Tires with mores plies will be more resistant to center tread wear as the tire is stiffer overall.Also the skinnier the tire,the less it will tend to "balloon" when inflated.Wide floatation type tires are notorious for wearing out in the center when overinflated.


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## CT18fireman (Nov 30, 2000)

I too have run my tires at max pressure all the time and experienced no uneven wear or odd handling. I noticed recently when I changed the tires in my wifes Pathfinder that they wore on the outside of the tread. They were always inflated to Nissan specs and the car seldom carries more then groceries. Needless to say I did not put Bridgestones back on the truck.


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