Tire pressures..... I'm SO confused!

[Frostbite]

My 06 Wolverine 450 is my first ATV. I read in the owners manual that 6.5 lbs. of air pressure is the maximum for the tires with 4.5 to 6.5 recommended. Then this evening I read the tires and the sidewalls on the tires say 36 lbs. pressure maximum.

Now, I can see if you were riding in a swamp or on wet or lose ground why you might want 4 to 6 PSI but, I will be riding mostly on logging roads with the ocassional off road jaunt through DRY mountain forests. I'm thinking about running 12 PSI in the tires only because I don't dare run the 20 PSI I really wanted to run just yet based on what the owners manual says.

So help me out here if you can. What's the maximum tire pressures you'd run if you were running gravel roads?

Thanks

Frostbite

 

[ctateusa1]

I ride mine up and down gravel roads, paved roads, fields, streams and everything else. I run about 3-4 lbs in mine, more air makes it ride harder on rough ground. This is the pressure the dealer recommended to me as well on delivery.

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks Cat, On all my other vehicles (except motorcycles) I run my tires at the maximum pressure stated on the sidewalls. In fact I typically add a couple pounds. For instance, on my wife's Honda Pilot the max pressure says 44 PSI. I run 47. On my Grand Cherokee the max is 65 and I run 68. On my Power Stroke it's 80 and I go 84.
Years ago a neighbor of mine that worked as an engineer for a tire company told me about tire pressures and the huge impact it makes on tire wear.
Now, my ATV tire pressure question has nothing to do with tire wear. It has more to do with handling. I would think vehicle roll would be diminished quite a bit with the tire pressures bumped up a bit. Yes, you may give up a bit of traction but, traction really isn't an issue where I ride.
One of my neighbors and I went for a motorcycle ride the night before last. We took off on pavement and ended up on primative road meandering through the countryside. I had about 32 PSI in the front tire of my BMW F650 and once we got on the gravel I felt like I was driving on ball bearings. I dopped the tire pressure to 20 PSI and it tracked MUCH better on the gravel. I dropped the rear from 34 to 24 and it worked better as well.
So yes, I understand the whens and whys of dropping tire pressures but maybe I just need to read some more about "floatation" type tires?

Frostbite

 

[ctateusa1]

Well you know what is weird I have one customer at my shop(he owns a pilot as well) that runs at the max psi on his cars. For myself and 99.9% of my customers at the shop we run about 32-36 psi in every tire, with increased psi you do decrease body roll somewhat. With about 36 psi you increase your tire life and your gas mileage a little as well. But your ride quality does diminish a little as you increase the pressure inside a tire(less flex in the tires sidewall and tread due to the increase in internal pressure).

In my motorcycle I usually run about 32 front and back, my car about 32 and my truck about 36-38. The quads get about 3-4 psi in the front and back. If I was riding in water all the time and I wanted to float easier I would pump them up to about 25-30 psi.

One more alternative to pumping up the psi in atv tires is that you can puncture one a little easier as well because the tire does not conform to the edge of a rock or piece of metal and roll over it. but instead it cuts the tire.

 

[Glenn]

The 36 psi was probably the max pressure for seating the bead when mounting the tires.

ATV tires are vastly different from vehicles tires. I wouldn't run any more PSI than what's recomended in the manual or on the sidewall.

 

[ldyker]

I run with 40 pounds of tire pressure all the way around at all times. When I took the bike out of the shop it had 50 all around.

 

[Glenn]

I run with 40 pounds of tire pressure all the way around at all times. When I took the bike out of the shop it had 50 all around.

Are you serious? :shock:

 

[Wasinger12]

I run with 40 pounds of tire pressure all the way around at all times. When I took the bike out of the shop it had 50 all around.

Are you serious? :shock:

I'm with you on this one!!!! Holly Cow!!!! I've had tire pop the bead out riding and we shot it with like 60 just to set it and then dropped it back down to around 3-5psi. I myself dont go over 6psi and most the time Im running like 2-3psi due to my riding style (Mud)......

 

[Skramblr]

Holy Cow.

The max pressure rating on tires is ONLY FOR SEATING THE BEAD! Don't believe that? Just ask the dealer. In general most people never run >10 PSI when riding.

The 4 to 6 PSI is really the normal range. For the wolfy, I run at least 6.5PSI, due to the nose dives so bad on fast turns. I run 4.5 PSI in the rear (softer ride and better traction).

 

[Frostbite]

I cut my sidewall in the mountains this past weekend while running 5 PSI in the tires. I had to use my electric pickup camper jack to break down the tire/rim to do a combo plug/patch to be able to use the ATV. I ran 25 lbs. of pressure in all tires from that point on to limit the amount of sidewall flexing to keep the plug in the tire.
Now I have to wonder if the tire would have been cut with more air pressure? It may have slid off the sharp rock instead of being slit. The ATV sure handles differently with all that air pressure but man does it ever haul ass with the reduced drag from low tire pressures. I've since dropped all the tires to 20 PSI.

I don't ride in mud, I ride mostly logging roads in the mountains. It's dry and dutsy. So why would I run 2-4 PSI of pressure?

Frostbite

 

[fireman69]

I run with 40 pounds of tire pressure all the way around at all times. When I took the bike out of the shop it had 50 all around.

wow, its so rough here in arkansas where we ride if i ran 40 psi my i would be pi$$ing blood from the beating my kidneys would get......wow!!!

 

[Skramblr]

I don't ride in mud, I ride mostly logging roads in the mountains. It's dry and dutsy. So why would I run 2-4 PSI of pressure?

The less air in the tire, the wider the footprint. That not only means better traction in mud, but also snow, sand, and even gravel and loose dirt. Also, lower pressures absorb vibration (like a trail that is all rock) and also when your tire hits a big rock it absorbs more of the shock.

But, 2-4 PSI is very low pressure for a heavy bike. That's too low for a wolfy. If you ridge fast and make a sharp turn, the stock tires will roll and potentially pinch if they hit a big rock. I ride 6 to 10 PSI up front depending on trail conditions.