Towing: PSI for 10 Ply Tires?

[MrSony]

Recently put some 10 ply tires on my truck. I intend to use it as a tow vehicle when I get the new engine built, so at most it will ever tow is probably 4000lbs plus whatever a full open car trailer weighs which I believe is under the max rating for the truck. It's a 76 f250 with a 390/c6/dana61 (will be swapped with a Dana 60 with mid 3.xx gearing eventually), so it can physically do it. I was told 50psi unloaded and 60psi for the rears loaded was a good range. That sound correct?

Also, yes I'm aware of the wiring and stuff that needs to take place to make a trailer "function". I don't even have a receiver hitch yet lol

 

[ssn696]

What tire size? I have 265/75-16 under my 02 F350 4xcrew, and I keep them at 70 when empty an 80 when heavily loaded. I sometimes pull an 18 foot flatbed that I can load to 10K. My tire wear 25K later suggests that I have it about right. If over-inflated, the tread would be worn down in the middle more than the edges. But with 160K on the tie rod ends, rotating the tires periodically, they seem to be wearing evenly.

 

[Ace Burt]

Recently put some 10 ply tires on my truck. I intend to use it as a tow vehicle when I get the new engine built, so at most it will ever tow is probably 4000lbs plus whatever a full open car trailer weighs which I believe is under the max rating for the truck. It's a 76 f250 with a 390/c6/dana61 (will be swapped with a Dana 60 with mid 3.xx gearing eventually), so it can physically do it. I was told 50psi unloaded and 60psi for the rears loaded was a good range. That sound correct?

Also, yes I'm aware of the wiring and stuff that needs to take place to make a trailer "function". I don't even have a receiver hitch yet lol

Run the manufacturers ratings and don’t worry about wear or any of the other problems you will eventually have with doing something different. I have a friend that owns a tire shop and have hauled race trailers prolly 500k miles in my life and have seen every problem you could have. Get them balanced when they are new and run the right PSI and they will last and work as long as they are supposed to.

 

[ck80]

I'd ask how much weight you'd be putting on the tires, and the size, as well as look at manufacturer ratings. Then pick based on that.

On the yukon we are usually hauling or towing if it's getting used, so, we run 80psi which is what Michelin recommended.

The higher psi you run its gonna drive and handle differently, especially if unloaded, and wet pavement. If I weren't putting lots of weight inside, and, towing 8, 10, 12k loads, I wouldn't be running the 80psi.

 

[MrSony]

What tire size? I have 235/85-16 under my 02 F350 4xcrew, and I keep them at 70 when empty an 80 when heavily loaded. I sometimes pull an 18 foot flatbed that I can load to 10K. My tire wear 25K later suggests that I have it about right. If over-inflated, the tread would be worn down in the middle more than the edges. But with 160K on the tie rod ends, rotating the tires periodically, they seem to be wearing evenly.

245/75/16. A little wide imo but it's what I had access to.

 

[ck80]

245/75/16. A little wide imo but it's what I had access to.

We run 265/75/16 on the yukon. Wider, more contact surface, is better for snow grip out where you are anyways, and, also better for mud season, so, 245s aren't that wide imo.

 

[79 USA 1]

For what it is worth on my 2004 F 250 Super Duty with load range E (10 ply) I use the paint pen stripe method. Unloaded the stripe across the rears wears off at 62 lbs. I set the fronts the same. Rears loaded with my 16 ft open car hauler I seem to find 75-80 lbs is the sweet spot. This is with Michelin Defender LTX in a 285/75r16 size. Tread wear is always flat across both front and rear with 3,000 mile front to back rotation schedule.

 

[Supercharged111]

For what it is worth on my 2004 F 250 Super Duty with load range E (10 ply) I use the paint pen stripe method. Unloaded the stripe across the rears wears off at 62 lbs. I set the fronts the same. Rears loaded with my 16 ft open car hauler I seem to find 75-80 lbs is the sweet spot. This is with Michelin Defender LTX in a 285/75r16 size. Tread wear is always flat across both front and rear with 3,000 mile front to back rotation schedule. View attachment 206651

This is the best method, that 80-85 rating is for the max rated load of the tire. Car manufacturers sometimes have recommended pressures lower to coincide with their applicable GAWR. If the truck didn't come with 10 ply tires, then whatever Ford rated it for back in 19-diggity is irrelevant.

 

[MrSony]

This is the best method, that 80-85 rating is for the max rated load of the tire. Car manufacturers sometimes have recommended pressures lower to coincide with their applicable GAWR. If the truck didn't come with 10 ply tires, then whatever Ford rated it for back in 19-diggity is irrelevant.

Also wouldn't the type of rubber back then or if the truck had bias ply tires require different settings than modern tires anyway?

 

[ck80]

Also wouldn't the type of rubber back then or if the truck had bias ply tires require different settings than modern tires anyway?

Even different modern tires of the same size can have different speed ratings, different load index, and different max inflation numbers.

Takeaway you should operate with is every time you buy a different tire you review manufacturer ratings/recommendations and evaluate what psi you'll inflate to. Although they learned a lesson of sorts (exploder roll overs) with the Firestone debacle day a decade and a half or whatever it was ago, even OEM door stickers are no replacement for what the tire maker says the tire inflates to for proper operation